This is really long but important. Who knew that the ERA was still alive but not complete. We need it now more than ever. Here is what you need to know and what you can do to help.
the ERA is one small hurdle away from becoming the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution!
I am asking for your help to push the ERA across the finish line. This year we witnessed how easily women's rights can be stripped as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Then we saw the strength of women's votes changing the course of history in the mid-term election. Now, this is the moment to speak for the ERA.
We need to fill the inbox daily of Senator Chuck Schumer to ask him to bring SJ Res 1 to the Senate floor for a vote before Congress ends its current session. This Resolution eliminates the deadline for ERA ratification, and it already passed the House so now all it needs is a positive vote in the Senate.
Click below to fill Senator Schumer's inbox. Please do this every day between now and Jan 3rd when the current Congress ends. Share this email with anyone you can think of - friends, loved ones, kids, husbands.
Alternatively you may call Senator Schumer's office at 202-224-6542.
I have read the email the link makes easy to send. It’s too long but it is all about the numbers now. Copy the link and send every day. Time is running out.
All phone calls and emails are logged and DO make a difference in getting the attention of our elected officials. Chuck Schumer works for all of us as the Majority Leader of the US Senate, so please let him hear your voice. Any other Senator dedicated to women's rights is also fair game to reach out to, just say you are from South Carolina and that they need to know you care deeply about the ERA and women's equality in law finally becoming guaranteed by our Constitution.
If you'd like more info on the ERA and its history up to today, please read below.
What is the ERA? Just 24 words that give women equal legal status with men.
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United Satates or by any State on account of sex."
The ERA was initially introduced in Congress way back in 1923. Almost 100 years ago.
During the 1960s it garnered support for passage during the rise of the women's movement, getting approved by the US House in 1971, and by the US Senate in 1972.
Because it is a Constitutional Amendment, it was then submitted to the Legislatures of all 50 States for ratification, as provided by Article V of the US Constitution which requires 3/4 of all the states to ratify any Constitutional Amendment.
35 States ratified the ERA on relatively short order and by 1977 it was only three states shy of the required 3/4.
State ratification stalled out for four decades between 1977 and 2017. Support had been strong with both political parties and it was widely believed that the ERA was destined to be successful. But Phyllis Schlafly mobilized conservative women to oppose it, arguing that it would disadvantage housewives, that women would be drafted, and that women would lose divorce benefits such as alimony and the right to custody of their children.
In the 2010s there was renewed interest in adoption of the ERA, and 3 additional states ratified it - NV in 2017, IL in 2018 and VA in 2020.
With these states added, the ERA finally has the required 38 states for ratification. (38 divided by 50 = 76%)
So what's the holdup? The ratification deadline is the only hurdle and it's really a rather simple technicality. When Congress initially passed the ERA, it set a ratification deadline for the States. Confidence at that time was high that all the States would act within a period of five years so the original deadline was set to be 1977. Congress then extended the deadline to be 1982. In fact, in EVERY session of Congress since 1982 a resolution for extension has been introduced.
So interest in the ERA has remained high, and most recently under Nancy Pelosi's leadership, the US House passed a resolution on March 17, 2021 with bipartisan support to ELIMINATE THE DEADLINE for ratification. However no vote has been taken on that resolution by the full Senate so THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR, to bring this joint resolution to the floor of the Senate for a vote immediately.
100 years after its introduction, let's do our part to get the ERA across the finish line! It is important to hold the Senate vote now in the 117th Congress.
Speaking of Zelenskyy, Dave Letterman did a terrific interview with him down in a subway station in Kyiv. (Available on Netflix) Throughout the interview Zelenskyy is thoughtful, intelligent and still found moments to be humorous. His determination is inspiring, and his analysis of Putin and Russian is reassuring.
I disagree with staying on Twitter. It reminds me of sticking with Trump so no one worse gets on board. If people leave, sponsors will abandon the platform. Musk will not be able to monetize Twitter. That will be the end of Twitter.
I am failing in my effort to explain how I feel about Twitter.
I hope it fails because the advertisers flee, not because responsible voices of democracy and decency flee the platform. If the former happens, it can be sold and resurrected when Musk is no longer associated with the platform. If the latter happens, it will increasingly become a cesspool of hate but will not be driven out of business.
No amount of quitting by responsible users will drive Twitter out of business. It has 400 million users, but only 25% of those are in the US. If 10% of US users quit (a lofty goal), that is 3% of Twitter's user base. That is not enough to shut it down.
And we cannot overlook the importance of Twitter to the scientific and academic communities. It has been a boon to research and knowledge sharing never before seen in history. If we shut it down, talented young scientists and academics will be told, "Wait your turn to be heard for a few decades--after you get tenure and are published in prestigious journals." Twitter has been a democratizer of information. It would be a grievous loss to those communities if Twitter shut down.
And I say the above as someone who is not a fan of Twitter and who does not post on Twitter because I want to avoid the trolls and haters. It is easy to hate the bad parts of Twitter. but we cannot overlook its importance as a tool for communication and knowledge sharing.
Twitter has become the National Inquirer of social media with the lies and smears by the deranged and calculating. Only other deranged would follow them, and those ¨others¨ cannot be reached in logic or facts. They have their world and we have ours. Trying to exist together is exhausting, but necessary.
All the good people I follow on Twitter are still there, and I will stay with them. It cannot be compared to staying with TFG. Now that I have muted all the right wingers Muck wanted to send my way, my feed looks fairly back to normal.
Some people are getting accounts ready on Post and Mastodon, in case Muck destroys it all. We just keep pressing on, but our connections are too important to just abandon them.
Yesterday Heather Cox Richardson tweeted that she may finally pull the plug on Twitter as a result of Muck's disgusting comments on Dr. Fauci. She said that she opened an account on Post and will be opening one on Mastodon. Both of these new forums have growing pains. Mastodon is confusing as all get out and Post requires you to add your name to a waiting list. The wait is not long (they approved me in about a week) but who knows how long it will take now that people are starting to join. I recommend, if you're interested, put your name on the waiting list so that at least you have a backup. The more people that join, the better the content will be and I, for one, will follow Heather anywhere she goes.
I will do both....follow Heather and stay with Twitter for as long as possible, guided by Robert and the others here who are also staying. It will just take me a little longer to do my daily sharing of HCR and Robert!
Agree - I'm still on Twitter though I also set up accounts on Post.nes (which I like), Mastodon (ok) and IG. Plus Musk is LOSING money because of what he does on Twitter. He's not making money on those of us who are still on there and blocking all the MAGAts.
Though I grit my teeth, I'm sticking with Twitter for a while, until the people whose voices I respect leave there. On the other hand, I do remain conflicted about participating on the site, so I joined Post and, like many, am having start-up issues, but I think in time the bugs will get eliminated and it should be a good, reliable platform, safe from the shenanigans of the megalomaniac.
Beth, As one who never has been on Twitter, I hope I’m not speaking out of turn when I suggest, in concurrence with Robert’s view, that I can’t imagine how, especially, say, with over a million followers, one could consider leaving Twitter in lieu of trying, if not to take back the platform, at least to level the effects of those who would embrace a world view that can’t be proven wrong because they will admit no evidence to the contrary.
Additionally, I would note Robert clarified that one could call for boycotting advertisers while remaining on Twitter.
I would suggest boycotting Twitter advertisers regardless of whether one has a Twitter account. Granted, that can be easier said than done. Per one source (from Twitter, ironically: https://twitter.com/PoliticsVerse/status/1598718475924475911), here's a list of companies that still advertise on Twitter:
Thanks for the list....I didn't know where to start. It would be very hard to boycott Etsy and Amazon. (Mobility issues make online shopping a real convenience) I might start with reaching out to them.
@pts, I greatly appreciate the lists. Thank you. As for companies that still advertise, I found only 1 that will pose a challenge. Regarding the companies that pulled their advertising, while I applaud them for doing one right thing, I don’t imagine any of us are inclined to reward them.
Chaplain, I applaud your reasoning and resilience. I believe Gailee, as part of this thread, brilliantly portrayed said persistence as “exhausting, but necessary.”
I had a Twitter account for years. But I rarely used it. Just a matter of taste. It encourages ranting and the spread of rumors and falsehoods. It also revolves around obtaining "followers". As one who is not impressed by celebrity or fame, it's just not my thing. I respect anyone who finds Twitter to be an enjoyable or productive experience. I don't.
There are SO MANY WAYS to gather information and to express oneself, that it really comes down to what platform you want to support. By the time I have read the news from several sources and have digested the substack newsletters I subscribe to...I am more than all set for the day.
So why would I want to visit a social media platform owned by an obnoxious sociopathic narcissist? If it works for you, great. But I think the world would be fine if Twitter were to crash and burn to a crisp.
And then there is this. Elon Musk has made it clear what Twitter will be: his personal toy to express his unrestrained bigotry and hate. He is a needy dangerous insecure wounded beast. Why support a platform for him to spread his hatred and disgusting views? There are people who worship him who may perform very regrettable acts of violence with his encouragement.
Twitter does not belong to us anymore. It belongs to a madman. Which makes it very similar to "Truth Social". I deleted my account. It felt good.
Really well said, Bill. I've never had an account for all the reasons you mentioned. And Musk is a despicable bully. I've no desire to encourage him one iota.
Hi, I’m sad to say I agree with Beth and disagree with you on the importance of Twitter to continue to exist. I imagine even as we are writing these comments there are responsible agents for good creating a better format. Just today we heard on Rachel how David Donnelly organized over 32 million dollars of quiet money to be spent supporting over 126 small organizations working to preserve democracy in the 2022 midterms. The results of that effort was a huge upset in media expectations. That scenario could be happening here. Let Twitter fail. Hoping we can “change” it for the highest good is like asking an abused wife to stay with her abuser “just one more time”. Enough. Europe is often ahead of us in social maturity. If they can let it go, so can we!
I am failing in my effort to explain how I feel about Twitter.
I hope it fails because the advertisers flee, not because responsible voices of democracy and decency flee the platform. If the former happens, it can be sold and resurrected when Musk is no longer associated with the platform. If the latter happens, it will increasingly become a cesspool of hate but will not be driven out of business.
No amount of quitting by responsible users will drive Twitter out of business. It has 400 million users, but only 25% of those are in the US. If 10% of US users quit (a lofty goal), that is 3% of Twitter's user base. That is not enough to shut it down.
And we cannot overlook the importance of Twitter to the scientific and academic communities. It has been a boon to research and knowledge sharing never before seen in history. If we shut it down, talented young scientists and academics will be told, "Wait your turn to be heard for a few decades--after you get tenure and are published in prestigious journals." Twitter has been a democratizer of information. It would be a grievous loss to those communities if Twitter shut down.
And I say the above as someone who is not a fan of Twitter and who does not post on Twitter because I want to avoid the trolls and haters. It is easy to hate the bad parts of Twitter. but we cannot overlook its importance as a tool for communication and knowledge sharing.
I completely agree. Twitter is the most important platform for liberal political discourse. It is also an excellent platform to find other like-minded citizens who are working hard for democracy. I have learned more from my Twitter community in the last 5 years than anytime in my life - bc I literally have at my fingertips economists, grassroots organizers, scientists, activists and most importantly, the most robust, diverse community that I have ever found (which is saying something coming from the SF Bay Area). The only thing that Musk is doing is trying to make it harder for progressive voices to be heard - we cannot stand down nor should we. Twitter is the proverbial town square and it influences what happens in our country (see all the articles which quote people on Twitter). People liked to trash Twitter before Musk for being a shhtshow, but it is a far more democratic and important platform for debate and analysis than any other (FB is basically either right wingers or puppies/kids/vacation photos; IG makes it hard to share posts; commenting on news articles doesn't move the needle). And finally, Musk is LOSING money because of Twitter - he's not making money off of us. That all said, I've set up accounts on Post.news, Mastodon, and hopefully Spoutible (coming soon from Christopher Bouzy) in the event, Twitter is no longer viable.
I really get that about the abused wife example. That is exactly what I felt like when T-rump was running the show and there's no going back to that dangerous whack-job. I feel like we are playing a weird game of whack-a-mole and I am excited to learn that there are alternatives to this Twitter universe popping up. Good news indeed.
Thanks for all your thoughtful replies to my comment. My view is definitely not at the depth of Robert’s and HH’s, views I respect greatly. I’m still hoping there is a “Zelensky” site out there that will undermine the Musk “Putin” approach to taking over responsible, democratic discourse. I feel we should support those sites, and quickly. Advertisers will follow, just as all of Europe and the present US govt have supported Ukraine, ghosting Russia. Painful, awkward, but morally correct. Isolating hate speech doesn’t diminish it. The scholars and scientists aren’t listened to by those users in any case. Why not offer them more choices to be heard by an audience and their contemporaries without all the firewalls necessary to keep out the hate speech? Donnelly spent $32 million supporting small alternative action groups elevating democracy and changed history doing so. It works. Twitter was the teacher. A good student must surpass the teacher.
You forgot to mention that SBF - Sam Bankman-Fried - was arrested today in the Bahamas at the request of the SDNY, which has indicted him on several serious financial charges. The arrest came a couple hours after he said in an online conversation that he didn't think he was going to be arrested. He's about to become Fried Bankman, served up on a platter with an apple in his mouth.
One down, the rest of the billionaire scum to go. Hopefully Muck will be next. He's no longer "the world's richest man," since Tinny Toys Inc. has lost 40% of its value and its tinny toy product is no longer the Official Car of Rich White Lib'ruls.
How is it SBF was exposed to his crimes a month or two ago and arrested while DT has been mucking around with charges for years and is still “at large?”
Thank you for lifting up Professor Snyder’s work and commitment to justice for Ukraine. I am deeply impressed by him. He is a role model for me as I am also a professor: he never sacrifices complexity in his efforts to educate the public and stand for human rights. Exemplary!!
McCarthy (CA-23) is unfit to be Speaker of the House. He's shown an interesting combination of spinelessness and appalling judgment. To be supportive of Gym Jordan and MTG in the wake of their own appalling lack of judgment is depressing. The even worse news is: I can't think of anyone on the GOP caucus who is better now that Cheney and Kinzinger have been booted from their seats. Can you?
I just moved to a district near McCarthy's (culture shock after SF!), and they love him. All I've ever read in the CA papers all these years is immaturity and spinelessness. But McCarthy makes his constituents very happy, and kept ICE from taking any undocumented farmworkers out of the fields of his constituents. Bakersfield was rated "the worst city in the US to raise children" a couple of years ago -- and they still love him. It's like moving to Dixie without the humidity.
But, oh, the border crisis under Eisenhower—the wetback program; Reagan—amnesty program; Clinton—built the first fences; Bush the Younger—more fences; Obama, Trump, Biden…
Maybe we should’ve left Texas and Arizona with Mexico—then it’d be their northern border problem
I think there are some radical legislators in TX who have been yelling about Texas seceding from the nation to remove themselves from the "woke" commies in Washington. I think we should hold the door open.
Twitter: I agree with Robert to stay on it. It's a great curator of news and opinions of whomever you want to follow. But do also get set up on one of the alternatives: Post, Mastodon, Counter Social appear to be better ones, although each has challenges/limitations at this time.
In addition to Robert, a host of good people are staying (many while also setting up a Plan B). Tom Nichols includes this advice on how to deal with Twitter:
"Set your notifications to Latest, not Home. Block a lot. Set notifications so that you don’t see tweets from people who don’t follow you. Refuse to engage with five-follower accounts that went active last week...I have all of those settings in place, I block with the flick of a finger, and my Twitter experience really hasn’t changed that much since Musk arrived."
Rip van Winkle here. What lucky break did the Dems catch in Indiana?
Also, I understand Robert's argument for remaining on Twitter (although it's academic for me as I've never had a Twitter account). But like another commenter, I disagree with that approach. Staying on Twitter in hopes of elevating the quality of the discourse seems rather like preaching from a soapbox in nasty neighborhoods full of muggers and dope dealers thinking you're going to end street crime. Ain't gonna happen. More practically, fewer Twitter users means less revenue potential for Musk and less social influence. Better to leave that hot mess to eventually wither and die than to support it in any way.
Ah; cool; thanks for that. Sounds like a good opportunity for some feet-on-the-street, get-out-the-vote door knocking and doorbell ringing in Indiana in 2024.
Forgive my ignorance, but if I do not interact with or even see posts from MAGAs and, because of AdBlock Plus, see no ads to click on but am using Twitter simply to see posts from people whose values and beliefs I share, how am I providing revenue to Muck?
Gym Jordan as head of the Judiciary Committee. It'll be Hunter Biden all the time (poor guy). Meanwhile, Jared Kushner gets a refi on his disastrous 666 5th Avenue building during Trump's presidency and then $2bn from the Saudi's within hours of Trump not being inaugurated in 2021. And no Repub thinks this isn't payolla? This is when partisanship has gone off the rails. Shame on McCarthy!!!
Ah, the Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again!
Trump's presidential candidacy resulted in Merrick "Hamlet" Garland finally getting out of his own way and appointing a special prosecutor who, in just a few weeks, has demonstrated discipline and, as you say, Robert, "urgency" to the effort to potentially prosecute Trump. If only Garland had appointed Smith back in April 2021. . . .
Robert, sadly, I think it is time for those who use Twitter to promote civil discourse and Society by switching to another channel, as imperfect as that channel may be. I can assure you, where the Lawrence Tribe's of this world go, I shall follow.
I have faith that the Law of Unintended Consequences will swallow Elon Musk whole.
I agree with BethMazer ... i disagree with staying on Twitter! I literally cannot bear the THOUGHT! The sooner the end comes for Twitter, the better! I feel that way about Elon too!! The sooner we stop elevating billionaires to status far far beyond their human abilities (or intentions), the better!!
I am failing in my effort to explain how I feel about Twitter.
I hope it fails because the advertisers flee, not because responsible voices of democracy and decency flee the platform. If the former happens, it can be sold and resurrected when Musk is no longer associated with the platform. If the latter happens, it will increasingly become a cesspool of hate but will not be driven out of business.
No amount of quitting by responsible users will drive Twitter out of business. It has 400 million users, but only 25% of those are in the US. If 10% of US users quit (a lofty goal), that is 3% of Twitter's user base. That is not enough to shut it down.
And we cannot overlook the importance of Twitter to the scientific and academic communities. It has been a boon to research and knowledge sharing never before seen in history. If we shut it down, talented young scientists and academics will be told, "Wait your turn to be heard for a few decades--after you get tenure and are published in prestigious journals." Twitter has been a democratizer of information. It would be a grievous loss to those communities if Twitter shut down.
And I say the above as someone who is not a fan of Twitter and who does not post on Twitter because I want to avoid the trolls and haters. It is easy to hate the bad parts of Twitter. but we cannot overlook its importance as a tool for communication and knowledge sharing.
Well, let's just say I have avoided Twitter, as I avoid feedback from let's say AOL (which i still use!). I just can't take it. It literally hurts me, as does so many things i see all around me. I literally hurt! I am an empathic person .. overly. And, I am aa Libra who needs harmony!! ha ha.. Anyway, I feel like a groupie I'm so excited about getting a reply from you. You have no idea how much I appreciate not only everything you do for us, but for sharing your very beautiful family with us. It's nice to witness that kind of love and respect. Shine on!
That's a good comment. I know very little about the platform, so it is helpful to learn that it does something other than spew hate from the Right Wing.
Well, let's just say I have avoided Twitter, as I avoid feedback from let's say AOL (which i still use!). I just can't take it. It literally hurts me, as does so many things i see all around me. I literally hurt! I am an empathic person .. overly. And, I am aa Libra who needs harmony!! ha ha.. Anyway, I feel like a groupie I'm so excited about getting a reply from you. You have no idea how much I appreciate not only everything you do for us, but for sharing your very beautiful family with us. It's nice to witness that kind of love. Shine on!
Yes, at last! Finally. Last evening MSNBC's Ari Melber compared the very rapid response to coup attempts in Germany and Peru to the two plus years of procrastination here in the US. (The president of Peru woke up as president and went to bed in jail.) But now, at last, DOJ appears to be moving forward. Think how different things would be had the DOJ moved at even a modest pace to prosecute those responsible for the coup here. Sad.
That aphorism is wrongly attributed to Yogi Berra and Niels Bohr (famous physicist). Neither of them were the source. But it sounds better coming from Yogi Berra!
2024 does present a very challenging senate map for Dems and while we should never give up denying the reality of the map does us a disservice. Ohio had an 8 pt. Trump margin and Tim Ryan, a strong candidate, lost to JD Vance, a weak candidate, by over 6 points. Indians went Trump in 2020 by 17 points(!!!). In todays partisan environment, it’s hard to imagine a D candidate that has even a 5% chance of winning a senate seat in Indiana. I’ve been building election data models for several cycles now to help target fundraising to where it can make the greatest difference for Dems. For example, in 2020 Dems donated $88M to Amy McGrath who lost by nearly 20 points. While she beat the Trump-Biden Kentucky margin of 26 pts, that was never going to be a winning seat for Dems and that money could have gone to helping Dems in potentially winnable seats close their margins. We have to be clear-eyed from the beginning or we will throw away our money and our chances of the best outcome possible.
Hi, Marsha. I hesitate to disagree with someone who is an expert in fundraising, but I will. I agree that we should be smart in allocating our resources--to a point. But if we conclude eighteen months out that we will never win in XYZ state and refuse to support our candidate in that state, we will never win XYZ state. That's not being smart, that's being defeatist. Moreover, if we concede Republican states from the outset, we allow them to deploy resources to competitive races. Finally, if we abandon the field, we will not be prepared to take advantage of unexpected developments, like Roy Moore turning out to be a pedophile.
Tim Ryan is a good example. He was abandoned by the Democratic establishment. Can we at least acknowledge that he might have done better if he had more money? If the answer is "no," then why do we bother donating money to any candidate? Obviously, money has an impact, but Democrats starved Ryan and others (Beasley?) of funds they could have put to good use.
Finally, we need to consider down ballot effects of supporting uphill candidates.
This is really long but important. Who knew that the ERA was still alive but not complete. We need it now more than ever. Here is what you need to know and what you can do to help.
the ERA is one small hurdle away from becoming the 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution!
I am asking for your help to push the ERA across the finish line. This year we witnessed how easily women's rights can be stripped as the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Then we saw the strength of women's votes changing the course of history in the mid-term election. Now, this is the moment to speak for the ERA.
We need to fill the inbox daily of Senator Chuck Schumer to ask him to bring SJ Res 1 to the Senate floor for a vote before Congress ends its current session. This Resolution eliminates the deadline for ERA ratification, and it already passed the House so now all it needs is a positive vote in the Senate.
Click below to fill Senator Schumer's inbox. Please do this every day between now and Jan 3rd when the current Congress ends. Share this email with anyone you can think of - friends, loved ones, kids, husbands.
https://www.eracoalition.org/take-action/senator-schumer-we-want-a-vote
Alternatively you may call Senator Schumer's office at 202-224-6542.
I have read the email the link makes easy to send. It’s too long but it is all about the numbers now. Copy the link and send every day. Time is running out.
All phone calls and emails are logged and DO make a difference in getting the attention of our elected officials. Chuck Schumer works for all of us as the Majority Leader of the US Senate, so please let him hear your voice. Any other Senator dedicated to women's rights is also fair game to reach out to, just say you are from South Carolina and that they need to know you care deeply about the ERA and women's equality in law finally becoming guaranteed by our Constitution.
If you'd like more info on the ERA and its history up to today, please read below.
What is the ERA? Just 24 words that give women equal legal status with men.
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United Satates or by any State on account of sex."
The ERA was initially introduced in Congress way back in 1923. Almost 100 years ago.
During the 1960s it garnered support for passage during the rise of the women's movement, getting approved by the US House in 1971, and by the US Senate in 1972.
Because it is a Constitutional Amendment, it was then submitted to the Legislatures of all 50 States for ratification, as provided by Article V of the US Constitution which requires 3/4 of all the states to ratify any Constitutional Amendment.
35 States ratified the ERA on relatively short order and by 1977 it was only three states shy of the required 3/4.
State ratification stalled out for four decades between 1977 and 2017. Support had been strong with both political parties and it was widely believed that the ERA was destined to be successful. But Phyllis Schlafly mobilized conservative women to oppose it, arguing that it would disadvantage housewives, that women would be drafted, and that women would lose divorce benefits such as alimony and the right to custody of their children.
In the 2010s there was renewed interest in adoption of the ERA, and 3 additional states ratified it - NV in 2017, IL in 2018 and VA in 2020.
With these states added, the ERA finally has the required 38 states for ratification. (38 divided by 50 = 76%)
So what's the holdup? The ratification deadline is the only hurdle and it's really a rather simple technicality. When Congress initially passed the ERA, it set a ratification deadline for the States. Confidence at that time was high that all the States would act within a period of five years so the original deadline was set to be 1977. Congress then extended the deadline to be 1982. In fact, in EVERY session of Congress since 1982 a resolution for extension has been introduced.
So interest in the ERA has remained high, and most recently under Nancy Pelosi's leadership, the US House passed a resolution on March 17, 2021 with bipartisan support to ELIMINATE THE DEADLINE for ratification. However no vote has been taken on that resolution by the full Senate so THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR, to bring this joint resolution to the floor of the Senate for a vote immediately.
100 years after its introduction, let's do our part to get the ERA across the finish line! It is important to hold the Senate vote now in the 117th Congress.
MARTHA ESKEW
Pinning to the top.
DONE! So easy! Now to forward it!
Did it. Thanks!
Done!
done. thanks for letting us know.
Speaking of Zelenskyy, Dave Letterman did a terrific interview with him down in a subway station in Kyiv. (Available on Netflix) Throughout the interview Zelenskyy is thoughtful, intelligent and still found moments to be humorous. His determination is inspiring, and his analysis of Putin and Russian is reassuring.
I disagree with staying on Twitter. It reminds me of sticking with Trump so no one worse gets on board. If people leave, sponsors will abandon the platform. Musk will not be able to monetize Twitter. That will be the end of Twitter.
I am failing in my effort to explain how I feel about Twitter.
I hope it fails because the advertisers flee, not because responsible voices of democracy and decency flee the platform. If the former happens, it can be sold and resurrected when Musk is no longer associated with the platform. If the latter happens, it will increasingly become a cesspool of hate but will not be driven out of business.
No amount of quitting by responsible users will drive Twitter out of business. It has 400 million users, but only 25% of those are in the US. If 10% of US users quit (a lofty goal), that is 3% of Twitter's user base. That is not enough to shut it down.
And we cannot overlook the importance of Twitter to the scientific and academic communities. It has been a boon to research and knowledge sharing never before seen in history. If we shut it down, talented young scientists and academics will be told, "Wait your turn to be heard for a few decades--after you get tenure and are published in prestigious journals." Twitter has been a democratizer of information. It would be a grievous loss to those communities if Twitter shut down.
And I say the above as someone who is not a fan of Twitter and who does not post on Twitter because I want to avoid the trolls and haters. It is easy to hate the bad parts of Twitter. but we cannot overlook its importance as a tool for communication and knowledge sharing.
Twitter has become the National Inquirer of social media with the lies and smears by the deranged and calculating. Only other deranged would follow them, and those ¨others¨ cannot be reached in logic or facts. They have their world and we have ours. Trying to exist together is exhausting, but necessary.
Exhausting is right.
All the good people I follow on Twitter are still there, and I will stay with them. It cannot be compared to staying with TFG. Now that I have muted all the right wingers Muck wanted to send my way, my feed looks fairly back to normal.
Some people are getting accounts ready on Post and Mastodon, in case Muck destroys it all. We just keep pressing on, but our connections are too important to just abandon them.
Yesterday Heather Cox Richardson tweeted that she may finally pull the plug on Twitter as a result of Muck's disgusting comments on Dr. Fauci. She said that she opened an account on Post and will be opening one on Mastodon. Both of these new forums have growing pains. Mastodon is confusing as all get out and Post requires you to add your name to a waiting list. The wait is not long (they approved me in about a week) but who knows how long it will take now that people are starting to join. I recommend, if you're interested, put your name on the waiting list so that at least you have a backup. The more people that join, the better the content will be and I, for one, will follow Heather anywhere she goes.
I will do both....follow Heather and stay with Twitter for as long as possible, guided by Robert and the others here who are also staying. It will just take me a little longer to do my daily sharing of HCR and Robert!
Thanks for that information. It helps.
I agree and you said it perfectly, "Our connections are too important to just abandon them."
I will take your advice and block the ooze in order to support truth, honor, and integrity.
Agree - I'm still on Twitter though I also set up accounts on Post.nes (which I like), Mastodon (ok) and IG. Plus Musk is LOSING money because of what he does on Twitter. He's not making money on those of us who are still on there and blocking all the MAGAts.
Though I grit my teeth, I'm sticking with Twitter for a while, until the people whose voices I respect leave there. On the other hand, I do remain conflicted about participating on the site, so I joined Post and, like many, am having start-up issues, but I think in time the bugs will get eliminated and it should be a good, reliable platform, safe from the shenanigans of the megalomaniac.
Beth, As one who never has been on Twitter, I hope I’m not speaking out of turn when I suggest, in concurrence with Robert’s view, that I can’t imagine how, especially, say, with over a million followers, one could consider leaving Twitter in lieu of trying, if not to take back the platform, at least to level the effects of those who would embrace a world view that can’t be proven wrong because they will admit no evidence to the contrary.
Additionally, I would note Robert clarified that one could call for boycotting advertisers while remaining on Twitter.
I would suggest boycotting Twitter advertisers regardless of whether one has a Twitter account. Granted, that can be easier said than done. Per one source (from Twitter, ironically: https://twitter.com/PoliticsVerse/status/1598718475924475911), here's a list of companies that still advertise on Twitter:
Starbucks
PlayStation
Michael Kors
McDonald’s
Sony
Apple
Calvin Klein
Whole Foods
Samsung USA
Etsy
Subway
Forever21
Amazon
JetBlue
It makes me grind my teeth to credit huge corporations for much of anything, but I suppose I could put on my big-boy pants and give at least lukewarm props to those who have quit Twitter, at least for the time being (not necessarily a complete list; from https://www.mediamatters.org/elon-musk/less-month-elon-musk-has-driven-away-half-twitters-top-100-advertisers):
Abbott Laboratories
Allstate Corporation
AMC Networks
American Express Company
AT&T
Big Heart Petcare
BlackRock, Inc.
BlueTriton Brands, Inc.
Boston Beer Company
CA Lottery (California State Lottery)
CenturyLink (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
Chanel
Chevrolet*
Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.*
Citigroup, Inc.
CNN
Dell
Diageo
DirecTV
Discover Financial Services
Fidelity
First National Realty Partners
Ford*
Heineken N.V.
Hewlett-Packard (HP)
Hilton Worldwide
Inspire Brands, Inc.
Jeep*
Kellogg Company
Kohl's Department Stores, Inc.
Kyndryl*
LinkedIn Corporation
MailChimp (The Rocket Science Group)
Marriott International, Inc.
Mars Petcare
Mars, Incorporated
Merck & Co. (Merck Sharp & Dohme MSD)*
Meta Platforms, Inc. (formerly Facebook, Inc.)
MoneyWise (Wise Publishing, Inc.)
Nestle
Novartis AG*
Pernod Ricard
PlayPass
The Coca-Cola Company
The Kraft Heinz Company
Tire Rack
Verizon
Wells Fargo
Whole Foods Market IP
Yum! Brands
Thanks for the list....I didn't know where to start. It would be very hard to boycott Etsy and Amazon. (Mobility issues make online shopping a real convenience) I might start with reaching out to them.
Thanks for this list. I'm saddened that Etsy is still there since I have an Etsy shop. If they don't pull the plug, I might have to close my shop.
@pts, I greatly appreciate the lists. Thank you. As for companies that still advertise, I found only 1 that will pose a challenge. Regarding the companies that pulled their advertising, while I applaud them for doing one right thing, I don’t imagine any of us are inclined to reward them.
That's why I'm staying....until I hear any good reasons from Robert to leave.
Chaplain, I applaud your reasoning and resilience. I believe Gailee, as part of this thread, brilliantly portrayed said persistence as “exhausting, but necessary.”
Thank you Barbara - being in this community inspires action I might not have otherwise taken. "Exhausting but necessary" sounds about right!
I had a Twitter account for years. But I rarely used it. Just a matter of taste. It encourages ranting and the spread of rumors and falsehoods. It also revolves around obtaining "followers". As one who is not impressed by celebrity or fame, it's just not my thing. I respect anyone who finds Twitter to be an enjoyable or productive experience. I don't.
There are SO MANY WAYS to gather information and to express oneself, that it really comes down to what platform you want to support. By the time I have read the news from several sources and have digested the substack newsletters I subscribe to...I am more than all set for the day.
So why would I want to visit a social media platform owned by an obnoxious sociopathic narcissist? If it works for you, great. But I think the world would be fine if Twitter were to crash and burn to a crisp.
And then there is this. Elon Musk has made it clear what Twitter will be: his personal toy to express his unrestrained bigotry and hate. He is a needy dangerous insecure wounded beast. Why support a platform for him to spread his hatred and disgusting views? There are people who worship him who may perform very regrettable acts of violence with his encouragement.
Twitter does not belong to us anymore. It belongs to a madman. Which makes it very similar to "Truth Social". I deleted my account. It felt good.
Really well said, Bill. I've never had an account for all the reasons you mentioned. And Musk is a despicable bully. I've no desire to encourage him one iota.
Hi, I’m sad to say I agree with Beth and disagree with you on the importance of Twitter to continue to exist. I imagine even as we are writing these comments there are responsible agents for good creating a better format. Just today we heard on Rachel how David Donnelly organized over 32 million dollars of quiet money to be spent supporting over 126 small organizations working to preserve democracy in the 2022 midterms. The results of that effort was a huge upset in media expectations. That scenario could be happening here. Let Twitter fail. Hoping we can “change” it for the highest good is like asking an abused wife to stay with her abuser “just one more time”. Enough. Europe is often ahead of us in social maturity. If they can let it go, so can we!
I am failing in my effort to explain how I feel about Twitter.
I hope it fails because the advertisers flee, not because responsible voices of democracy and decency flee the platform. If the former happens, it can be sold and resurrected when Musk is no longer associated with the platform. If the latter happens, it will increasingly become a cesspool of hate but will not be driven out of business.
No amount of quitting by responsible users will drive Twitter out of business. It has 400 million users, but only 25% of those are in the US. If 10% of US users quit (a lofty goal), that is 3% of Twitter's user base. That is not enough to shut it down.
And we cannot overlook the importance of Twitter to the scientific and academic communities. It has been a boon to research and knowledge sharing never before seen in history. If we shut it down, talented young scientists and academics will be told, "Wait your turn to be heard for a few decades--after you get tenure and are published in prestigious journals." Twitter has been a democratizer of information. It would be a grievous loss to those communities if Twitter shut down.
And I say the above as someone who is not a fan of Twitter and who does not post on Twitter because I want to avoid the trolls and haters. It is easy to hate the bad parts of Twitter. but we cannot overlook its importance as a tool for communication and knowledge sharing.
I completely agree. Twitter is the most important platform for liberal political discourse. It is also an excellent platform to find other like-minded citizens who are working hard for democracy. I have learned more from my Twitter community in the last 5 years than anytime in my life - bc I literally have at my fingertips economists, grassroots organizers, scientists, activists and most importantly, the most robust, diverse community that I have ever found (which is saying something coming from the SF Bay Area). The only thing that Musk is doing is trying to make it harder for progressive voices to be heard - we cannot stand down nor should we. Twitter is the proverbial town square and it influences what happens in our country (see all the articles which quote people on Twitter). People liked to trash Twitter before Musk for being a shhtshow, but it is a far more democratic and important platform for debate and analysis than any other (FB is basically either right wingers or puppies/kids/vacation photos; IG makes it hard to share posts; commenting on news articles doesn't move the needle). And finally, Musk is LOSING money because of Twitter - he's not making money off of us. That all said, I've set up accounts on Post.news, Mastodon, and hopefully Spoutible (coming soon from Christopher Bouzy) in the event, Twitter is no longer viable.
I really get that about the abused wife example. That is exactly what I felt like when T-rump was running the show and there's no going back to that dangerous whack-job. I feel like we are playing a weird game of whack-a-mole and I am excited to learn that there are alternatives to this Twitter universe popping up. Good news indeed.
Thanks for all your thoughtful replies to my comment. My view is definitely not at the depth of Robert’s and HH’s, views I respect greatly. I’m still hoping there is a “Zelensky” site out there that will undermine the Musk “Putin” approach to taking over responsible, democratic discourse. I feel we should support those sites, and quickly. Advertisers will follow, just as all of Europe and the present US govt have supported Ukraine, ghosting Russia. Painful, awkward, but morally correct. Isolating hate speech doesn’t diminish it. The scholars and scientists aren’t listened to by those users in any case. Why not offer them more choices to be heard by an audience and their contemporaries without all the firewalls necessary to keep out the hate speech? Donnelly spent $32 million supporting small alternative action groups elevating democracy and changed history doing so. It works. Twitter was the teacher. A good student must surpass the teacher.
You forgot to mention that SBF - Sam Bankman-Fried - was arrested today in the Bahamas at the request of the SDNY, which has indicted him on several serious financial charges. The arrest came a couple hours after he said in an online conversation that he didn't think he was going to be arrested. He's about to become Fried Bankman, served up on a platter with an apple in his mouth.
One down, the rest of the billionaire scum to go. Hopefully Muck will be next. He's no longer "the world's richest man," since Tinny Toys Inc. has lost 40% of its value and its tinny toy product is no longer the Official Car of Rich White Lib'ruls.
How is it SBF was exposed to his crimes a month or two ago and arrested while DT has been mucking around with charges for years and is still “at large?”
Because he messed up rich people's money.
And trump didn’t? Ahhhh…yeah….🙄
Fried Bankman, revenge best served hot.
Good news indeed. Couldn't happen to a nastier fellow.
Thank you for lifting up Professor Snyder’s work and commitment to justice for Ukraine. I am deeply impressed by him. He is a role model for me as I am also a professor: he never sacrifices complexity in his efforts to educate the public and stand for human rights. Exemplary!!
I've already shared Dr Timothy's essay to my political FB groups, including one in NYC-very likely those members will share it too.
McCarthy (CA-23) is unfit to be Speaker of the House. He's shown an interesting combination of spinelessness and appalling judgment. To be supportive of Gym Jordan and MTG in the wake of their own appalling lack of judgment is depressing. The even worse news is: I can't think of anyone on the GOP caucus who is better now that Cheney and Kinzinger have been booted from their seats. Can you?
I just moved to a district near McCarthy's (culture shock after SF!), and they love him. All I've ever read in the CA papers all these years is immaturity and spinelessness. But McCarthy makes his constituents very happy, and kept ICE from taking any undocumented farmworkers out of the fields of his constituents. Bakersfield was rated "the worst city in the US to raise children" a couple of years ago -- and they still love him. It's like moving to Dixie without the humidity.
But Oh....the border crisis on Biden's watch!
But, oh, the border crisis under Eisenhower—the wetback program; Reagan—amnesty program; Clinton—built the first fences; Bush the Younger—more fences; Obama, Trump, Biden…
Maybe we should’ve left Texas and Arizona with Mexico—then it’d be their northern border problem
I think there are some radical legislators in TX who have been yelling about Texas seceding from the nation to remove themselves from the "woke" commies in Washington. I think we should hold the door open.
Wide open. Am told the right to secede is in their State Constitution
No and I just ordered a half dozen buttons from Northern Sun that read: GOPWTF?
Twitter: I agree with Robert to stay on it. It's a great curator of news and opinions of whomever you want to follow. But do also get set up on one of the alternatives: Post, Mastodon, Counter Social appear to be better ones, although each has challenges/limitations at this time.
In addition to Robert, a host of good people are staying (many while also setting up a Plan B). Tom Nichols includes this advice on how to deal with Twitter:
"Set your notifications to Latest, not Home. Block a lot. Set notifications so that you don’t see tweets from people who don’t follow you. Refuse to engage with five-follower accounts that went active last week...I have all of those settings in place, I block with the flick of a finger, and my Twitter experience really hasn’t changed that much since Musk arrived."
https://twitter.com/RadioFreeTom/status/1602492422688309249?s=20&t=rAnhpp9M9UT2bJeE3WMmzw
good advice!
Thanks, Ellie.
Rip van Winkle here. What lucky break did the Dems catch in Indiana?
Also, I understand Robert's argument for remaining on Twitter (although it's academic for me as I've never had a Twitter account). But like another commenter, I disagree with that approach. Staying on Twitter in hopes of elevating the quality of the discourse seems rather like preaching from a soapbox in nasty neighborhoods full of muggers and dope dealers thinking you're going to end street crime. Ain't gonna happen. More practically, fewer Twitter users means less revenue potential for Musk and less social influence. Better to leave that hot mess to eventually wither and die than to support it in any way.
GOP Senator Mike Braun (who flipped the seat in 2018) will not seek re-election.
Ah; cool; thanks for that. Sounds like a good opportunity for some feet-on-the-street, get-out-the-vote door knocking and doorbell ringing in Indiana in 2024.
@pts
Forgive my ignorance, but if I do not interact with or even see posts from MAGAs and, because of AdBlock Plus, see no ads to click on but am using Twitter simply to see posts from people whose values and beliefs I share, how am I providing revenue to Muck?
Gym Jordan as head of the Judiciary Committee. It'll be Hunter Biden all the time (poor guy). Meanwhile, Jared Kushner gets a refi on his disastrous 666 5th Avenue building during Trump's presidency and then $2bn from the Saudi's within hours of Trump not being inaugurated in 2021. And no Repub thinks this isn't payolla? This is when partisanship has gone off the rails. Shame on McCarthy!!!
I mean really! Imagine a son capitalizing on his political father -- must be the largest problem the US has today that it needs so much attention.
Remember Billy Carter?
Mercy! Family members trading on their brothers and fathers—imagine that happening in the capitalist US?!
Absolutely the biggest risk and need of the US
These guys (and gals) are really scumbags indeed.
Ah, the Law of Unintended Consequences strikes again!
Trump's presidential candidacy resulted in Merrick "Hamlet" Garland finally getting out of his own way and appointing a special prosecutor who, in just a few weeks, has demonstrated discipline and, as you say, Robert, "urgency" to the effort to potentially prosecute Trump. If only Garland had appointed Smith back in April 2021. . . .
Robert, sadly, I think it is time for those who use Twitter to promote civil discourse and Society by switching to another channel, as imperfect as that channel may be. I can assure you, where the Lawrence Tribe's of this world go, I shall follow.
I have faith that the Law of Unintended Consequences will swallow Elon Musk whole.
I agree with BethMazer ... i disagree with staying on Twitter! I literally cannot bear the THOUGHT! The sooner the end comes for Twitter, the better! I feel that way about Elon too!! The sooner we stop elevating billionaires to status far far beyond their human abilities (or intentions), the better!!
I am failing in my effort to explain how I feel about Twitter.
I hope it fails because the advertisers flee, not because responsible voices of democracy and decency flee the platform. If the former happens, it can be sold and resurrected when Musk is no longer associated with the platform. If the latter happens, it will increasingly become a cesspool of hate but will not be driven out of business.
No amount of quitting by responsible users will drive Twitter out of business. It has 400 million users, but only 25% of those are in the US. If 10% of US users quit (a lofty goal), that is 3% of Twitter's user base. That is not enough to shut it down.
And we cannot overlook the importance of Twitter to the scientific and academic communities. It has been a boon to research and knowledge sharing never before seen in history. If we shut it down, talented young scientists and academics will be told, "Wait your turn to be heard for a few decades--after you get tenure and are published in prestigious journals." Twitter has been a democratizer of information. It would be a grievous loss to those communities if Twitter shut down.
And I say the above as someone who is not a fan of Twitter and who does not post on Twitter because I want to avoid the trolls and haters. It is easy to hate the bad parts of Twitter. but we cannot overlook its importance as a tool for communication and knowledge sharing.
cecilia fasano
21 hr ago
Well, let's just say I have avoided Twitter, as I avoid feedback from let's say AOL (which i still use!). I just can't take it. It literally hurts me, as does so many things i see all around me. I literally hurt! I am an empathic person .. overly. And, I am aa Libra who needs harmony!! ha ha.. Anyway, I feel like a groupie I'm so excited about getting a reply from you. You have no idea how much I appreciate not only everything you do for us, but for sharing your very beautiful family with us. It's nice to witness that kind of love and respect. Shine on!
That's a good comment. I know very little about the platform, so it is helpful to learn that it does something other than spew hate from the Right Wing.
I'm on Twitter because of its good parts and have managed to avoid all the bad parts.
Well, let's just say I have avoided Twitter, as I avoid feedback from let's say AOL (which i still use!). I just can't take it. It literally hurts me, as does so many things i see all around me. I literally hurt! I am an empathic person .. overly. And, I am aa Libra who needs harmony!! ha ha.. Anyway, I feel like a groupie I'm so excited about getting a reply from you. You have no idea how much I appreciate not only everything you do for us, but for sharing your very beautiful family with us. It's nice to witness that kind of love. Shine on!
Cecilia, you replied to me and not to Robert.
thank you! xx's
Yes, at last! Finally. Last evening MSNBC's Ari Melber compared the very rapid response to coup attempts in Germany and Peru to the two plus years of procrastination here in the US. (The president of Peru woke up as president and went to bed in jail.) But now, at last, DOJ appears to be moving forward. Think how different things would be had the DOJ moved at even a modest pace to prosecute those responsible for the coup here. Sad.
Love your Yogi imitation.. We should all say it as a mantra, "It is tough to make predictions, especially about the future"! Indeed!
That aphorism is wrongly attributed to Yogi Berra and Niels Bohr (famous physicist). Neither of them were the source. But it sounds better coming from Yogi Berra!
sounds like Yogi
2024 does present a very challenging senate map for Dems and while we should never give up denying the reality of the map does us a disservice. Ohio had an 8 pt. Trump margin and Tim Ryan, a strong candidate, lost to JD Vance, a weak candidate, by over 6 points. Indians went Trump in 2020 by 17 points(!!!). In todays partisan environment, it’s hard to imagine a D candidate that has even a 5% chance of winning a senate seat in Indiana. I’ve been building election data models for several cycles now to help target fundraising to where it can make the greatest difference for Dems. For example, in 2020 Dems donated $88M to Amy McGrath who lost by nearly 20 points. While she beat the Trump-Biden Kentucky margin of 26 pts, that was never going to be a winning seat for Dems and that money could have gone to helping Dems in potentially winnable seats close their margins. We have to be clear-eyed from the beginning or we will throw away our money and our chances of the best outcome possible.
Hi, Marsha. I hesitate to disagree with someone who is an expert in fundraising, but I will. I agree that we should be smart in allocating our resources--to a point. But if we conclude eighteen months out that we will never win in XYZ state and refuse to support our candidate in that state, we will never win XYZ state. That's not being smart, that's being defeatist. Moreover, if we concede Republican states from the outset, we allow them to deploy resources to competitive races. Finally, if we abandon the field, we will not be prepared to take advantage of unexpected developments, like Roy Moore turning out to be a pedophile.
Tim Ryan is a good example. He was abandoned by the Democratic establishment. Can we at least acknowledge that he might have done better if he had more money? If the answer is "no," then why do we bother donating money to any candidate? Obviously, money has an impact, but Democrats starved Ryan and others (Beasley?) of funds they could have put to good use.
Finally, we need to consider down ballot effects of supporting uphill candidates.