Democrats feel besieged by the news because 1) It's in our nature and 2) We know too much. Even those of us who are involved in getting Democrats elected have a deep underlying anxiety that despite all our efforts, these insidious traitors of MAGA will prevail, if not at the polls on election day, then afterward in their efforts to put T…
Democrats feel besieged by the news because 1) It's in our nature and 2) We know too much. Even those of us who are involved in getting Democrats elected have a deep underlying anxiety that despite all our efforts, these insidious traitors of MAGA will prevail, if not at the polls on election day, then afterward in their efforts to put Trump in the White House. I'm not sure any amount of activism will make that go away entirely.
My social circle is almost entirely left of center, with the vast majority identifying as Democrats, but how they feel about this election cycle runs the gamut from cautious optimism to letting it burn and leaving the country. On one side are people like my dear friend Jeff, who posted here yesterday about temporarily moving from blue Massachusets to North Carolina to aid that state's election efforts, to a friend who is moving his family overseas regardless of the results. Those closest to Jeff’s side are actively trying to preserve democracy, from donations to postcarding to letter-writing, while the other side veers from sheer terror to giving up entirely. I don't think it’s much of a secret that those involved in election efforts are more optimistic, but even we have moments of doubt. I can tell you that the phrase that will haunt me all day today is the closing line from Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter today on the Alito mess: “The call is coming from inside the house.” Given the horror movie we find ourselves in, I find it especially apropos.
I moved from Florida to North Carolina in January. Besides the outrageous property insurance you can imagine the other reasons. North Carolina gives us hope at least and so many of us are working to make it so. But we certainly are not out of the woods. Have you heard that the NC legislators are trying to make mask wearing in public illegal, with no exceptions for health reasons? So much for individual liberty.
I did see that the mask bill passed. My mother-in-law lives in NC, so I'm fairly attuned to what is happening there. I was outraged. I am immune compromised from being a heart transplant recipient, and my wife works in the cancer space. The fact that they are putting the benefit of being able to more easily identify protesters over the lives of people with serious medical issues is beyond appalling.
I hope that someone sues - at least on the basis of not allowing a health exemption. I have friends who could die if they caught Covid, so I have continued to mask in public in solidarity with those who have been left out as many people pretend that Covid never happened.
Unfortunately, it has been an ongoing battle for some working people (i.e., employers don't want to accommodate them about wearing masks), so this law will add another burden.
About the NC mask legislation, I first learned about it through a reader of Jessica Craven’s Chop Wood Carry Water. In a comment exchange with Mary, she kindly provided a link to NC Megaphone that lists and provides email addresses of state Senate and House members. As Mary instructed, with a three-batch cut and paste, an email can be sent to all members, (where the sender’s state residence is not indicated): https://www.ncmegaphone.com/
(What could well be on my end, there were a few glitches with the email addresses so I’m attempting to resolve. And if you knew me, you’d understand that my supposing I’ll resolve technical glitches can be far-fetched! Still, I will pursue.)
Before seeing Mary’s kind response and to learn more, I did a search on the story and for a way to contact the NC General Assembly.
I found an AP article, ‘MSN: NC Senate committee approves bill restricting masks’ -
Disturbing in the video are soundbites by lawmakers (on both sides of the issue) and reporting on the potential consequences of the legislation. Especially troubling for me: Senator Sydney Batch said that “this bill will protect the Klu Klux Klan to wear masks in public. But someone who's immunocompromised like myself cannot wear a mask.”
On Thursday evening, I called Senator Batch’s office and left a message for her legislative assistant, Michael Hardison. I said that while an out of state resident, I wanted to support the senator’s position, and amplify it.
If anyone may be interested in reaching out to the office of Senator Batch, following may be useful information from the NC General Assembly website:
Legislative Assistant: Michael Hardison, (919) 733-5653
I’m dreaming of a way to gather collective voices to make our voice heard. Talk about freedoms being taken away. It’s a stunning development that needs to be addressed, seems to me—on behalf of the vulnerable, and as a matter of choice for all, everywhere, and for a host of reasons at their own choosing.
Let me know if you’d like to be a part of it, Annette. Dean? Cynthia? Nancy, even if you doubt it’ll be enforced? And Cheryl, I appreciated what appears to be your comments in Jessica’s newsletter about the issue, which I trust I can share here, that “the NC Legislature has been GOP-controlled for a LONG TIME! But Tricia Cotham's defection gave the GOP a veto-proof supermajority!” Thank you for this.
I’d be glad to research further and pursue Senator Hatch’s office as next steps, which is what I plan to do in any event.
For now, my thoughts turn to this, that I may remember:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
I'm immune compromised. That means I get to stay home a lot and wear a mask so other people don't have to be bothered. I'm wondering about something else, though: if their "reason" for banning masks is to make people not hide their faces, would that mean that men could no longer wear mustaches and beards? They would all have to be clean-shaven. How would that be enforced, one wonders...
Democrats feel besieged by the news because 1) It's in our nature and 2) We know too much. Even those of us who are involved in getting Democrats elected have a deep underlying anxiety that despite all our efforts, these insidious traitors of MAGA will prevail, if not at the polls on election day, then afterward in their efforts to put Trump in the White House. I'm not sure any amount of activism will make that go away entirely.
My social circle is almost entirely left of center, with the vast majority identifying as Democrats, but how they feel about this election cycle runs the gamut from cautious optimism to letting it burn and leaving the country. On one side are people like my dear friend Jeff, who posted here yesterday about temporarily moving from blue Massachusets to North Carolina to aid that state's election efforts, to a friend who is moving his family overseas regardless of the results. Those closest to Jeff’s side are actively trying to preserve democracy, from donations to postcarding to letter-writing, while the other side veers from sheer terror to giving up entirely. I don't think it’s much of a secret that those involved in election efforts are more optimistic, but even we have moments of doubt. I can tell you that the phrase that will haunt me all day today is the closing line from Heather Cox Richardson’s newsletter today on the Alito mess: “The call is coming from inside the house.” Given the horror movie we find ourselves in, I find it especially apropos.
I moved from Florida to North Carolina in January. Besides the outrageous property insurance you can imagine the other reasons. North Carolina gives us hope at least and so many of us are working to make it so. But we certainly are not out of the woods. Have you heard that the NC legislators are trying to make mask wearing in public illegal, with no exceptions for health reasons? So much for individual liberty.
I did see that the mask bill passed. My mother-in-law lives in NC, so I'm fairly attuned to what is happening there. I was outraged. I am immune compromised from being a heart transplant recipient, and my wife works in the cancer space. The fact that they are putting the benefit of being able to more easily identify protesters over the lives of people with serious medical issues is beyond appalling.
Guess they want to kill all the infirm. Shaking my head in disbelief.
I doubt that it can be enforced.
I hope that someone sues - at least on the basis of not allowing a health exemption. I have friends who could die if they caught Covid, so I have continued to mask in public in solidarity with those who have been left out as many people pretend that Covid never happened.
Unfortunately, it has been an ongoing battle for some working people (i.e., employers don't want to accommodate them about wearing masks), so this law will add another burden.
Hello, Annette (my sister’s name!),
About the NC mask legislation, I first learned about it through a reader of Jessica Craven’s Chop Wood Carry Water. In a comment exchange with Mary, she kindly provided a link to NC Megaphone that lists and provides email addresses of state Senate and House members. As Mary instructed, with a three-batch cut and paste, an email can be sent to all members, (where the sender’s state residence is not indicated): https://www.ncmegaphone.com/
(What could well be on my end, there were a few glitches with the email addresses so I’m attempting to resolve. And if you knew me, you’d understand that my supposing I’ll resolve technical glitches can be far-fetched! Still, I will pursue.)
Before seeing Mary’s kind response and to learn more, I did a search on the story and for a way to contact the NC General Assembly.
I found an AP article, ‘MSN: NC Senate committee approves bill restricting masks’ -
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/north-carolina-lawmakers-push-bill-to-ban-most-public-mask-wearing-citing-crime/ar-BB1msIcE
In the article, there’s a chilling embedded video, ‘North Carolina lawmakers push bill to ban most public mask wearing, citing crime’ -
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/news/nc-senate-committee-approves-bill-restricting-masks/vi-BB1molW6
Disturbing in the video are soundbites by lawmakers (on both sides of the issue) and reporting on the potential consequences of the legislation. Especially troubling for me: Senator Sydney Batch said that “this bill will protect the Klu Klux Klan to wear masks in public. But someone who's immunocompromised like myself cannot wear a mask.”
On Thursday evening, I called Senator Batch’s office and left a message for her legislative assistant, Michael Hardison. I said that while an out of state resident, I wanted to support the senator’s position, and amplify it.
If anyone may be interested in reaching out to the office of Senator Batch, following may be useful information from the NC General Assembly website:
Senator Sydney Batch - https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/S/434
Terms in Senate: 1+ (1 in House)
Member's Email: Sydney.Batch@ncleg.gov
Legislative Assistant: Michael Hardison, (919) 733-5653
I’m dreaming of a way to gather collective voices to make our voice heard. Talk about freedoms being taken away. It’s a stunning development that needs to be addressed, seems to me—on behalf of the vulnerable, and as a matter of choice for all, everywhere, and for a host of reasons at their own choosing.
Let me know if you’d like to be a part of it, Annette. Dean? Cynthia? Nancy, even if you doubt it’ll be enforced? And Cheryl, I appreciated what appears to be your comments in Jessica’s newsletter about the issue, which I trust I can share here, that “the NC Legislature has been GOP-controlled for a LONG TIME! But Tricia Cotham's defection gave the GOP a veto-proof supermajority!” Thank you for this.
I’d be glad to research further and pursue Senator Hatch’s office as next steps, which is what I plan to do in any event.
For now, my thoughts turn to this, that I may remember:
“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”
—Martin Niemöller
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/martin-niemoeller-first-they-came-for-the-socialists
Yes, certainly would want to be part of this effort. Thanks for the information.
Hi Annette, I'd love to update you on some small steps of progress. Might you be available to be in touch off-line?
Ok...just sent an email.
Perfect and TY. I responded.
Wonderful, Annette. I'll circle back next week.
I'm immune compromised. That means I get to stay home a lot and wear a mask so other people don't have to be bothered. I'm wondering about something else, though: if their "reason" for banning masks is to make people not hide their faces, would that mean that men could no longer wear mustaches and beards? They would all have to be clean-shaven. How would that be enforced, one wonders...
You’ve nailed it once again, Dean! Thank you.