In response to an edict from the Trump administration giving every school district only 10 days to respond, one brave district superintendent wrote this. (Name was withheld for obvious reasons..)
Still Not Signing: A Superintendent's Response to the Department of Education's Anti-DEI Ultimatum
The federal government gave us ten days to sign away our values. Here’s our answer.
April 8, 2025
To Whom It May (Unfortunately) Concern at the U.S. Department of Education:
Thank you for your April 3 memorandum, which I read several times — not because it was legally persuasive, but because I kept checking to see if it was satire. Alas, it appears you are serious.
You’ve asked me, as superintendent of a public school district, to sign a "certification" declaring that we are not violating federal civil rights law — by, apparently, acknowledging that civil rights issues still exist. You cite Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, then proceed to argue that offering targeted support to historically marginalized students is somehow discriminatory.
That’s not just legally incoherent — it’s a philosophical Möbius strip of bad faith.
Let me see if I understand your logic:
If we acknowledge racial disparities, that’s racism.
If we help English learners catch up, that’s favoritism.
If we give a disabled child a reading aide, we’re denying someone else the chance to struggle equally.
And if we train teachers to understand bias, we’re indoctrinating them — but if we train them to ignore it, we’re “restoring neutrality”?
How convenient that your sudden concern for “equal treatment” seems to apply only when it’s used to silence conversations about race, identity, or inequality.
Let’s talk about our English learners. Would you like us to stop offering translation services during parent-teacher conferences? Should we cancel bilingual support staff to avoid the appearance of “special treatment”? Or would you prefer we just teach all content in English and hope for the best, since acknowledging linguistic barriers now counts as discrimination?
And while we’re at it — what’s your official stance on IEPs? Because last I checked, individualized education plans intentionally give students with disabilities extra support. Should we start removing accommodations to avoid offending the able-bodied majority? Maybe cancel occupational therapy altogether so no one feels left out?
If a student with a learning disability receives extended time on a test, should we now give everyone extended time, even if they don’t need it? Just to keep the playing field sufficiently flat and unthinking?
Your letter paints equity as a threat. But equity is not the threat. It’s the antidote to decades of failure. Equity is what ensures all students have a fair shot. Equity is what makes it possible for a child with a speech impediment to present at the science fair. It’s what helps the nonverbal kindergartner use an AAC device. It’s what gets the newcomer from Ukraine the ESL support she needs without being left behind.
And let’s not skip past the most insulting part of your directive — the ten-day deadline. A national directive sent to thousands of districts with the subtlety of a ransom note, demanding signatures within a week and a half or else you’ll cut funding that supports... wait for it... low-income students, disabled students, and English learners.
Brilliant. Just brilliant. A moral victory for bullies and bureaucrats everywhere.
So no, we will not be signing your “certification.”
We are not interested in joining your theater of compliance.
We are not interested in gutting equity programs that serve actual children in exchange for your political approval.
We are not interested in abandoning our legal, ethical, and educational responsibilities to satisfy your fear of facts.
We are interested in teaching the truth.
We are interested in honoring our students’ identities.
We are interested in building a school system where no child is invisible, and no teacher is punished for caring too much.
And yes — we are prepared to fight this. In the courts. In the press. In the community. In Congress, if need be.
Because this district will not be remembered as the one that folded under pressure.
We will be remembered as the one that stood its ground — not for politics, but for kids.
Love this! Thanks for sharing.I know that didn’t come from our local superintendent.
A beloved teacher will not have her contract renewed because she used a student’s preferred name without parental consent. Students organized and protested.The local police chief acknowledged and thanked them for a peaceful protest.This is how it’s done !
My God, how does anyone live in FL anymore - must get written permission to use a name. My birthname is Susan, but throughout school I used Sue - so that's not allowed in FL anymore either??? Complete idiocy.
As a now 15-years-retired high school ESL teacher, (teaching in Miami for 24 years), this piece brought me to tears. Tears of appreciation for this amazing, fair and brave district superintendent. I couldn't help but think about the thousands of our own once "No ingles" students who are now wonderfully bilingual!
Our district did the right thing back then and are still doing the right thing now. Duh!!
Have not been able to track down the state. The author wishes (and needs) to remain underground. Even if it not from an actual superintendent (again, just don't know) it is serving to inspire and model resistance.
They don’t have to believe it. They should, however, respond to it. In the wings waits the likes of Erik Prince to help out with this “homegrown-criminal-rendered-to-foreign-country-gulags” idea. His suggestion could be simply to annex/purchase land in foreign countries with the agreement to declare the parcels “US Territory” and build prisons. Technically the prisoners -or other trump-annoyers- could be whisked away and still be in US control. Politico wrote this article about this: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/11/military-contractors-prison-plan-detained-immigrants-erik-prince-00287208
Thank you for the reference. The article says that the plan relates only to illegal immigrants. I was addressing the import of Trump‘s comments suggesting “homegrown“ criminals, i.e. US citizens, could be deported to a foreign penal institution.
Yes, that certainly was a missed opportunity for a follow-up question. Perhaps the reporter was too stunned when Bukele dismissed his question as 'preposterous,' with a smirking Trump at his side.
At least Bukele uttered the correct definition for that despicable spectacle of two criminals using the Oval Office as the stage to mocking and laughing at the world – preposterous.
It appears as a theatrical instance of illiberal state leaders learning from one another. Which I hope, in a constructive manner, more pro-democratic / shadow coalitions will start to do transnationally. And I also would like to see how it will go if U.S. Senators are compelled to fly to El Salvador this week.
If these cowards are too afraid to vote no on confirmation hearings you think they’ve got the cajones to cross the aisle? That is a fantasy. Only millions in the streets will change anything.
It’s not clear whether you intend to disagree with what I wrote. Because you are agreeing with the proposition that I stared in the newsletter: 50 million Americans need to take to the streets in order to shift the political dynamic.
We've had millions in the streets and we will need to do it again. But what makes us think that will work. The nation impeached President Trump twice but failed to remove him. In the current iteration Trump is even worse, but that has not produced a ground swell of oppositon in the Congress, has it. I am trying to be discouraging, but as I go about my life including participating in demonstrations, I just don't see the ground swell coming. I hope I am wrong. I see pockets of resistance and I am glad that the unions are backing Abrego Garcia, and I will continue to do what I do. But I fear it would take a catastrophic sea change to produce the action needed. The coup is showing every signs of not only having happened but also being successful.
Of course 50 million in the streets would be spectacular, although a current researcher, Erica Chenowith, indicates that successful nonviolent overthrowing of our dictator would likely require only 11 million or 3.5% of the population.
It’s true that Trump was impeached twice and not convicted. However, there were not 11 million people in the streets then, and it was Mitch McConnell who refused to convict.
I continue to agree that building our capacity to show up in bigger and bigger numbers, refusing to cooperate, and resisting dictatorship in every way possible will lead to the collapse of this regime. Let’s do it.
And the big crowds with famous people are important but the smaller outpouring of people in cities like mine, South Bend, IN will impress by our size (we had 1,000 plus on the 5th) and by our persistence. We are not going away.
(And, sadly, Trump and his ignorant, cruel, and hateful -- and traitorous -- team keep doing fresh damage to sanity, humanity, and the planet.)
Appreciate that, Kathy. That acknowledgment doesn't change our purpose but may affect our strategy. As Robert suggests, with perhaps more hope and courage than I have been able to muster, the Coup is here and must be fought, we are just further along the timeline of tyranny than the people of the USA recognize, left, right, and middle, realize.
Yes, I hear you. I was so hopeful last week and now it's just so discouraging. But then we have to look at the Bernie and AOC rallies...they are astonishing. But also what is appalling is the lack of support from the DNC and other Democratic groups. Where is the cohesive resistance? But the 4/5 protests were energizing and we need more of that. I cannot do April 19 I am working. But I am carving out May 1. We all have to!
“… what is appalling is the lack of support from the DNC and other Democratic groups.” — especially from the Democratic “leaderships” in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
I agree, Kathy. The organizational structure of the DNC treats the Bernie and AOC rallies as amusing sideshows and then turns around and asks us for money. Bernie/A0C had 12,500 people in Idaho. That's 1.6% of the Boise metro 746,000 people in a very red state. That's like getting 150,000 people in Chicago, even more amazing because you'd expect a big turn out in a blue state like Illinois. Where is the Democratic party following through on Cory Booker, Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, and. other initiatives? Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is offering to go to El Salvador and bring Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia home. Good gesture and good leadership, play the publicity game. Can't do April 19 myself but May 1 is reserved. This is a long distance race.
Thanks for the supportive remarks! Yes, I'm glad other people are noticing the anemic structure of the DNC. It is astounding the DNC is ignoring the amazing turnouts of Bernie and AOC. I mean, geez, the guy is 83 and flying all over the country! Give him a break and some solid physical support! Yes, WHERE IS THE FOLLOW- UP OF ALL OF THOSE GREAT INITIATIVES of Democratic individuals? There would be a ROAR if these were properly followed up. I guess we have to do it! I'm not giving the DNC structure any money at all, I gave what was alot for me for Kamala's campaign. Where is the billion? And yes, I want to acknowledge what you said about needing to dig up more courage and enthusiasm than I feel at the moment, The well is low...it would fill more if there was a coherent Democratic response to all of the individual actions. Press on, we must!
We need a sustained nation-wide strike. Now. Until Kilmar Abrego Garcia is returned to the U.S. And let's not forget Mahmoud Khalil, still in detention in Louisiana.
Dan, can you describe that in more detail? I'm 72 and living on Social Security and a small state pension. I can't even go to a rally right now because my partner has had a life-threatening health event. His daily care is my responsibility.
My daughter runs a nonprofit and my son-in-law is a lead hospital social- worker. My grandchildren are both working full-time for small wages and tips. Who exactly can afford to strike, and what does it look like? I don't mean to be rude, and I sincerely want something to happen, but I honestly don't know who's going to do it. Think of how many people didn't even bother to vote.
You’ve perfectly illustrated the problem with a general strike or even a weekday protest, such as the one planned for May 1. The majority of this country lives paycheck to paycheck or is one calamity away from insolvency. I agree with Robert that this is what we need, but I question if it's feasible.
I think the change this week from a protest to a “day of action” was a misstep. There are protests planned around the country. We’ll be participating in Jackson, MS, but the numbers won't be what they were nationally just two weeks ago. It’s going to look like a step back. We can regain that momentum, but where is the plan?
Richard Bach famously wrote in Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah:
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”
This quote reflects a central theme of the book: that our beliefs shape our reality. Bach is saying that when you insist something is beyond your ability—when you argue that you can’t do something—you effectively make that belief true for yourself. By reinforcing your perceived limits, you accept them as unchangeable, and they become part of your identity.
It’s a gentle but powerful challenge: if you stop defending your limitations, you might discover they’re not real after all.
W.H. Murray, a Scottish mountaineer, in his book The Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1951) beautifully echoes the same spirit as Bach’s quote, but in a different way—emphasizing the power of commitment to unlock unforeseen support and momentum.
Here’s the key excerpt:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.”
He continues:
“All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”
This idea—like Bach’s—suggests that the universe (or reality, or Providence) seems to align with us once we make a firm decision and act with conviction.
Right after the passage about commitment and Providence, Murray (quoting or paraphrasing Goethe) ends with this powerful line:
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
The essence is clear: bold, decisive action unlocks unseen forces—genius, power, magic—that remain dormant in hesitation.
When you place it next to Richard Bach’s:
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”
—and Murray’s:
“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too… Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
—you get a beautiful continuum of thought:
Your beliefs shape your limits. Your commitment breaks them. Your boldness activates the magic.
Take a break and rest. BUT REALLY LET IT GO. Rest when you rest. You can have committed time and uncommitted time but you have to make them distinct. If you say you are going to rest and then read stuff that doesn’t support your resting then you are not resting. People do this all the time with working during vacation time. Collapsing the domains is self sabotage.
It takes something to separate and keep the domains separate. If you don’t have separate distinct domains in your life and you are always on, then you WILL burn out. No one can be on all the time. It is okay to rest. Really.
Bern, I want you to know I have had Murray's "Commitment" on my home office bulletin board (and used it in my classroom) for years! I really appreciate your comparing / coupling it with Bach's. Most of all, I appreciated your succinct summary: "Your beliefs shape your limits. Your commitment breaks them. You boldness activates the magic."
Good point, Dean. It doesn't comport with Newton's Third Law (for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction), but it may fit with his First Law (an object at rest will remain at rest...unless acted upon by an unbalanced force).
It's important that people do what THEY can whatever that is. We need to stop telling people what they SHOULD be doing when we don't walk in their shoes.
If your circumstances are such that you cannot participate, that is understandable. But as Robert Hubbell has pointed out in the past, the citizens of many countries under authoritarian rule have found the means and the will to organize national strikes, and those strikes have been effective. The pressure against this criminal regime and their backers will not be great enough until they feel a real hurt economically. No one said it was going to be easy. Do you value your freedom? It is being taken away as I type.
I don't question the ability of the people to rise up; I question how we’re building momentum. Ideally, and this is happening in many places, each event builds on the next. When the 4/19 protest was announced, an organizer told me the goal was to increase participation by 50% each time. Then they called it back and rebranded it as a “day of action.” There is nothing wrong with localized demonstrations. They build the foundation, but we also need national momentum to grow. Listen, I’ll be out on the front lines on Saturday, but in the future, I’d like to see less confusion and have each event build on the next.
I certainly agree that a strike would be effective, and I had no intention of discouraging anyone. I was thinking aloud, wondering how it would work, who could genuinely participate, and who would lead it. By all means, get that strike organized and underway!
We don't need anyone to lead it. That's the problem. People are waiting for others to do something. It's called the bystander theory. You can go out to your town square right now and gather people.
This is a very important point. Thanks for bringing it up. Even if you can do something at home, write, communicate, talk to others about political resistance and share your views constructively, you are participating. There is often an inherent social bias that favors able bodied and privileged (class) participation, though I honestly don't think that is intended within this supportive, compassionate community. One advance that has boosted communication for invisible communities is the advent of the internet itself. Fora for vulnerable or invisible communities were some of the first to flourish as the internet gained momentum. Organizing and keeping informed was much more difficult prior to the internet and even social media.
I do like this idea but it's really tough to pull off at a level that will have impact. Maybe the targeted boycotts (Tesla, Amazon, Meta) will help but they need to be ongoing, not just a few days or weeks. Billionaires on the wrong side need to feel the pain.
Wonder if there is any way for us to impact some of them in government right now, like Doug Burgum, Scott Bessent, Kelly Loeffler, Howard Lutnick. I would love to see these guys cry uncle!
Well, the good news is that the Tesla and Target boycotts are working, and the reverse is that Costco’s increasing numbers stand in direct contrast to Target’s decrease.
Joyce, I believe the targeted boycotts are intended to build our capacity toward a successful general strike. This kind of mass action takes time to build. We each have a role in building it. So, if we can go one day without buying anything from the billionaires, we can go two, until we can eventually withhold our economic support completely. Let’s do it!
I also cannot join protests, but wish I could. Every time I see these crowds of people out in streets, I am so thankful for them. But I can greatly curb Amazon and have done so for months. I stopped shopping for Target deliveries. I find a lot of things on eBay or direct from suppliers - use Amazon to locate products to buy elsewhere! Still need to cancel prime. And I can give some monthly donations to a few, including Indivisible, to help others do what I can't.
I did this zoom yesterday and found it to be well done. It helps keep focus in the midst of the swirl of attention demands, with reminders of Dr. King's principles of nonviolence. It was energizing! Next "101" is on Sunday May 4, and they're developing 201 and 301.
I believe you underplay the role of the Supreme Court in Trump’s mockery of it. “Facilitate” is a flabby word designed to achieve the 9 to 0 unanimity without forcefully demanding Trump‘s action. What we have is not virtue signaling but vice signaling. Shame on the Supreme Court. It is showing the weakness of pampered jades.
Thank you very much for recuperating and naming this a coup once again. It very much is a vulgar coup d'etat, albeit with some novel factors (partially a digital administrative coup, for example). This framing of tonight's eloquent newsletter is critical to understanding our response to the radical political and psychological assault. I still believe that languaging and concept is somewhat foreign to the domestic US population (though not so much to this literate audience). And isolated, media-biased bubbles de-politicize segments of the population into docile acceptance.
A couple things strike me about this coup: one, the timing has been difficult to grasp. The onslaught has been very accelerated, taking even scholars of authoritarianism by surprise. And as mentioned in the Atlantic article I posted yesterday, there is also the speed at which extreme offenses -- punishable in any other era -- are rapidly pushed and suppressed out of captured media cycles.
Yet at the same time, there seems to be an entrenched rot creeping in, with some of the government cuts, with the near total corruption and incompetence of cabinet-level positions, etc. But a coup-induced fatalism should not be taken as permanent. It demands, as Robert highlights, sustained and increasing protest writ large. It is a muscle the U.S. will need to learn to flex long term because unfortunately, these illiberal movements won't go away quickly. But informed (and suffering) people do have the power to resist and shift political will. And that is truly having an effect, now and into the future.
I was a bit thrown by the phrase "cultural warriors" to designate those within the Harvard community who effectively resist the authoritarian attacks of the regime (I have family affiliated with Harvard). But the overarching concept Robert highlights is once again clear and essential. I'd describe Harvard's decision — their full letter is indeed worth reading — as an effective assertion of the inherent value of intellectual labor and capital, against vicious attempts to co-opt and undermine the invaluable American project of higher education and world-class research. Most R1 research institutions feature some research on their home portal page, but Harvard pointedly just reconfigured their entire home page to feature funded research. And Harvard's reputational footprint and influence was a critical step toward encouraging other R1 institutions to hopefully find the mettle to resist and band together in a united front.
We keep saying that he's crossed one line or another, yet here we are. I almost hesitate to post my thought today because I am, frankly, afraid for my daughter and son-in-law who live in NM and have tattoos; I have tattoos as well. I am 71 and do not regret my artwork, but am I now subject to being disappeared; are my family members?
Trump keeps pushing because he is getting away with it. My Senator (Van Hollen) is doing what he can, as are others in our delegation (Alsobrooks, Raskin, Elfreth, Hoyer) so I don't need to convince as much as support and suggest. I'm lucky.
What I'm saying is that the reality is this: if we cannot convince the rest of the GOP to turn against actors like Johnson, Taylor-Greene, Jordan, Comer, Graham, and the other trumpets, we are lost. Nothing is going to happen unless enough of the Congressional GOP members wake up. To be fair, that includes some Dems like Fetterman too. Judges appear to have only so much power at this point.
You say we need more people in the streets. Okay… I hope and pray that will work, but watching the cruel response of GOP members is devastating.
I will continue to protest, attend rallies, write letters and make calls - something that sticks in my mind is a quote that goes something like "if you wonder what you'd have done in Nazi Germany, you are doing it now" and that’s compelling. As I do so, I have made plans for who will care for my pets; I cry when I look at them sometimes because I don’t want them to feel abandoned. I’d hoped for a quiet life in retirement. But then I think about how Kilmar Garcia’s family must feel. It’s just devastating.
Josh Greenbaum, GSA, Sean Keveny, DHHS, and Thomas Wheeler, DOE, are the names for all of us to remember. They are the signers of the letter that sought to bring Harvard to its knees in obeisance to Trump and Bondi, and Vance. Keep your eyes on them going forward.
Robert, I know this question is probably not one you want to answer but when we take to the streets like we have, do you think that trump will declare martial law? Am I jumping the gun too soon?
Yeah, how sickeningly and tragically hypocritical, the master criminal, rapist, fraudster psychopath wants to send other dangerous criminals and folks with no criminal record to prison in El Salvador. HE and his gang of sociopaths are the biggest danger to our beloved country.
Thank you! I think we will need to really focus on huge crowds (perhaps this Saturday) andthere is a phone call on Wednesday to . I think more than ever we do need a leader (like Yeltsin on the tank in August 1991) in various sites to support the grass roots and give a rallying cry. At this point I hope that Bernie Sanders will continue to play that role.
I am a big believer in getting GOP members to switch caucuses to wrest back control of Congress and have been advocating that since the GOP confirmed Hegseth. How to get there? Maybe when we contact Republicans on Medicaid or veterans rights or the SAVE act or whatever, we should ask them to vote the right way, even by changing parties if they need to (if the threats from GOP leadership are too great). I think if this was a constant refrain from the grass roots, it would normalize the idea that switching parties is the patriotic thing to do. And it could be a slow roll revolt where one change would trigger another.
You mention the protests, and I am wondering what the next few days will bring. We had heard that April 19 was transitioning to a Day of Service, but late yesterday afternoon, another 50501 protest was announced that is close to us. We will attend. I know there are folks for whom attending protests is not possible, and I respect that. What I take hope in is that we’re all taking actions (postcards, daily calls, protests) that we were not taking even a year ago. If we’re all doing what we were doing a year ago PLUS MORE of us are doing MORE than we were a year ago, we can beat this monster.
Hopefully, everyone has downloaded the 5calls app to their phones. They also have a webpage if you prefer to use a windows device to review the scripts.
Well, we live in a police state already, but putting certain physical threats aside, the idea is that the act of changing parties is saying, you pushed me too far to insist I vote for this awful agenda, and I will be better off in the Democratic caucus where I will be voting for what my constituents want and what is right. Gets away from the primarying and the threats against getting away from threats for other legislative proposals important to the state they come from being tied to the bad stuff. I know it sounds tough to do, but it seems like the only route.
This is the turning point for the Supreme Court. Either they act now to DEMAND the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, or they will lose all their power and become impotent, with any further rulings becoming worthless.
If a few sane Republicans members of the House and Senate agreed to switch parties, can you imagine the power they’d have within the Democratic Party? I find it hard to believe it has not happened yet. Granted, they’d have to mutually agree to have the correct number all do it simultaneously so that it would put the Democrats in power, but in my opinion it’s an irresistible opportunity. It is a real game changer. Surely there’s enough that find it unbearable to continue supporting this illegal coup, it must be exhausting.
I have also hoped that some GOP Senators and Congress people would switch sides and give the House and Senate to Dem control. Is this a serious possibility?
Sent by a friend:
And another one saying NO!
In response to an edict from the Trump administration giving every school district only 10 days to respond, one brave district superintendent wrote this. (Name was withheld for obvious reasons..)
Still Not Signing: A Superintendent's Response to the Department of Education's Anti-DEI Ultimatum
The federal government gave us ten days to sign away our values. Here’s our answer.
April 8, 2025
To Whom It May (Unfortunately) Concern at the U.S. Department of Education:
Thank you for your April 3 memorandum, which I read several times — not because it was legally persuasive, but because I kept checking to see if it was satire. Alas, it appears you are serious.
You’ve asked me, as superintendent of a public school district, to sign a "certification" declaring that we are not violating federal civil rights law — by, apparently, acknowledging that civil rights issues still exist. You cite Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, then proceed to argue that offering targeted support to historically marginalized students is somehow discriminatory.
That’s not just legally incoherent — it’s a philosophical Möbius strip of bad faith.
Let me see if I understand your logic:
If we acknowledge racial disparities, that’s racism.
If we help English learners catch up, that’s favoritism.
If we give a disabled child a reading aide, we’re denying someone else the chance to struggle equally.
And if we train teachers to understand bias, we’re indoctrinating them — but if we train them to ignore it, we’re “restoring neutrality”?
How convenient that your sudden concern for “equal treatment” seems to apply only when it’s used to silence conversations about race, identity, or inequality.
Let’s talk about our English learners. Would you like us to stop offering translation services during parent-teacher conferences? Should we cancel bilingual support staff to avoid the appearance of “special treatment”? Or would you prefer we just teach all content in English and hope for the best, since acknowledging linguistic barriers now counts as discrimination?
And while we’re at it — what’s your official stance on IEPs? Because last I checked, individualized education plans intentionally give students with disabilities extra support. Should we start removing accommodations to avoid offending the able-bodied majority? Maybe cancel occupational therapy altogether so no one feels left out?
If a student with a learning disability receives extended time on a test, should we now give everyone extended time, even if they don’t need it? Just to keep the playing field sufficiently flat and unthinking?
Your letter paints equity as a threat. But equity is not the threat. It’s the antidote to decades of failure. Equity is what ensures all students have a fair shot. Equity is what makes it possible for a child with a speech impediment to present at the science fair. It’s what helps the nonverbal kindergartner use an AAC device. It’s what gets the newcomer from Ukraine the ESL support she needs without being left behind.
And let’s not skip past the most insulting part of your directive — the ten-day deadline. A national directive sent to thousands of districts with the subtlety of a ransom note, demanding signatures within a week and a half or else you’ll cut funding that supports... wait for it... low-income students, disabled students, and English learners.
Brilliant. Just brilliant. A moral victory for bullies and bureaucrats everywhere.
So no, we will not be signing your “certification.”
We are not interested in joining your theater of compliance.
We are not interested in gutting equity programs that serve actual children in exchange for your political approval.
We are not interested in abandoning our legal, ethical, and educational responsibilities to satisfy your fear of facts.
We are interested in teaching the truth.
We are interested in honoring our students’ identities.
We are interested in building a school system where no child is invisible, and no teacher is punished for caring too much.
And yes — we are prepared to fight this. In the courts. In the press. In the community. In Congress, if need be.
Because this district will not be remembered as the one that folded under pressure.
We will be remembered as the one that stood its ground — not for politics, but for kids.
Sincerely,
District Superintendent
Still Teaching. Still Caring. Still Not Signing.
Love this! Thanks for sharing.I know that didn’t come from our local superintendent.
A beloved teacher will not have her contract renewed because she used a student’s preferred name without parental consent. Students organized and protested.The local police chief acknowledged and thanked them for a peaceful protest.This is how it’s done !
https://floridamedianow.com/2025/04/parental-rights-in-education-law/
Courage. Pure, unadulterated courage. Bravo!
My God, how does anyone live in FL anymore - must get written permission to use a name. My birthname is Susan, but throughout school I used Sue - so that's not allowed in FL anymore either??? Complete idiocy.
I nominate this superintendent for a national citizens' Medal of Freedom!
Yes!Yes. So great to see such courage. Should be a lesson
I love this. I wish and hope more superintendents take this stand!
Excellent! I hope this is turned into an open letter for superintendents across the country to sign.
Wait a minute. How is it that this Superintendent is not the current President?
That’s fabulous!
Bravo! … speaking truth to power!!
Wonderful response from a courageous a school Superintendent. I hope ours resists this bullying son of a gun. It will be difficult in a Red county.
Terrific, well-constructed response!
WOW! WOW! WOW!
As a now 15-years-retired high school ESL teacher, (teaching in Miami for 24 years), this piece brought me to tears. Tears of appreciation for this amazing, fair and brave district superintendent. I couldn't help but think about the thousands of our own once "No ingles" students who are now wonderfully bilingual!
Our district did the right thing back then and are still doing the right thing now. Duh!!
This is so uplifting! Can I ask what state this came from?? THIS is the America I KNOW is alive and well!!!!!
Have not been able to track down the state. The author wishes (and needs) to remain underground. Even if it not from an actual superintendent (again, just don't know) it is serving to inspire and model resistance.
Understandable! Thank you!
Awesome!
Yes: awesome and impressive!
Kudos!!! Would lbe very to know what district this is!!!
😂😂😂😂 “No sentient being with an IQ higher than a potato believes the badly acted grade-school play performed by Trump and Bukele.”
I needed that laugh, too.
They don’t have to believe it. They should, however, respond to it. In the wings waits the likes of Erik Prince to help out with this “homegrown-criminal-rendered-to-foreign-country-gulags” idea. His suggestion could be simply to annex/purchase land in foreign countries with the agreement to declare the parcels “US Territory” and build prisons. Technically the prisoners -or other trump-annoyers- could be whisked away and still be in US control. Politico wrote this article about this: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/11/military-contractors-prison-plan-detained-immigrants-erik-prince-00287208
Thank you for the reference. The article says that the plan relates only to illegal immigrants. I was addressing the import of Trump‘s comments suggesting “homegrown“ criminals, i.e. US citizens, could be deported to a foreign penal institution.
Humans can't be illegal, undocumented yes, illegal, no.
“… deported to a foreign penal institution” — a Trumpian *gulag*?
Sherrilyn Ifill references Erik Prince and the Politico in her article about the extension of the deportation scheme to a wider range of “Others”: https://open.substack.com/pub/sherrilyn/p/americans-must-prepare-to-fight-for?r=5g9ew&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Sometimes I wish I believed in hell so people like Erik Prince would finally get their karma in this life or the next.
The reporter should have asked Mr. Bukele if he would return Garcia if President Trump asked him to do it.
Yes, that certainly was a missed opportunity for a follow-up question. Perhaps the reporter was too stunned when Bukele dismissed his question as 'preposterous,' with a smirking Trump at his side.
At least Bukele uttered the correct definition for that despicable spectacle of two criminals using the Oval Office as the stage to mocking and laughing at the world – preposterous.
It appears as a theatrical instance of illiberal state leaders learning from one another. Which I hope, in a constructive manner, more pro-democratic / shadow coalitions will start to do transnationally. And I also would like to see how it will go if U.S. Senators are compelled to fly to El Salvador this week.
And he could have asked why he just didn't bring Garcia on the plane with him?
If these cowards are too afraid to vote no on confirmation hearings you think they’ve got the cajones to cross the aisle? That is a fantasy. Only millions in the streets will change anything.
It’s not clear whether you intend to disagree with what I wrote. Because you are agreeing with the proposition that I stared in the newsletter: 50 million Americans need to take to the streets in order to shift the political dynamic.
I’m totally agreeing with you. It was a comment up thread someone made about switching parties. Sorry that wasn’t clear.
💯 They might vote No (or to impeach) if thousands daily picket their offices.
We've had millions in the streets and we will need to do it again. But what makes us think that will work. The nation impeached President Trump twice but failed to remove him. In the current iteration Trump is even worse, but that has not produced a ground swell of oppositon in the Congress, has it. I am trying to be discouraging, but as I go about my life including participating in demonstrations, I just don't see the ground swell coming. I hope I am wrong. I see pockets of resistance and I am glad that the unions are backing Abrego Garcia, and I will continue to do what I do. But I fear it would take a catastrophic sea change to produce the action needed. The coup is showing every signs of not only having happened but also being successful.
Of course 50 million in the streets would be spectacular, although a current researcher, Erica Chenowith, indicates that successful nonviolent overthrowing of our dictator would likely require only 11 million or 3.5% of the population.
It’s true that Trump was impeached twice and not convicted. However, there were not 11 million people in the streets then, and it was Mitch McConnell who refused to convict.
I continue to agree that building our capacity to show up in bigger and bigger numbers, refusing to cooperate, and resisting dictatorship in every way possible will lead to the collapse of this regime. Let’s do it.
And the big crowds with famous people are important but the smaller outpouring of people in cities like mine, South Bend, IN will impress by our size (we had 1,000 plus on the 5th) and by our persistence. We are not going away.
(And, sadly, Trump and his ignorant, cruel, and hateful -- and traitorous -- team keep doing fresh damage to sanity, humanity, and the planet.)
Unfortunately. I agree.
Appreciate that, Kathy. That acknowledgment doesn't change our purpose but may affect our strategy. As Robert suggests, with perhaps more hope and courage than I have been able to muster, the Coup is here and must be fought, we are just further along the timeline of tyranny than the people of the USA recognize, left, right, and middle, realize.
Yes, I hear you. I was so hopeful last week and now it's just so discouraging. But then we have to look at the Bernie and AOC rallies...they are astonishing. But also what is appalling is the lack of support from the DNC and other Democratic groups. Where is the cohesive resistance? But the 4/5 protests were energizing and we need more of that. I cannot do April 19 I am working. But I am carving out May 1. We all have to!
“… what is appalling is the lack of support from the DNC and other Democratic groups.” — especially from the Democratic “leaderships” in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
I agree, Michael. All I keep seeing is requests for "donations." How about offering some concrete actions that we can support instead?
I agree, Kathy. The organizational structure of the DNC treats the Bernie and AOC rallies as amusing sideshows and then turns around and asks us for money. Bernie/A0C had 12,500 people in Idaho. That's 1.6% of the Boise metro 746,000 people in a very red state. That's like getting 150,000 people in Chicago, even more amazing because you'd expect a big turn out in a blue state like Illinois. Where is the Democratic party following through on Cory Booker, Sanders, Ocasio-Cortez, and. other initiatives? Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland is offering to go to El Salvador and bring Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia home. Good gesture and good leadership, play the publicity game. Can't do April 19 myself but May 1 is reserved. This is a long distance race.
Why isn’t every Democratic committee helping organize & turn people out for the #HandsOff rallies? Some are. But most are not.
Thanks for the supportive remarks! Yes, I'm glad other people are noticing the anemic structure of the DNC. It is astounding the DNC is ignoring the amazing turnouts of Bernie and AOC. I mean, geez, the guy is 83 and flying all over the country! Give him a break and some solid physical support! Yes, WHERE IS THE FOLLOW- UP OF ALL OF THOSE GREAT INITIATIVES of Democratic individuals? There would be a ROAR if these were properly followed up. I guess we have to do it! I'm not giving the DNC structure any money at all, I gave what was alot for me for Kamala's campaign. Where is the billion? And yes, I want to acknowledge what you said about needing to dig up more courage and enthusiasm than I feel at the moment, The well is low...it would fill more if there was a coherent Democratic response to all of the individual actions. Press on, we must!
We need a sustained nation-wide strike. Now. Until Kilmar Abrego Garcia is returned to the U.S. And let's not forget Mahmoud Khalil, still in detention in Louisiana.
Dan, can you describe that in more detail? I'm 72 and living on Social Security and a small state pension. I can't even go to a rally right now because my partner has had a life-threatening health event. His daily care is my responsibility.
My daughter runs a nonprofit and my son-in-law is a lead hospital social- worker. My grandchildren are both working full-time for small wages and tips. Who exactly can afford to strike, and what does it look like? I don't mean to be rude, and I sincerely want something to happen, but I honestly don't know who's going to do it. Think of how many people didn't even bother to vote.
You’ve perfectly illustrated the problem with a general strike or even a weekday protest, such as the one planned for May 1. The majority of this country lives paycheck to paycheck or is one calamity away from insolvency. I agree with Robert that this is what we need, but I question if it's feasible.
I think the change this week from a protest to a “day of action” was a misstep. There are protests planned around the country. We’ll be participating in Jackson, MS, but the numbers won't be what they were nationally just two weeks ago. It’s going to look like a step back. We can regain that momentum, but where is the plan?
Richard Bach famously wrote in Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah:
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”
This quote reflects a central theme of the book: that our beliefs shape our reality. Bach is saying that when you insist something is beyond your ability—when you argue that you can’t do something—you effectively make that belief true for yourself. By reinforcing your perceived limits, you accept them as unchangeable, and they become part of your identity.
It’s a gentle but powerful challenge: if you stop defending your limitations, you might discover they’re not real after all.
W.H. Murray, a Scottish mountaineer, in his book The Scottish Himalayan Expedition (1951) beautifully echoes the same spirit as Bach’s quote, but in a different way—emphasizing the power of commitment to unlock unforeseen support and momentum.
Here’s the key excerpt:
“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.”
He continues:
“All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”
This idea—like Bach’s—suggests that the universe (or reality, or Providence) seems to align with us once we make a firm decision and act with conviction.
Right after the passage about commitment and Providence, Murray (quoting or paraphrasing Goethe) ends with this powerful line:
“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
The essence is clear: bold, decisive action unlocks unseen forces—genius, power, magic—that remain dormant in hesitation.
When you place it next to Richard Bach’s:
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they’re yours.”
—and Murray’s:
“The moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too… Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.”
—you get a beautiful continuum of thought:
Your beliefs shape your limits. Your commitment breaks them. Your boldness activates the magic.
Okay, nice; inspiring - but I am so effing tired I can barely do anything else anymore.
Take a break and rest. BUT REALLY LET IT GO. Rest when you rest. You can have committed time and uncommitted time but you have to make them distinct. If you say you are going to rest and then read stuff that doesn’t support your resting then you are not resting. People do this all the time with working during vacation time. Collapsing the domains is self sabotage.
It takes something to separate and keep the domains separate. If you don’t have separate distinct domains in your life and you are always on, then you WILL burn out. No one can be on all the time. It is okay to rest. Really.
Yes . . definitely "domains." And we must avoid the "creep."
❤️
Bern, I want you to know I have had Murray's "Commitment" on my home office bulletin board (and used it in my classroom) for years! I really appreciate your comparing / coupling it with Bach's. Most of all, I appreciated your succinct summary: "Your beliefs shape your limits. Your commitment breaks them. You boldness activates the magic."
May there be more magic among us!
Dean, I also question whether there is the will for a national strike. But if we don't summon that will, we will be lost.
I do think we’ll get there; I just don't think we’re there yet. That's why every action has to be another level of momentum.
Good point, Dean. It doesn't comport with Newton's Third Law (for every action, there's an equal and opposite reaction), but it may fit with his First Law (an object at rest will remain at rest...unless acted upon by an unbalanced force).
It's important that people do what THEY can whatever that is. We need to stop telling people what they SHOULD be doing when we don't walk in their shoes.
If your circumstances are such that you cannot participate, that is understandable. But as Robert Hubbell has pointed out in the past, the citizens of many countries under authoritarian rule have found the means and the will to organize national strikes, and those strikes have been effective. The pressure against this criminal regime and their backers will not be great enough until they feel a real hurt economically. No one said it was going to be easy. Do you value your freedom? It is being taken away as I type.
I don't question the ability of the people to rise up; I question how we’re building momentum. Ideally, and this is happening in many places, each event builds on the next. When the 4/19 protest was announced, an organizer told me the goal was to increase participation by 50% each time. Then they called it back and rebranded it as a “day of action.” There is nothing wrong with localized demonstrations. They build the foundation, but we also need national momentum to grow. Listen, I’ll be out on the front lines on Saturday, but in the future, I’d like to see less confusion and have each event build on the next.
I certainly agree that a strike would be effective, and I had no intention of discouraging anyone. I was thinking aloud, wondering how it would work, who could genuinely participate, and who would lead it. By all means, get that strike organized and underway!
No need to apologize for anything, Still. We get you. Emotions are running high all around. We all must have each others' back.
We don't need anyone to lead it. That's the problem. People are waiting for others to do something. It's called the bystander theory. You can go out to your town square right now and gather people.
This is a very important point. Thanks for bringing it up. Even if you can do something at home, write, communicate, talk to others about political resistance and share your views constructively, you are participating. There is often an inherent social bias that favors able bodied and privileged (class) participation, though I honestly don't think that is intended within this supportive, compassionate community. One advance that has boosted communication for invisible communities is the advent of the internet itself. Fora for vulnerable or invisible communities were some of the first to flourish as the internet gained momentum. Organizing and keeping informed was much more difficult prior to the internet and even social media.
Also, Rumeysa Ozturk being held in Louisiana.
Yes. Thank you, Jenn Z, for saying her name.
I do like this idea but it's really tough to pull off at a level that will have impact. Maybe the targeted boycotts (Tesla, Amazon, Meta) will help but they need to be ongoing, not just a few days or weeks. Billionaires on the wrong side need to feel the pain.
Wonder if there is any way for us to impact some of them in government right now, like Doug Burgum, Scott Bessent, Kelly Loeffler, Howard Lutnick. I would love to see these guys cry uncle!
Well, the good news is that the Tesla and Target boycotts are working, and the reverse is that Costco’s increasing numbers stand in direct contrast to Target’s decrease.
We need to share this information along with names of other companies to hit. Will have to research how to hit trump's cabinet members...
The Peoples Union is supporting a second Economic Boycott this Friday - Sunday, April 18 - 20th
https://www.newsweek.com/nationwide-economic-blackoout-which-stores-targeted-2059813
https://www.newsweek.com/list-stores-being-boycotted-april-general-mills-walmart-2059531
The People's Union? Are they AFL/CIO? Which workers do they represent?
Here is a link to their FAQ page:
https://thepeoplesunionusa.com/faq
Joyce, I believe the targeted boycotts are intended to build our capacity toward a successful general strike. This kind of mass action takes time to build. We each have a role in building it. So, if we can go one day without buying anything from the billionaires, we can go two, until we can eventually withhold our economic support completely. Let’s do it!
I also cannot join protests, but wish I could. Every time I see these crowds of people out in streets, I am so thankful for them. But I can greatly curb Amazon and have done so for months. I stopped shopping for Target deliveries. I find a lot of things on eBay or direct from suppliers - use Amazon to locate products to buy elsewhere! Still need to cancel prime. And I can give some monthly donations to a few, including Indivisible, to help others do what I can't.
Wouldn’t we all love that?
The worst part of that scene in the Oval was the laughter . It was disgusting.
Horrific!
How to get a good grounding or refresher on doing resistance actions:
D-WA Rep. Pramila Jayapal's Resistance Lab: Virtual Organizing https://www.pramilaforcongress.com/the-resistance-lab
I did this zoom yesterday and found it to be well done. It helps keep focus in the midst of the swirl of attention demands, with reminders of Dr. King's principles of nonviolence. It was energizing! Next "101" is on Sunday May 4, and they're developing 201 and 301.
I believe you underplay the role of the Supreme Court in Trump’s mockery of it. “Facilitate” is a flabby word designed to achieve the 9 to 0 unanimity without forcefully demanding Trump‘s action. What we have is not virtue signaling but vice signaling. Shame on the Supreme Court. It is showing the weakness of pampered jades.
And if the Supreme Court does nothing now, the Coup has happened. We shouldn't give up but Trump, it seems, has won this round.
Thank you very much for recuperating and naming this a coup once again. It very much is a vulgar coup d'etat, albeit with some novel factors (partially a digital administrative coup, for example). This framing of tonight's eloquent newsletter is critical to understanding our response to the radical political and psychological assault. I still believe that languaging and concept is somewhat foreign to the domestic US population (though not so much to this literate audience). And isolated, media-biased bubbles de-politicize segments of the population into docile acceptance.
A couple things strike me about this coup: one, the timing has been difficult to grasp. The onslaught has been very accelerated, taking even scholars of authoritarianism by surprise. And as mentioned in the Atlantic article I posted yesterday, there is also the speed at which extreme offenses -- punishable in any other era -- are rapidly pushed and suppressed out of captured media cycles.
Yet at the same time, there seems to be an entrenched rot creeping in, with some of the government cuts, with the near total corruption and incompetence of cabinet-level positions, etc. But a coup-induced fatalism should not be taken as permanent. It demands, as Robert highlights, sustained and increasing protest writ large. It is a muscle the U.S. will need to learn to flex long term because unfortunately, these illiberal movements won't go away quickly. But informed (and suffering) people do have the power to resist and shift political will. And that is truly having an effect, now and into the future.
I was a bit thrown by the phrase "cultural warriors" to designate those within the Harvard community who effectively resist the authoritarian attacks of the regime (I have family affiliated with Harvard). But the overarching concept Robert highlights is once again clear and essential. I'd describe Harvard's decision — their full letter is indeed worth reading — as an effective assertion of the inherent value of intellectual labor and capital, against vicious attempts to co-opt and undermine the invaluable American project of higher education and world-class research. Most R1 research institutions feature some research on their home portal page, but Harvard pointedly just reconfigured their entire home page to feature funded research. And Harvard's reputational footprint and influence was a critical step toward encouraging other R1 institutions to hopefully find the mettle to resist and band together in a united front.
Excellent comment. Something of a re-frame that I needed today. Thanks!
Likewise, thanks for reading! It is liberating to ventilate all that’s being thrown at us right now.
We keep saying that he's crossed one line or another, yet here we are. I almost hesitate to post my thought today because I am, frankly, afraid for my daughter and son-in-law who live in NM and have tattoos; I have tattoos as well. I am 71 and do not regret my artwork, but am I now subject to being disappeared; are my family members?
Trump keeps pushing because he is getting away with it. My Senator (Van Hollen) is doing what he can, as are others in our delegation (Alsobrooks, Raskin, Elfreth, Hoyer) so I don't need to convince as much as support and suggest. I'm lucky.
What I'm saying is that the reality is this: if we cannot convince the rest of the GOP to turn against actors like Johnson, Taylor-Greene, Jordan, Comer, Graham, and the other trumpets, we are lost. Nothing is going to happen unless enough of the Congressional GOP members wake up. To be fair, that includes some Dems like Fetterman too. Judges appear to have only so much power at this point.
You say we need more people in the streets. Okay… I hope and pray that will work, but watching the cruel response of GOP members is devastating.
I will continue to protest, attend rallies, write letters and make calls - something that sticks in my mind is a quote that goes something like "if you wonder what you'd have done in Nazi Germany, you are doing it now" and that’s compelling. As I do so, I have made plans for who will care for my pets; I cry when I look at them sometimes because I don’t want them to feel abandoned. I’d hoped for a quiet life in retirement. But then I think about how Kilmar Garcia’s family must feel. It’s just devastating.
Josh Greenbaum, GSA, Sean Keveny, DHHS, and Thomas Wheeler, DOE, are the names for all of us to remember. They are the signers of the letter that sought to bring Harvard to its knees in obeisance to Trump and Bondi, and Vance. Keep your eyes on them going forward.
I should’ve mentioned their names. Thank you for doing so.
I am appalled at the amount of Jewish Nazis participating in this coup! My poor parents would have been so scared, all over again.
And we should always include Stephen Miller in the list of the heartless
Robert, I know this question is probably not one you want to answer but when we take to the streets like we have, do you think that trump will declare martial law? Am I jumping the gun too soon?
I very much fear that he will turn the National Guard on protests, rallies, as marches.
Yeah, how sickeningly and tragically hypocritical, the master criminal, rapist, fraudster psychopath wants to send other dangerous criminals and folks with no criminal record to prison in El Salvador. HE and his gang of sociopaths are the biggest danger to our beloved country.
I would love to post your comment on Bluesky because you speak the truth so clearly and with eloquence!
Thank you! I think we will need to really focus on huge crowds (perhaps this Saturday) andthere is a phone call on Wednesday to . I think more than ever we do need a leader (like Yeltsin on the tank in August 1991) in various sites to support the grass roots and give a rallying cry. At this point I hope that Bernie Sanders will continue to play that role.
I am a big believer in getting GOP members to switch caucuses to wrest back control of Congress and have been advocating that since the GOP confirmed Hegseth. How to get there? Maybe when we contact Republicans on Medicaid or veterans rights or the SAVE act or whatever, we should ask them to vote the right way, even by changing parties if they need to (if the threats from GOP leadership are too great). I think if this was a constant refrain from the grass roots, it would normalize the idea that switching parties is the patriotic thing to do. And it could be a slow roll revolt where one change would trigger another.
You mention the protests, and I am wondering what the next few days will bring. We had heard that April 19 was transitioning to a Day of Service, but late yesterday afternoon, another 50501 protest was announced that is close to us. We will attend. I know there are folks for whom attending protests is not possible, and I respect that. What I take hope in is that we’re all taking actions (postcards, daily calls, protests) that we were not taking even a year ago. If we’re all doing what we were doing a year ago PLUS MORE of us are doing MORE than we were a year ago, we can beat this monster.
Hopefully, everyone has downloaded the 5calls app to their phones. They also have a webpage if you prefer to use a windows device to review the scripts.
https://5calls.org/
Why do you think threats to them would be less if they became independents or Dems? I think the intimidation would get worse.
Well, we live in a police state already, but putting certain physical threats aside, the idea is that the act of changing parties is saying, you pushed me too far to insist I vote for this awful agenda, and I will be better off in the Democratic caucus where I will be voting for what my constituents want and what is right. Gets away from the primarying and the threats against getting away from threats for other legislative proposals important to the state they come from being tied to the bad stuff. I know it sounds tough to do, but it seems like the only route.
Interesting idea, and maybe some citizens will know if their representatives are ripe for such messaging!
This is the turning point for the Supreme Court. Either they act now to DEMAND the return of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, or they will lose all their power and become impotent, with any further rulings becoming worthless.
If a few sane Republicans members of the House and Senate agreed to switch parties, can you imagine the power they’d have within the Democratic Party? I find it hard to believe it has not happened yet. Granted, they’d have to mutually agree to have the correct number all do it simultaneously so that it would put the Democrats in power, but in my opinion it’s an irresistible opportunity. It is a real game changer. Surely there’s enough that find it unbearable to continue supporting this illegal coup, it must be exhausting.
This must be a central part of our effort; it can't be a side action. We probably need someone to take the lead on this...
I wish this was true...it seems like a fantasy ...GOP politicians are such a disappointment...not a strong enuf word...
I have also hoped that some GOP Senators and Congress people would switch sides and give the House and Senate to Dem control. Is this a serious possibility?
It's a necessity!