Looks like Robert and Heather Cox Richardson are both giving us extremely scary letters tonight based on very different aspects of today's news. A double whammy. Sounds like we have six months to get this straightened out in the 2022 election. The keys seem to be independents and getting out the vote. Time to go Code Red White and Blue to Save America for the decent people who are the majority. My first step is reading "Viking Economics" by George Lakey on how the Scandinavians have achieved prosperity and well being for all through equality. They solved the income disparity problem and we must do the same. We have to stop the fissures of income disparity becoming chasms of poverty for most of us. There are answers to this but we have to be creative. As Einstein said "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Time to think outside what's about to box us in. We, the good, decent, innovative People, all of us this time!
Cathy, As I’ve posted in the past, a feasible start would be for Senate Democrats promptly to pass whatever provisions of the Budget Reconciliation package (BBB) can gain support from 50 Senators and present the legislation as a down payment of more to come if Dems, this fall, retain the House and pick up at least 2 Senate seats.
I agree. The problem, however, is that Joe Manchin (and maybe Kyrsten Sinema) are apparently not on board with BBB. There have been numerous negotiations with Manchin to get a pared down BBB that he would support, but they have not been successful. I’m beginning to think that he agrees to discussions in order to appear willing to pass something, but that he really has no intention to vote for any piece of it.
Jean, You might be right. Hence, I have believed for some time that a tough, strong Biden needs to go to West Virginia, and also to the red parts of Mississippi and Alabama, and to other states and say, “This is what we have tried to deliver and these folks have voted against it.” Simply stated, Dems have to be willing to engage in war. One can’t play fair with people who don’t play fair (including Manchin & Sinema). There are no rules. The other side has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to attain power. Therefore, Democratic leadership has got to say, “America, when they didn’t care about you, we did.”
Yes! Take the fight right to them. Joe should make a caravan to Philadelphia, Mississippi (where Reagan started his first campaign, and not so coincidentally where Goodman, Schwerner and Cheney were kidnapped before they were lynched) and tell the people there about all the simple things Democrats have tried to do for ordinary Americans that Republicans have tried their best to kill. A laundry list for America.
@Citizen60, Though I realize you posted a couple of days ago, still, I wish to reply. Starting with West Virginia, I would note its residents have ranked jobs, healthcare, childcare, and tax reform as top priorities. Moreover, workers, represented by the United Coal Miners Union, are itching for the training to help them make the transition from the fossil fuel industry to clean energy jobs. Similarly, in Arizona, along with repeated calls for expanding healthcare, voters also believe Sinema must be held accountable for her unseemly corporate ties, especially to Big Pharma.
I amplify these points to indicate that Biden, likely, would find a receptive audience in both states.
I hope that’s so. I wonder about WV—they love Joe Manchin, re-elect him. And he refused to vote to extend the child tax credit because he stated—on camera—they’d just use it to buy drugs.
Sinema is in a different position, and Arizona will be interesting. Word is she’ll run as an Independent.
Dems need to pass protection acts for the Electoral College vote so 1/6 cannot happen again. They've now had almost 2 years to fix the obvious and are still "studying" it
@Citizen60, Though I agree that reforming the Electoral Vote Count is necessary, nailing these provisions won’t be sufficient, absent federal voter protections to safeguard against GOP meddling in state election rules to change who can be in charge, how votes are counted, and how they’re certified.
I agree with your points, Kathy. There are some things that work in the favor of the Scandinavian countries. 1)They have small populations and are more comparable to our states. 2) Their populations are more homogeneous than that of the US. They seek common good for their people, and they are willing to pay for it. The US is built on a foundation of every man for himself, literally, too bad for the rest of you. Plus, racism is literally killing us. But you are spot on with your Einstein quote. It’s been time for different thinking for a very long time.
I really appreciate that sentiment. Last weekend I went to a Bans off our Bodies rally in Oakland, California. I went to the Women's March after DT was elected and it was powerful. This was different, but also empowering. I was a little afraid to go and to go alone, but once I got there I wasn't alone and I arrived early so I decided to volunteer. It was a wonderful experience to be with proactive people and learn even more about an issue I feel deeply about. I love reading and writing comments, but there is something really empowering about seeing people face to face.
I totally agree! In 2022 United States there should be no poverty. We need better schools, trade schools, and better Universities. We also must have everyone to be paid a living wage for their work.
If that young man in PA had been taught the history of race relations in secondary school, perhaps he would not have had such hatred for African Americans.
Oh, Robert. That is THE quote of our times: " If you want to see the real America, it is not on your television screens but in the faces of your friends, neighbors, and complete strangers who have come together to advance the common good." I'm going to start saying precisely that to many friends, neighbors and complete strangers. Thank you!
Democracy vs. Fascism it IS and that is why I stopped writing Vote Forward pablum letters, which insist on a bipartisan vanilla approach. These letters presumably go to Dems who are either not inclined to vote and those who are on the fence. For Vote Forward to insist on bipartisan "speak" when there is NO bipartisanship left in Congress, is a waste of time, paper, printer ink, stamps, and envelopes. Instead, use this opportunity of sending millions of letters to get the message out there and tell it like it is: Your vote can make the difference between a Democracy or Fascist rule. If other activist organizations are playing this bipartisan game then we are lost in the woods.
Agreed. Postcards to voters is better. The postcards go to registered Democrats asking them to vote for specific candidates in upcoming special elections.
Definitely. Also, the First Amendment is being abused. FOX News and others of their ilk are spreading hatred, racial hatred, , Conspiracy Theories, and lies to inflame their audiences.
Internet platforms, many on the dark web, are promoting the same with deadlier consequences. There must be standards for News Programs and there must be standards for what is on the internet. The platforms on the internet must be monitored for things like that PA man’s manifesto before a mass shooting occurs.
The first amendment is definitely abused by the Supreme Court.The second amendment should also be rescinded,since it is only utilized for murder by gun owners.
May 19, 2022·edited May 19, 2022Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
I appreciate the linked articles more than you can imagine.
A lot of people don't want to admit the far-right has limits to what is can realistically do. This is because they feel that saying "they can't do that" will make people feel too complacent.
I fully understand the threat of people like Mastriano and the Secretary of State candidates. They want to sew division, spread lies and turn a blind eye to violence. 1/6 is an example of this.
But unless the election is extremely razor thin, they can't just magically throw away all the Dem ballots. We have had the 2000 presidential election stolen as well as the 2002 Alabama governor election. Both were super razor thin. They may be able to overturn elections in these scenarios, but even 2020 didn't have steal-able margins. It is still dangerous that they could steal super close elections, and it is indeed a severe threat to democracy.
But if enough people vote against the GOP (their policies will be unpopular even if they do get in), there is only so much the far-right can do. Blue wave years would absolutely still be possible. We will never truly be doomed as long as there are people who believe in Democracy.
And if the GOP tries to openly overturn the popular vote, they will expose themselves by doing something completely unprecedented. This is why several bills that would have allowed legislatures to overrule the popular vote have not passed. They talk big, and are a major threat, but they are paper tigers at heart.
We must prepare for a situation where Dems lose in 2022. We cannot afford to tell people that "all is lost" or "democracy has fallen" or "it will be impossible for Democrats to win, so there's no use voting." This country is far more diverse and larger than Hungary, and there have been several examples in history where the people have the final say. The GOP's policies have nowhere near the support Hungary's Fidez party does in its country. They will not be able to sustain a country under their rules, and the moment they go after more popular things like contraception, gay marriage, social security and medicare, the less likely they will be able to suppress and rig votes. Even this crooked supreme court rejected Trump's election fraud nonsense.
America in the early 1900s was a far-right autocracy with women banned from voting and Jim Crow laws that were so much worse than anything today. If that could be defeated, we can do anything.
I'm not saying "everything is fine and it's not that bad." I'm saying "even if things do get worse, there is still hope." It is more dangerous to suggest "all will be lost and we're all doomed," than to tell people the truth and encourage them to keep fighting.
The GOP is facing a shrinking base of religious, older voters. The younger generations will take over. I felt renewed hope when Cynthia Lummis was booed at Wyoming State University for spewing anti-trans rhetoric. These are the people who are going to save us in the end.
We cannot lose faith no matter what happens. We WILL win, even if it takes decades (I suspect less with the way the GOP is conducting themselves). It is absolutely a scary time, and things will get worse before they get better. But I'm tired of dooming. I intend to make the most of my life and continue to believe in a better future.
Thank you for that. The Republican Party has moved so far to the right, complete with all its hate-filled, conspiracy theorists, etc. that it can only be treated as a pariah like Putin. It is rabid and dangerous and must be fought against. Just remember what happened when one day, tired to the bone, Rosa Parks sat down. But she had the training to take action for civil rights before then. Now is the time for all citizens who value democracy to take a stand.
As a Jew, I’d like to comment on Christian nationalism. It should always be written as “Christian” nationalism—from where I sit, there is nothing Christian about it. The true Christians I’ve met—some of the best people I’ve known—have very little in common with those who would hijack the faith of Jesus and use it for their personal gratification and empowerment. We should make that clear at every opportunity.
They are out there but they aren't broadcasting. One of the speakers at the Bans Off our Bodies rally was a Bishop. I didn't catch from what denomination, but it was Christian. I was absolutely floored to hear him speak in favor of Roe vs. Wade. I think the MAGAphone drowns them out, but they are there. I also understand that progressive faith-based groups are working with Humanists to fight for a new kind of ethics, including a more socially just society. This is encouraging and I would really like to hear more about and from them.
There are some, from what I have seen, and the most effective ones are probably within the evangelical movement. But I'm afraid I can't really help with lining up more, being an apostate (and happily so).
I agree with you totally. I am a Christian, but I cringe when those so callled “Christian Evangelicals” start talking and use the name “Christian. “. They hate anyone who is different. That is not what Christ taught. He welcomed everyone, rich, poor, sinner, slave, men, and women, and people from other countries.
Thank you for that, Jon. I refer to the "Christian Right" as the "Christian Wrong," because the kind of hatred and bigotry they espouse is so far from what I was taught growing up as to be from another planet. The grossest insult of all is their sometimes equation of Trump with Jesus.
"If you want to see the real America, it is not on your television screens but in the faces of your friends, neighbors, and complete strangers who have come together to advance the common good."
Imagine, if you can, a quiet world, televisions silenced. When I read a sentence like Mr. Hubbell's here, I try to take a minute to be grateful for whatever good instinct urged me, many years ago, to turn off all television news first and, then, gradually, to just stop turning the thing on altogether. The exception is on the weekends when it is essential to watch every available video about every single construction vehicle, and all its parts and functions. I am encouraged to report that there is a seven-year-old who is prepared to rebuild what is being torn down.
I am aware that I am missing a few good shows, but I don't pine for them. The silence here gives me the leisure to listen to the birds and to think without the noise of someone directing me. Words on the page are not television. Words on the page can encourage me to consider. Television blasts my brain with noise that makes the formulation of a single thought very difficult. It makes the path of least resistance attractive.
I believe strongly that President Biden's first words after Charlottesville were wrong and dangerous. What he said, was, "This is not who we. are." As the sun rises over this country's eastern shore, I say, "Yes, it is". Like every other collection of human beings, we are made up of light and darkness. We ignore or deny the darkness at our own peril.
Right now, as this coherent newsletter makes clear, our hope lies in staring this darkness straight in the face and working for the light anyway. Carl Jung calls it our shadow self and is clear that, if we fail to acknowledge and embrace the darkness, it will--not to put too fine a point on it--bite us in the ass.
While I agree with everything you stated, I do not agree that President Biden’s statement was wrong. Our country is more good than evil, the Charlottesville rally is not who we are.
You are a kindred spirit! We haven't had a tv for years and I do not miss it at all. Reading, reflecting, and listening are skills we need now more than ever. (Listening to birds is really important.) We need to learn to take a deep breath and step back a moment before we charge ahead. Watching the news is, for me, a surreal experience as they bounce between devastating images of wars, natural disasters, and mass shootings to cheery ads about laxatives or drugs that can cure you if they don't maim and kill you with their side effects first.
Hi, Susan, It wasn't a planned thing for me. I pretty much stopped watching the news back in 2012 or so when the constant Obama-bashing started, but gradually I found I just couldn't tolerate the noise of even worthwhile programming. I'm not one to have background sound. I grew up on over 100 acres of deep woods--an older child of older parents and nobody else on the land. The sounds I grew up with were frogs, crickets, and a running stream. When the lights were turned off you couldn't see your hand. It was not good preparation for life in the big anthill. I am most at home in silence.
Actually, I was heartened by this downer of a newsletter. That is because Robert pointed out the illegalities of the PA candidate’s plans. Plus the guy isn’t all that electable. So, between Heather and Robert, we get clear-eyed warnings and information. This is good. Thank you!
Fifty years ago a white man from Utah explained his opposition to abortion to me as such: White people get abortions at a much higher rate than people of color and if abortion is allowed to continue the white race will be overwhelmed. So let us not be ignorant to the fact that the "pro-life' movement has a deep and long lasting stream of white supremacy embedded in it's ranks.
I hear so many Democrats and Never Trumpers complaining about Democratic candidates and language. "He's too far left, she hasn't done anything for me, why do we have to say 'decision' instead of 'choice' now ..." This is what worries me the most — many people still don't seem to understand the threat coming from the right. Conservatives want to dismantle the regulatory state, end abortion, allow unfettered access to guns, suppress the vote and steal elections. If Democrats lose the House, all we'll have is a hellscape of Jim Jordan and investigations into "2020 election fraud!" and "Hunter Biden's laptop!" This will guarantee that people will tune out of politics.
The MAGA playbook, executed so elegantly by the GOP and Tucker Carlson, is Orwell's 1984. Doublespeak is obvious with their self-protective "replacement" mantra that is meant to disguise their efforts to replace everyone who is not white and Evangelical Christian with white, Evangelical Christians. I hope Ben Crum sue's the pants off of Carlson and Fox/Murdoch.
Robert, thank you for calmly identifying the legal issues, the applicable Penn statutes, their application to the issues, and the concluision: Penn voters cannot be disenfranchised period despite the crack in the Liberty Bell.
The Edsall article was incredibly illuminating! But it has perhaps always been this way? I just finished a novel about the Depression and the movement away from the Dust Bowls into California and the animus toward those immigrants who were white and mostly Christian. The religious wars of history. The taking of our country from the Native Americans (though white Christians were the immigrants then). It seems to me that there is always some way that any given person can feel entitled and believe the "other" in inferior.....that African nation that discriminated on the basis of nose size or shape or something like that. Even here in Hawaii where there is no majority race or religion, it's the tourists that are the lesser class to some -- temporary immigrants, if you will. "Born not flown" is a bumper sticker some use to feel superior to those of us who moved here. As you and other say, most Americans are decent and tolerant. But, also as you say, we must assert ourselves because for sure, the forces of dark will assert themselves. Text, write postcards, run for office, work for campaigns, do random acts of kindness -- we need every shoulder to the wheel to overcome that darkness.
That has always been a mystery to me. Fortunately, there have always been Christians like Martin Luther King, Deitrich Bonhoffer, and many others who stayed true to the social justice message.
Looks like Robert and Heather Cox Richardson are both giving us extremely scary letters tonight based on very different aspects of today's news. A double whammy. Sounds like we have six months to get this straightened out in the 2022 election. The keys seem to be independents and getting out the vote. Time to go Code Red White and Blue to Save America for the decent people who are the majority. My first step is reading "Viking Economics" by George Lakey on how the Scandinavians have achieved prosperity and well being for all through equality. They solved the income disparity problem and we must do the same. We have to stop the fissures of income disparity becoming chasms of poverty for most of us. There are answers to this but we have to be creative. As Einstein said "We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Time to think outside what's about to box us in. We, the good, decent, innovative People, all of us this time!
Cathy, As I’ve posted in the past, a feasible start would be for Senate Democrats promptly to pass whatever provisions of the Budget Reconciliation package (BBB) can gain support from 50 Senators and present the legislation as a down payment of more to come if Dems, this fall, retain the House and pick up at least 2 Senate seats.
I agree. The problem, however, is that Joe Manchin (and maybe Kyrsten Sinema) are apparently not on board with BBB. There have been numerous negotiations with Manchin to get a pared down BBB that he would support, but they have not been successful. I’m beginning to think that he agrees to discussions in order to appear willing to pass something, but that he really has no intention to vote for any piece of it.
Jean, You might be right. Hence, I have believed for some time that a tough, strong Biden needs to go to West Virginia, and also to the red parts of Mississippi and Alabama, and to other states and say, “This is what we have tried to deliver and these folks have voted against it.” Simply stated, Dems have to be willing to engage in war. One can’t play fair with people who don’t play fair (including Manchin & Sinema). There are no rules. The other side has shown that it will do whatever is necessary to attain power. Therefore, Democratic leadership has got to say, “America, when they didn’t care about you, we did.”
Yes! Take the fight right to them. Joe should make a caravan to Philadelphia, Mississippi (where Reagan started his first campaign, and not so coincidentally where Goodman, Schwerner and Cheney were kidnapped before they were lynched) and tell the people there about all the simple things Democrats have tried to do for ordinary Americans that Republicans have tried their best to kill. A laundry list for America.
I agree. The President should name those who refused to vote for the bill to pass.
And have Joe turn Independent who caucuses with Republicans? Word is Krystan will turn Independent
Oh!
Except WV and the red parts of Arizona won't listen to Biden (Brandon)
There are some that will and we need those people.
@Citizen60, Though I realize you posted a couple of days ago, still, I wish to reply. Starting with West Virginia, I would note its residents have ranked jobs, healthcare, childcare, and tax reform as top priorities. Moreover, workers, represented by the United Coal Miners Union, are itching for the training to help them make the transition from the fossil fuel industry to clean energy jobs. Similarly, in Arizona, along with repeated calls for expanding healthcare, voters also believe Sinema must be held accountable for her unseemly corporate ties, especially to Big Pharma.
I amplify these points to indicate that Biden, likely, would find a receptive audience in both states.
I hope that’s so. I wonder about WV—they love Joe Manchin, re-elect him. And he refused to vote to extend the child tax credit because he stated—on camera—they’d just use it to buy drugs.
Sinema is in a different position, and Arizona will be interesting. Word is she’ll run as an Independent.
Amen!!
Well put.
I think you are absolutely right about that one.
Dems need to pass protection acts for the Electoral College vote so 1/6 cannot happen again. They've now had almost 2 years to fix the obvious and are still "studying" it
@Citizen60, Though I agree that reforming the Electoral Vote Count is necessary, nailing these provisions won’t be sufficient, absent federal voter protections to safeguard against GOP meddling in state election rules to change who can be in charge, how votes are counted, and how they’re certified.
Completely agree, that would be another easy win that they could all brag about.
And don't turn down any Republicans who might be courageous enough to support measures that would benefit their constituents.
Agreed.
I agree with your points, Kathy. There are some things that work in the favor of the Scandinavian countries. 1)They have small populations and are more comparable to our states. 2) Their populations are more homogeneous than that of the US. They seek common good for their people, and they are willing to pay for it. The US is built on a foundation of every man for himself, literally, too bad for the rest of you. Plus, racism is literally killing us. But you are spot on with your Einstein quote. It’s been time for different thinking for a very long time.
I really appreciate that sentiment. Last weekend I went to a Bans off our Bodies rally in Oakland, California. I went to the Women's March after DT was elected and it was powerful. This was different, but also empowering. I was a little afraid to go and to go alone, but once I got there I wasn't alone and I arrived early so I decided to volunteer. It was a wonderful experience to be with proactive people and learn even more about an issue I feel deeply about. I love reading and writing comments, but there is something really empowering about seeing people face to face.
I totally agree! In 2022 United States there should be no poverty. We need better schools, trade schools, and better Universities. We also must have everyone to be paid a living wage for their work.
If that young man in PA had been taught the history of race relations in secondary school, perhaps he would not have had such hatred for African Americans.
Oh, Robert. That is THE quote of our times: " If you want to see the real America, it is not on your television screens but in the faces of your friends, neighbors, and complete strangers who have come together to advance the common good." I'm going to start saying precisely that to many friends, neighbors and complete strangers. Thank you!
💙
It is what it is.
Let's call it by its proper name.
DEMOCRACY
vs. FASCISM
That is what this election is about.
We cannot beat around the bush.
Biden and the Dems need to win by stating the above over and over and over and over from now till Nov.
Thank you, Dan! I agree and agree and agree!
Democracy vs. Fascism it IS and that is why I stopped writing Vote Forward pablum letters, which insist on a bipartisan vanilla approach. These letters presumably go to Dems who are either not inclined to vote and those who are on the fence. For Vote Forward to insist on bipartisan "speak" when there is NO bipartisanship left in Congress, is a waste of time, paper, printer ink, stamps, and envelopes. Instead, use this opportunity of sending millions of letters to get the message out there and tell it like it is: Your vote can make the difference between a Democracy or Fascist rule. If other activist organizations are playing this bipartisan game then we are lost in the woods.
Agreed. Postcards to voters is better. The postcards go to registered Democrats asking them to vote for specific candidates in upcoming special elections.
A year ago I would have said you were wrong. Today I think you are correct.
Definitely. Also, the First Amendment is being abused. FOX News and others of their ilk are spreading hatred, racial hatred, , Conspiracy Theories, and lies to inflame their audiences.
Internet platforms, many on the dark web, are promoting the same with deadlier consequences. There must be standards for News Programs and there must be standards for what is on the internet. The platforms on the internet must be monitored for things like that PA man’s manifesto before a mass shooting occurs.
The first amendment is definitely abused by the Supreme Court.The second amendment should also be rescinded,since it is only utilized for murder by gun owners.
I agree. It should read as intended. Guns are for militias: the National Guards and the Military. Hunting rifles permitted to those passing the test.
YES!
I appreciate the linked articles more than you can imagine.
A lot of people don't want to admit the far-right has limits to what is can realistically do. This is because they feel that saying "they can't do that" will make people feel too complacent.
I fully understand the threat of people like Mastriano and the Secretary of State candidates. They want to sew division, spread lies and turn a blind eye to violence. 1/6 is an example of this.
But unless the election is extremely razor thin, they can't just magically throw away all the Dem ballots. We have had the 2000 presidential election stolen as well as the 2002 Alabama governor election. Both were super razor thin. They may be able to overturn elections in these scenarios, but even 2020 didn't have steal-able margins. It is still dangerous that they could steal super close elections, and it is indeed a severe threat to democracy.
But if enough people vote against the GOP (their policies will be unpopular even if they do get in), there is only so much the far-right can do. Blue wave years would absolutely still be possible. We will never truly be doomed as long as there are people who believe in Democracy.
And if the GOP tries to openly overturn the popular vote, they will expose themselves by doing something completely unprecedented. This is why several bills that would have allowed legislatures to overrule the popular vote have not passed. They talk big, and are a major threat, but they are paper tigers at heart.
We must prepare for a situation where Dems lose in 2022. We cannot afford to tell people that "all is lost" or "democracy has fallen" or "it will be impossible for Democrats to win, so there's no use voting." This country is far more diverse and larger than Hungary, and there have been several examples in history where the people have the final say. The GOP's policies have nowhere near the support Hungary's Fidez party does in its country. They will not be able to sustain a country under their rules, and the moment they go after more popular things like contraception, gay marriage, social security and medicare, the less likely they will be able to suppress and rig votes. Even this crooked supreme court rejected Trump's election fraud nonsense.
America in the early 1900s was a far-right autocracy with women banned from voting and Jim Crow laws that were so much worse than anything today. If that could be defeated, we can do anything.
I'm not saying "everything is fine and it's not that bad." I'm saying "even if things do get worse, there is still hope." It is more dangerous to suggest "all will be lost and we're all doomed," than to tell people the truth and encourage them to keep fighting.
The GOP is facing a shrinking base of religious, older voters. The younger generations will take over. I felt renewed hope when Cynthia Lummis was booed at Wyoming State University for spewing anti-trans rhetoric. These are the people who are going to save us in the end.
We cannot lose faith no matter what happens. We WILL win, even if it takes decades (I suspect less with the way the GOP is conducting themselves). It is absolutely a scary time, and things will get worse before they get better. But I'm tired of dooming. I intend to make the most of my life and continue to believe in a better future.
Thank you for that. The Republican Party has moved so far to the right, complete with all its hate-filled, conspiracy theorists, etc. that it can only be treated as a pariah like Putin. It is rabid and dangerous and must be fought against. Just remember what happened when one day, tired to the bone, Rosa Parks sat down. But she had the training to take action for civil rights before then. Now is the time for all citizens who value democracy to take a stand.
❤
Good for you PD. Keep it up. You have inspired me!
As a Jew, I’d like to comment on Christian nationalism. It should always be written as “Christian” nationalism—from where I sit, there is nothing Christian about it. The true Christians I’ve met—some of the best people I’ve known—have very little in common with those who would hijack the faith of Jesus and use it for their personal gratification and empowerment. We should make that clear at every opportunity.
You make a good point, Jon. But I wish Christian leaders would denounce the "Christians" who are spreading hate. Where are their voices?
They are out there but they aren't broadcasting. One of the speakers at the Bans Off our Bodies rally was a Bishop. I didn't catch from what denomination, but it was Christian. I was absolutely floored to hear him speak in favor of Roe vs. Wade. I think the MAGAphone drowns them out, but they are there. I also understand that progressive faith-based groups are working with Humanists to fight for a new kind of ethics, including a more socially just society. This is encouraging and I would really like to hear more about and from them.
There are some, from what I have seen, and the most effective ones are probably within the evangelical movement. But I'm afraid I can't really help with lining up more, being an apostate (and happily so).
I agree, Robert. Where are their voices?
I agree with you totally. I am a Christian, but I cringe when those so callled “Christian Evangelicals” start talking and use the name “Christian. “. They hate anyone who is different. That is not what Christ taught. He welcomed everyone, rich, poor, sinner, slave, men, and women, and people from other countries.
Beautifully put. Agreed.
Yes Jon. Nothing Christian about right wing evangelicals. A new and frightening religion.
Thank you for that, Jon. I refer to the "Christian Right" as the "Christian Wrong," because the kind of hatred and bigotry they espouse is so far from what I was taught growing up as to be from another planet. The grossest insult of all is their sometimes equation of Trump with Jesus.
"If you want to see the real America, it is not on your television screens but in the faces of your friends, neighbors, and complete strangers who have come together to advance the common good."
Imagine, if you can, a quiet world, televisions silenced. When I read a sentence like Mr. Hubbell's here, I try to take a minute to be grateful for whatever good instinct urged me, many years ago, to turn off all television news first and, then, gradually, to just stop turning the thing on altogether. The exception is on the weekends when it is essential to watch every available video about every single construction vehicle, and all its parts and functions. I am encouraged to report that there is a seven-year-old who is prepared to rebuild what is being torn down.
I am aware that I am missing a few good shows, but I don't pine for them. The silence here gives me the leisure to listen to the birds and to think without the noise of someone directing me. Words on the page are not television. Words on the page can encourage me to consider. Television blasts my brain with noise that makes the formulation of a single thought very difficult. It makes the path of least resistance attractive.
I believe strongly that President Biden's first words after Charlottesville were wrong and dangerous. What he said, was, "This is not who we. are." As the sun rises over this country's eastern shore, I say, "Yes, it is". Like every other collection of human beings, we are made up of light and darkness. We ignore or deny the darkness at our own peril.
Right now, as this coherent newsletter makes clear, our hope lies in staring this darkness straight in the face and working for the light anyway. Carl Jung calls it our shadow self and is clear that, if we fail to acknowledge and embrace the darkness, it will--not to put too fine a point on it--bite us in the ass.
And here we are. Voters, Vote!!!
Greetings to all from Norfolk, VA USA
While I agree with everything you stated, I do not agree that President Biden’s statement was wrong. Our country is more good than evil, the Charlottesville rally is not who we are.
You are a kindred spirit! We haven't had a tv for years and I do not miss it at all. Reading, reflecting, and listening are skills we need now more than ever. (Listening to birds is really important.) We need to learn to take a deep breath and step back a moment before we charge ahead. Watching the news is, for me, a surreal experience as they bounce between devastating images of wars, natural disasters, and mass shootings to cheery ads about laxatives or drugs that can cure you if they don't maim and kill you with their side effects first.
Hi, Susan, It wasn't a planned thing for me. I pretty much stopped watching the news back in 2012 or so when the constant Obama-bashing started, but gradually I found I just couldn't tolerate the noise of even worthwhile programming. I'm not one to have background sound. I grew up on over 100 acres of deep woods--an older child of older parents and nobody else on the land. The sounds I grew up with were frogs, crickets, and a running stream. When the lights were turned off you couldn't see your hand. It was not good preparation for life in the big anthill. I am most at home in silence.
I must be tireder than usual. The ONLY child of older parents. I don't think I was much older than other children my age.
Reality is not on TV. In fact, reality TV shows give Reality a bad name.
The Atlantic has run a few good articles about what's going on in the evangelical church, which has been preaching far-right politics from the pulpit. One interesting read: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/06/evangelical-church-pastors-political-radicalization/629631/
Good point. Thanks for the reference, and i have that issue of The Atlantic on my living room coffee table. Time to read it over the weekend!
Actually, I was heartened by this downer of a newsletter. That is because Robert pointed out the illegalities of the PA candidate’s plans. Plus the guy isn’t all that electable. So, between Heather and Robert, we get clear-eyed warnings and information. This is good. Thank you!
Fifty years ago a white man from Utah explained his opposition to abortion to me as such: White people get abortions at a much higher rate than people of color and if abortion is allowed to continue the white race will be overwhelmed. So let us not be ignorant to the fact that the "pro-life' movement has a deep and long lasting stream of white supremacy embedded in it's ranks.
I hear so many Democrats and Never Trumpers complaining about Democratic candidates and language. "He's too far left, she hasn't done anything for me, why do we have to say 'decision' instead of 'choice' now ..." This is what worries me the most — many people still don't seem to understand the threat coming from the right. Conservatives want to dismantle the regulatory state, end abortion, allow unfettered access to guns, suppress the vote and steal elections. If Democrats lose the House, all we'll have is a hellscape of Jim Jordan and investigations into "2020 election fraud!" and "Hunter Biden's laptop!" This will guarantee that people will tune out of politics.
For more insight as to the Right Wingers wanting to dismantle government, please read Dr heather Cox Richardson's piece for 5-18-22 : https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-18-2022?s=r
Thanks! Heather is so smart.
Dems splitting Dems never ends well in elections
If the Republicans take over, I would like to get out of this country! My nerves can’t take another 4 years even worse than when Trump was elected!
This is why I think people will check out.
The MAGA playbook, executed so elegantly by the GOP and Tucker Carlson, is Orwell's 1984. Doublespeak is obvious with their self-protective "replacement" mantra that is meant to disguise their efforts to replace everyone who is not white and Evangelical Christian with white, Evangelical Christians. I hope Ben Crum sue's the pants off of Carlson and Fox/Murdoch.
Robert, thank you for calmly identifying the legal issues, the applicable Penn statutes, their application to the issues, and the concluision: Penn voters cannot be disenfranchised period despite the crack in the Liberty Bell.
Wonderful as always.
The Edsall article was incredibly illuminating! But it has perhaps always been this way? I just finished a novel about the Depression and the movement away from the Dust Bowls into California and the animus toward those immigrants who were white and mostly Christian. The religious wars of history. The taking of our country from the Native Americans (though white Christians were the immigrants then). It seems to me that there is always some way that any given person can feel entitled and believe the "other" in inferior.....that African nation that discriminated on the basis of nose size or shape or something like that. Even here in Hawaii where there is no majority race or religion, it's the tourists that are the lesser class to some -- temporary immigrants, if you will. "Born not flown" is a bumper sticker some use to feel superior to those of us who moved here. As you and other say, most Americans are decent and tolerant. But, also as you say, we must assert ourselves because for sure, the forces of dark will assert themselves. Text, write postcards, run for office, work for campaigns, do random acts of kindness -- we need every shoulder to the wheel to overcome that darkness.
That has always been a mystery to me. Fortunately, there have always been Christians like Martin Luther King, Deitrich Bonhoffer, and many others who stayed true to the social justice message.