I am usually able to absorb the day’s news as an observer with historical perspective. I want to be informed so I read you, Heather, Joyce and Jessica Craven. I’m so thankful for all of you. But today I’m fighting despair because of the voting rights decision, Univision’s takeover, the seemingly never ending coverage of DJT, and the war in Gaza. So... what to do? I know things will be brighter tomorrow with the arrival of my family for the holiday. So I plan to concentrate on each moment, find solace in the laughter in our household and be thankful for my steadfast brilliant friends. And I’m wishing you and your followers a few peaceful reflective days. I also believe that goodness will prevail.
Ugh. Sorry my newsletter had that effect. I should have emphasized that the reason that Gorsuch invited the assault on the Voting Rights Act is because Republicans KNOW it is only a matter of time before they lose power, permanently. They are playing to delay the outcome, not reverse it. Have faith!!
I got that. I believe it’s as you described in your post. Desperate times for Republicans.
Everything about the Republican Party now reminds me of Blazing Saddles. Especially the the tollgate in the middle of the desert! “Has anybody got a dime?”
Thanks Robert, but it wasn't just your newsletter... In fact, your last paragraph gave me hope enough to write my comment! Hope you have a happy weekend.
Especially after we find out today that he has been working nonstop to get a ceace fire in place since Oct. 7. The behind the scenes negotiations he put together are awesome, all while attending international summits around the world. He got the names and IDs of the ones Hamas is going to release.
All the childish criticism, like he should just flip a switch.
He might be the ONLY inspiration these days. OLD? He is just hitting his stride.
This is old news to you by now, but I'm right there with you.
Republicans are terrified of Joe Biden. They’re also terrified of the fact that they are heading off a cliff and will no longer be a viable political party much longer. That is the reason for all their misbehavior and insanity. Happy Thanksgiving.
My college roommate from the early '60s called me yesterday (as we've done for each other since then), and the despair in her voice matched mine about the state of the world which, implausibly but inexorably, seems to be worsening by the day. What hold does fascism and authoritarianism have on so many people that they would give up all their rights and freedoms and support a strongman?
I think half the country doesn't even know it's happening. Propaganda seems to be winning. And the zealots on the other side just don't give up. While ordinary people are just sick and tired of the rancor and tune out. Maybe we can be as relentless as they.
I read an article once that said that folks most susceptible to authoritarian leaders are those who were raised in strict authoritarian homes and churches. "You're a miserable sinner; do what I say and you will be saved." It's not too far a leap from that to "and everyone who won't do this is an enemy and needs to be crushed." They are primed. And perhaps not informed enough to realize how so many of the authoritarian's policies are actually against their own interests. I'm encouraged by the growth of grassroots efforts in this country - based on compassion and empathy and love of fellow citizens. That is stronger than hatred and "we shall overcome....I do believe!" Happy thanksgiving!
(After Russian snipers had killed 100 protestors) “During the winter of 2013-2014, Russian journalists continually asked those on the Maidan who had organized them, what help they got from the Americans. “They simply could not grasp,” one young woman described, “that we ourselves organized ourselves.” Kremlin propaganda, the conviction that American intelligence or some other world-controlling force must be pulling the strings, betrayed not only malicious intent, but also an inability to believe that there could be such a thing as individuals thinking and acting for themselves.
Eight years later, in spring 2022, Russian soldiers who occupied Kherson could not believe that the local people who came out to protest were not controlled by “some mastermind out there.” “They weren’t able to consider the possibility,” a woman from Kherson told journalists, “that people who care about freedom, democracy and self-determination are self-organizing.”
Not only here in the US, but did you watch Rachel Maddow's program last night.?Authoritarian chaos everywhere. Did you see the information about Argentina's new president? "On social issues, he wants to loosen gun laws, abolish abortion - which was legalized in Argentina in 2020 - and allow the sale and purchase of human organs". So skip going there unless you want to end up being a missing person who was shot and robbed of your organs for someone else's profit!! Just too crazy for me.
When I despair, which is often, I turn to American history. It’s a solace to know the struggles of our forebears who faced ostracism, harsh attacks and even death and their cause persevered. The Abolition movement is full of heroes and heroines, the Civil War and Jim Crow. The most difficult thing to accept is how long these struggles can take; I am old and I may not live to see many fruits of our actions. But I live in hope and gratitude which are things to celebrate at Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family and friends. They are what really matters.
Sometimes it is all-just-too-much. We try and listen to the BBC news on the radio while we make dinner here in Wales but sometimes we catch each others eye and know we need to switch to Radio 3 - the classical station. Something that helps me during these times is just to say to myself... “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” 🎼🌈🎶
My entire professional career was as a wordsmith. But when it comes to the issue of voter rights, words fail me. How can a major political party in a country premised on the consent of the governed be so unabashedly opposed to the simple principle of protecting voter rights?
Because the people whose rights you are concerned about do not vote for the Republicans, and since they are a minority party, the only way they can win is to suppress voters who would vote for the majority party. They have no interest in governing, only in controlling.
I agree that every action on the part of Republicans that seems like a draconian attempt to suppress people’s voices and rights is evidence of the dying screams of a party that has destroyed itself. The final blow to the Republican party was allowing a deranged narcissist like Trump to lead them to this precipice. However, we shall prevail; we shall overcome.
I understand at this level they do what they do for the sake of power. It’s the philosophical incoherence that boggles me. We are founded on the core principle of the consent of the governed. We haven’t been perfect at it, but we’ve made strides to include all men, not just white men, and even, gasp, women, in that consent process. But there have always been those who benefit and run for election in this very process who work to undermine it. Somehow they compartmentalize the incongruence.
It boggles the mind, Susan. I finished reading Heather's new book last evening. As she describes it, there have been two threads in American politics from our beginning: those who believe in the Declaration - as Lincoln said 160 years ago this week at Gettysburg "conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" - and those who believe that some men are entitled to more rights than others. We are once again - as we have been throughout our history - "engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." I'm 80 now and this is the same battle we fought when I was in my 20s. And as Bobby Kennedy said then "The future is not a gift. It is an achievement." Let us in our time advance the cause of freedom as those who came before us advanced it in theirs.
If we are honest about our history, we have never NOT been in conflict about who "deserves" to vote and be among those who give consent to how we are governed.
That’s correct. Professor Richardson talks about “mudsill theory” often, a school of thought coined by James Hammond that “there must be, and always has been, a lower class or underclass for the upper classes and the rest of society to rest upon.” Prior to the Civil War, it was primarily, although not solely, confined to the South. Still, the failure of Reconstruction and the propagation of the “Lost Cause” narrative helped it spread throughout the nation. It is what we’re fighting now and often appears ascendant. Proponents of this line of thinking know that true democracy is the antithesis thus they want as few voting as possible.
Read The Hartmann Report (in Substack) today. It's titled "Dear Republicans: We Tried Your Way and It Does Not Work." I think, Susan, that when people have had the wool pulled over their eyes for 50 years, being lied to, they truly are in a period of disconnect. I've been astounded for years how people could not see what's been going on. It's mindboggling that we are at this place. I just hope that enough people become angry enough so that the tide turns towards democracy.
Yet Republicans at every level call Democrats the Communists or Marxists. And that lie fills up social media feeds. People just spout words, I guess, and pay no attention to who is actually sponsoring voting rights legislation and who is voting it down.
Yes, desperation to hold onto power. For the Supreme Court the excuse seems to be the originalists' view of the Constitution where blacks are 3/5's people and women are property of their husbands.
“Originalists” – that word should *always* be rendered in quotes. Those are amateurish linguists who have no interest in historical analysis. Their pronouncements therefore often (usually?) seem disconnected from the real world.
In this evening’s post, Robert observes the following with respect to today’s oral argument addressing the legality of Judge Chutkin’s gag order: “But I am mystified by the deference being afforded Trump. He is an indicted felon awaiting trial. He was granted a pre-trial release that imposed conditions on his conduct pending trial.”
Robert’s point is excellent. Although I’ve not had time to listen to or read a transcript of the argument, I was able to view the TV analysis of some of the brightest legal pundits, yet none of them alluded to Robert’s point, which I believe goes to the heart of the case. The TV scholars all seemed to agree that disposition of the case will turn on balancing free speech rights against the need to assure a fair trial in which witnesses and other participants are not threatened.
This misses Robert’s point. It ignores the fact that Trump is an indicted defendant who is out on bail and who must either abide by the conditions of his pretrial release or, or upon failing to so abide, can be subject to bail revocation and pretrial imprisonment. The real question, then, has nothing to do with Trump’s free speech rights, but rather involves whether speech can be limited as a condition of allowing an indicted defendant to remain free on bail while awaiting trial. If such a defendant doesn’t like or accept the conditions on which he has been allowed to remain free pending trial, he can refuse to abide and spend his time in jail while awaiting trial.
Manny Aruoura, a defense attorney made this point as a guest on Ari Melber. He said people were discussing the wrong issue. It’s not about a gag order but a violation of his bail release.
If it is true that the appeal involves application of a balancing test (as the judges' questions at oral argument suggest), then the first-amendment side of the balance in Trump's case should be determined, not by assessing the first amendment rights of an ordinary citizen who has not been indicted, but rather by the the rights (if any) of a person indicted on felony charges who is free on bail solely at the discretion of the court. It seems the starting position should be that Trump, as a person indicted on felony charges, should be jailed pending trial. He can be allowed to escape jail pending trial if the judge deems him worthy of bail subject to his compliance with the conditions the judge imposes as a condition to remaining free. If there is no compliance, the defendant is returned to custody, which was the starting point.
I don’t think it’s far-fetched to suggest that these judges who are making decisions about Trump’s rights while out on bail are acting as if they are afraid of Trump, his violent rhetoric, and how it may threaten them. Since they are human beings, I can understand this; but their job is to enforce the law and prevent witnesses, prosecutors, and others involved in these trials from being harassed. They need to reign him in, once and for all, or incarcerate him if he can’t control himself.
I read with interest (always) Robert’s and Joyce’s pieces this morning. I’m not a lawyer but a ‘recovering’ Ob/Gyn, nor do I play one on TV. I’m struck by how different their positions were in their discussions of tRump’s appeal of Judge Chutkan’s order, especially given Joyce’s long history of lawyering in the appellate division. Perhaps both positions can be true?
I agree with your comment but the judiciary never dealt with a former President or a person like Trump proving that it was not a with hunt or politic as usual. We need to take away the excuses.
Your columns, Robert, are written with in-depth knowledge and facts. I really couldn’t ask for anything more. Like you, I was angered at the 8th court for their extreme partisan views about VRA. Of course, ACLU, NAACP, and others will appeal this. The DC 3 panel set of judges spent 2.5 hours with Trump’s lawyers and the Government’s prosecutors, asking questions. Figure that the gag Chutkin handed will be reinstated but “more narrow”. What the heck does that mean? Trump still gets to walk all over everybody? Like Michael Steele said today, why is this man not in jail? It’s like the boy who cried wolf, to me. Can just some-body instruct Trump to take his finger out of the dyke so he can be swept away into oblivion?
Hi Pamsy, do you know where I can find a video of Michael Steele‘s comments? I don’t have a TV, but if you can tell me which program he was speaking on, I can look it up.
In light of the Federal decision today on Voting Rights it is more important than ever for Biden to expand the Supreme Court. Besides protecting voting rights it will help keep the progressives on his side
My sad response is that not one person who comes to sit at my table will even nod to current events. They do not pay attention to voting rights, women’s right, abortion rights, how things in our gov work, what is at stake, wealthy corporations abuses, how keeping Europe whole will keep us whole… nothing. They are successful and their combined successes result from everything that Democrats have built over the last 50 years – their entitlement to the system that sustains them is mind numbing to me. The ignorance to that which holds our country together is sickening. There are two little girls- Think about that, it’s sickening. I am so unhappy to host yet another gathering where family sits there scarfing down food and drink while the world swirls around them. It’ not even apathy, it’s a horrific selfish, self centric, emptiness. A constant desire for more of this and more of that. GAWD!
I’m sorry. I’ll stop now. I’m being a Debbie Downer. In my small defense I’m just depressed at how many card carrying members of the United States of America are like this.
Better that you express those thoughts here, among friends. Your feelings are understandable. I wish you an uneventful holiday celebration. Focus on the two little girls. They represent promise. There is hope in that.
Yes, Robert, Glad to have a group where I can share my thoughts, still I probably shouldn’t put this sort of thing in writing. That was a bit of a goof! Thank you for your kindness.
Karen, I have been through this many times over when my father was still alive, a diehard Republican and Trump voter. I have actually chosen to spend Thanksgiving alone to avoid exactly what you are talking about here. I am going to help serve meals at a church or homeless shelter. It’s time well spent; and there will be no political discussions, just grateful people getting some food they desperately need.
What is bizarre is that they aren’t trump supporters… they just don’t care. I’m so tickled that you are going to serve meals for Thanksgiving. Please share your experience!
I hope that regardless of what transpires, you have a very good day. I also have friends who live their lives in a state of oblivion, not aware of how lucky we are compared to others around the world, who are living with constant food insecurity and without their basic needs met.
To my earlier point, they know nothing but reap all the benefits. Media isn't helping by providing information about all Biden and his team have done............
I had a silly thought - maybe do a Thanksgiving with less bounty or less desirable foods (think crow instead of turkey).
Seriously though, my wife has everyone at the table say what they're thankful for. Perhaps your contribution could be a way to express what they're overlooking.
This year, my wife and I are bringing Thanksgiving to our two young grandsons in Japan. Our son hasn't had Thanksgiving with us for at least 15 years, so it's a chance for him to enjoy it as well, and share the experience with his Japanese wife.
The only problem is that we'll have to make a chicken look like a turkey!
Funny you should say more crow, less turkey, problem is our crows are a goofy bunch and I like them more than the crowd that sit at my table! Thank you for suggesting that I use lemons to make lemonade: I will be proactive! Rather than resigning my self to the absurdity of it all, I will offer a new tradition to our Tday and I will make it appealing- we will each offer our thoughts on what we are thankful for. My contribution will gently touch on a couple big items. I’ll start with Janet (Co-West Slope)’s words:
“… how lucky we are compared to others around the world, who are living with constant food insecurity and without their basic needs met”.
I don’t expect miracles but as Robert Hubbell always says we have every reason to be hopeful but we can’t afford to be complacent.
Oh! So exciting you and your wife are traveling to Japan to see your kids! Wow, just WOW! Have a wonderful time.
You may well be on the plane this morning- it’s quite a trek! My hubs just got home from South Korea and Taipei he/we have made that trek many times. Please wear a mask in the airport, and on the shuttle around the airport - DO IT. Everyone I know gets COVID when they travel through the airport without a mask, EVERY single one. Once the plane is in the air the system is quite effective at keeping you safe (this is not Karen on high horse- just be safe, you’ll have a better time with the kiddos if you feel well)!
Janet's words are good ones. Let me know how it goes!
We actually arrived last Thursday, and celebrated our 45th anniversary here Saturday. We have another son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter about an hour away from us at home, but we see them often. We figured this year we'd spend with our firstborn and his family. I probably should have worn a mask in the airport and shuttles, but didn't. My wife and I are well-vaccinated so I hope we're protected.
Excellent advice about the holiday gatherings. Life is short. Political debates are fine with your partner that you see everyday. My Dad, unfortunately, has views that are the antithesis to what is empathy, and doesn't choose to see the inequities and suffering. I avoid any discourse as I don't know how many more conversations I can have with him, or, him with me. I am preparing to write farewell letters to my children as my disease has progressed. Eat the turkey and pie, and talk about your favorite movie or the weather. It may be your last conversation. Leave it with love.
Mr. Hubbell, your words, and your ability to make sense out of a chaotic world, soothe me. Thank you for your work, and for being a part of this community. It is a candle in the window on a dark night. Enjoy your family.
It is a little known autoimmune disease that is ravaging my body. The life expectancy is fifty years, and I am fifty nine. I am having my thirty seventh major surgery soon, and want to be prepared for not making it. I outlived my Mum, and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you for your kind words. Time is a precious commodity.
"...Social worker, probation officer, crisis counselor..." — your life has been about service to others. That is meaningful, worthwhile, suggests integrity and an enlightened understanding about the human condition. And you've beat the odds (another poll that was wrong) and had another decade (so far) with family & loved ones. You've made a difference, influenced the world around you in a better direction, and you're still working at it. There is much to be content with in your story; I'll bet your children know it. None of us can fix all the problems in the world alone, but together we can, we are and we will continue a process that began long before you & I existed and will continue long after we are gone. Thank you for all you have given the world; I hope your seventh surgery will be successful and that you'll have many more good hours on this earth. But whatever happens, you've made the world you entered a better place.
Thank you so much. Being sick, I have felt so useless. Your words have touched my heart when it really needed it. May you have a wonderful season, whatever you do or don't celebrate. My daughter's wedding is happening just over a week from now. I will raise a glass to you. Slainte.
I have to agree with everything that Tom wrote. Yours has been a life of service; you own that. You’ve probably helped more people than you even realize. May your thanksgiving be about the gratitude that others feel toward your service. 💜
Susan, you have suffered and been through so much, and you are very brave. Thank you for sharing yourself in this way. To me, one of the best things you can do for someone is to really see and hear them. Thank you for sharing yourself in this way. I hope you feel “seen” and “heard” in some way here. I will be rooting for you over Thanksgiving and with your next surgery.
Thinking of you, Susan, with your daughter's wedding any day (if not already) and as your next surgery nears. And I am still so moved by the outpouring of support you received from this community, as you well deserve. How lovely. May this be a source of courage and strength for you during these days. This, along with your Ken, your rock. Blessed are you. Truly.
If the last 40 years of Fox News, Breitbart, Sinclair, Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, NewsMax, "X" formerly known as Twitter, et al have taught us anything ... it's that Free Speech will be the death of us unless we manage to redefine it to separate facts from fiction!
It's all easily traced back to the decision to abolitsh the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 that allowed for the rise of hyperpartisan news sources and thus alternate realities.
If you are not familar with what passes for "the obvious truth that everyone is on board with" in that Right Wing Media Ecosystem, you can watch this short clip. It features Piers Morgan, who, whatever you might think of him, is a tough interviewer, trying to get MTG to square her current support of Israel with her comments about Jewish Space Lasers. While she refuses to engage (her tenacity in changing the subject will make her PR agent proud) she ticks off a list of Right Wing "Truths" that are particularly eye-opening. This is what the other side believes the way we believe it is cold in New England in the winter.
Rosalynn Carter once said "There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers." Let’s all practice self care this holiday season to fortify ourselves for whatever comes next.
What makes defending our democracy so exhausting is the whack-a-mole nature of the attacks. One Supreme Court Justice of six can wake up one morning and take us for an E-ticket ride that requires a huge effort to tax our already stretched human resources.
Reading about Gorsuch's newest bright idea made the future blowback pass before my eyes! We're still dealing with Dobbs, and here we go!
Thank God for a day of Thanksgiving! A day of rest and gratitude, renewal.
"Whack-a-mole" and "E-ticket." Love the references. For those who believe an "E-ticket" refers to an electronic ticket on your smart phone, it is (or was) a reference to a paper ticket that you purchased at Disneyland when you needed paper tickets to get on a ride. An "E" ticket got you on the Matterhorn, the Submarine, and the Monorail.
A trip down memory lane! This morning I was trying to remember the various rides, including A, B, C, D, and E. I think A got you into the General Electric exhibit that showed you the electric appliances of the future., which are probably all in an antique store now. It also, I think, got you into the Abraham Lincoln "talking" exhibit, the Grand Canyon diorama, and the Trolley ride down Main Street. My friends and I visited Disneyland soon after it opened, and I loved the Peter Pan ride, the Merry-go-Round, the General Store on Main Street (and listening to the people on the phones), the glass menagerie (where you could watch the glass blowers), the Magic Shop. Yes, those were the days, my friend!
See the above exchange with Robert. I think an E-Ticket to ride is definitely part of it. When Disneyland first opened, every ride was classified according to A-E, and you needed an E-Ticket to ride an E-Ticket ride. I can still feel, hear and smell the rides, the dark surprises on the Wild Toad ride, the feeling on the Matterhorn when the water splashed on us, the flying through the air on the Peter Pan ride, and Tinker Bell fluttering about. When Disneyland first opened, it was the essence of magical for us in the mid-1950's. :-)
This is my first comment…perhaps sadly so. I am very grateful for your newsletter - VERY grateful. Thank you for your time, your courage, for sharing your knowledge, and your wisdom. Your closing thoughts on holiday dinners and the relational context are so true. Thank you for voicing such thoughtfulness.
Loved the photo of the Carters, it perfectly represents them. I also appreciate your advice in Concluding Thoughts. Well done. I hope everyone in this community has a peaceful holiday.
Besides the Carter's, I enjoyed seeing Lynell doing her job as scribe. I always look for her comments, and I always learn something from what she says. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving, Robert, Lynell, and fellow readers.
Nov 21, 2023·edited Nov 21, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Re Rosalyn Carter; someone wrote this am (I can’t find where I read it now) that when President Carter was asked whether he was more excited over becoming President or winning the Noble Peace Prize, he said he was most excited when Rosalyn said she would marry him. That was so lovely.
(And reminds me of my father who always said marrying my mother was the best thing that ever happened in his life. Every speech he gave he mentioned how lucky he has been.) Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you Robert for this newsletter, thank you to all the community that writes & comments here. Bless you all.
Thank you for the straightforward advice regarding potentially inflammatory remarks made during the holiday. I will draft the reply in my mind and then delete. If necessary, I might go into the bathroom, write it down and rip it up. Or I could talk to myself in the mirror. I sure hope a certain someone does not drive me to that. It's very hard to keep from calling traitors out for who they are and what they represent.
Robert and Jill, you are definitely on my list of things I am grateful for. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!
Echoing Robert's advice about disengaging. Years ago I took a course in "Positive Power and Influence" - this was one of those management consultant trainings for corporations. It was good. I was shocked that one of six strategies was disengaging. As a method they taught four actions: (I went to the loosefleaf notebook to find them) Postpone, Process, Change the Subject, and Take a Break. We're in a scary world. Love your loved ones. No one can be loved too much. (Virginia Satire)
I am so grateful to you for all you write, and share. All I can think of is “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding” ? I wish you and your family a beautiful Holiday.
I am usually able to absorb the day’s news as an observer with historical perspective. I want to be informed so I read you, Heather, Joyce and Jessica Craven. I’m so thankful for all of you. But today I’m fighting despair because of the voting rights decision, Univision’s takeover, the seemingly never ending coverage of DJT, and the war in Gaza. So... what to do? I know things will be brighter tomorrow with the arrival of my family for the holiday. So I plan to concentrate on each moment, find solace in the laughter in our household and be thankful for my steadfast brilliant friends. And I’m wishing you and your followers a few peaceful reflective days. I also believe that goodness will prevail.
Ugh. Sorry my newsletter had that effect. I should have emphasized that the reason that Gorsuch invited the assault on the Voting Rights Act is because Republicans KNOW it is only a matter of time before they lose power, permanently. They are playing to delay the outcome, not reverse it. Have faith!!
I got that. I believe it’s as you described in your post. Desperate times for Republicans.
Everything about the Republican Party now reminds me of Blazing Saddles. Especially the the tollgate in the middle of the desert! “Has anybody got a dime?”
The flatulance was was pretty topnotch too, intelectually.
Thanks Robert, but it wasn't just your newsletter... In fact, your last paragraph gave me hope enough to write my comment! Hope you have a happy weekend.
Yes. And action. Enjoy a fine repast wih friends and family, then BACK AT IT!
It wasn't you, Robert. None of us can get any of that out of our minds.
That is why we read you. You lay it down clearly, well sorted.
If someone at Thursday’s meal asks me what I am thankful for, I will reply, “the off switch on my tv/radio/phone”.
Sometimes we just have to take a pause, breathe, regroup, and live to fight another day.
If they ask me, I’ll say, “Joe Biden!”
I will say the same. He’s one of my greatest inspirations these days. He’s like a headlamp in a dark tunnel.
Especially after we find out today that he has been working nonstop to get a ceace fire in place since Oct. 7. The behind the scenes negotiations he put together are awesome, all while attending international summits around the world. He got the names and IDs of the ones Hamas is going to release.
All the childish criticism, like he should just flip a switch.
He might be the ONLY inspiration these days. OLD? He is just hitting his stride.
This is old news to you by now, but I'm right there with you.
Republicans are terrified of Joe Biden. They’re also terrified of the fact that they are heading off a cliff and will no longer be a viable political party much longer. That is the reason for all their misbehavior and insanity. Happy Thanksgiving.
Have a very happy one yourself. Let's set up the cameras after the hollidays to watch them go SPLAT!
I'll say the same! I think he's the best president since FDR... accomplishing more in two years than any other person in the office.
Have you noticed that the best presidents of the past 30 years have the same initials? Joe Biden and Jed Bartlet.
I am ❤️ing this thousands of times! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Firmly.
My college roommate from the early '60s called me yesterday (as we've done for each other since then), and the despair in her voice matched mine about the state of the world which, implausibly but inexorably, seems to be worsening by the day. What hold does fascism and authoritarianism have on so many people that they would give up all their rights and freedoms and support a strongman?
I think half the country doesn't even know it's happening. Propaganda seems to be winning. And the zealots on the other side just don't give up. While ordinary people are just sick and tired of the rancor and tune out. Maybe we can be as relentless as they.
“… ordinary people are just sick and tired of the rancor and tune out.” — That’s what right-wingers want to happen.
Yep. Which is why we have to keep after MSM to do a better job of informing the public.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/09/trump-president-democracy-threat-media-journalism
I read an article once that said that folks most susceptible to authoritarian leaders are those who were raised in strict authoritarian homes and churches. "You're a miserable sinner; do what I say and you will be saved." It's not too far a leap from that to "and everyone who won't do this is an enemy and needs to be crushed." They are primed. And perhaps not informed enough to realize how so many of the authoritarian's policies are actually against their own interests. I'm encouraged by the growth of grassroots efforts in this country - based on compassion and empathy and love of fellow citizens. That is stronger than hatred and "we shall overcome....I do believe!" Happy thanksgiving!
Quoted by Timothy Snyder from Marci Shore
(After Russian snipers had killed 100 protestors) “During the winter of 2013-2014, Russian journalists continually asked those on the Maidan who had organized them, what help they got from the Americans. “They simply could not grasp,” one young woman described, “that we ourselves organized ourselves.” Kremlin propaganda, the conviction that American intelligence or some other world-controlling force must be pulling the strings, betrayed not only malicious intent, but also an inability to believe that there could be such a thing as individuals thinking and acting for themselves.
Eight years later, in spring 2022, Russian soldiers who occupied Kherson could not believe that the local people who came out to protest were not controlled by “some mastermind out there.” “They weren’t able to consider the possibility,” a woman from Kherson told journalists, “that people who care about freedom, democracy and self-determination are self-organizing.”
https://open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p/ukraines-maidan-revolution?
Not only here in the US, but did you watch Rachel Maddow's program last night.?Authoritarian chaos everywhere. Did you see the information about Argentina's new president? "On social issues, he wants to loosen gun laws, abolish abortion - which was legalized in Argentina in 2020 - and allow the sale and purchase of human organs". So skip going there unless you want to end up being a missing person who was shot and robbed of your organs for someone else's profit!! Just too crazy for me.
Certainly not even worthy of a good tango?
You've expressed my feelings well. Have a peaceful holiday.
When I despair, which is often, I turn to American history. It’s a solace to know the struggles of our forebears who faced ostracism, harsh attacks and even death and their cause persevered. The Abolition movement is full of heroes and heroines, the Civil War and Jim Crow. The most difficult thing to accept is how long these struggles can take; I am old and I may not live to see many fruits of our actions. But I live in hope and gratitude which are things to celebrate at Thanksgiving. Enjoy your family and friends. They are what really matters.
Sometimes it is all-just-too-much. We try and listen to the BBC news on the radio while we make dinner here in Wales but sometimes we catch each others eye and know we need to switch to Radio 3 - the classical station. Something that helps me during these times is just to say to myself... “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.” 🎼🌈🎶
Thanks Robin! Love that quote. I'm adopting it. ❤️
My entire professional career was as a wordsmith. But when it comes to the issue of voter rights, words fail me. How can a major political party in a country premised on the consent of the governed be so unabashedly opposed to the simple principle of protecting voter rights?
Because the people whose rights you are concerned about do not vote for the Republicans, and since they are a minority party, the only way they can win is to suppress voters who would vote for the majority party. They have no interest in governing, only in controlling.
I agree that every action on the part of Republicans that seems like a draconian attempt to suppress people’s voices and rights is evidence of the dying screams of a party that has destroyed itself. The final blow to the Republican party was allowing a deranged narcissist like Trump to lead them to this precipice. However, we shall prevail; we shall overcome.
I understand at this level they do what they do for the sake of power. It’s the philosophical incoherence that boggles me. We are founded on the core principle of the consent of the governed. We haven’t been perfect at it, but we’ve made strides to include all men, not just white men, and even, gasp, women, in that consent process. But there have always been those who benefit and run for election in this very process who work to undermine it. Somehow they compartmentalize the incongruence.
Perhaps the “conservatives” simply *ignore* the incongruence. It’s just something that would get in the way of getting their desires.
And perhaps it's an occupational hazard for me as a writer and editor that I want to make things cohere.
That's it exactly, attempting to control the outcome no matter what.
It boggles the mind, Susan. I finished reading Heather's new book last evening. As she describes it, there have been two threads in American politics from our beginning: those who believe in the Declaration - as Lincoln said 160 years ago this week at Gettysburg "conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal" - and those who believe that some men are entitled to more rights than others. We are once again - as we have been throughout our history - "engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." I'm 80 now and this is the same battle we fought when I was in my 20s. And as Bobby Kennedy said then "The future is not a gift. It is an achievement." Let us in our time advance the cause of freedom as those who came before us advanced it in theirs.
If we are honest about our history, we have never NOT been in conflict about who "deserves" to vote and be among those who give consent to how we are governed.
That’s correct. Professor Richardson talks about “mudsill theory” often, a school of thought coined by James Hammond that “there must be, and always has been, a lower class or underclass for the upper classes and the rest of society to rest upon.” Prior to the Civil War, it was primarily, although not solely, confined to the South. Still, the failure of Reconstruction and the propagation of the “Lost Cause” narrative helped it spread throughout the nation. It is what we’re fighting now and often appears ascendant. Proponents of this line of thinking know that true democracy is the antithesis thus they want as few voting as possible.
I'm a big fan of HRC. Her new book is terrific. Previously I had read How the South Won the Civil War. Every sentence was seminal.
Agreed. I've read all of her books. “To Make Men Free: A History of the Republican Party” is also essential.
Read The Hartmann Report (in Substack) today. It's titled "Dear Republicans: We Tried Your Way and It Does Not Work." I think, Susan, that when people have had the wool pulled over their eyes for 50 years, being lied to, they truly are in a period of disconnect. I've been astounded for years how people could not see what's been going on. It's mindboggling that we are at this place. I just hope that enough people become angry enough so that the tide turns towards democracy.
Yet Republicans at every level call Democrats the Communists or Marxists. And that lie fills up social media feeds. People just spout words, I guess, and pay no attention to who is actually sponsoring voting rights legislation and who is voting it down.
sad, but true. I'm amazed at how many younger people have no idea...........
Yes, desperation to hold onto power. For the Supreme Court the excuse seems to be the originalists' view of the Constitution where blacks are 3/5's people and women are property of their husbands.
“Originalists” – that word should *always* be rendered in quotes. Those are amateurish linguists who have no interest in historical analysis. Their pronouncements therefore often (usually?) seem disconnected from the real world.
Here's how the Constitution Center defines originalism and how Justice Thomas is the most unwavering "originalist". I do see quotes used there. https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/justice-thomas-originalism-and-the-first-amendment Enjoy!
and they are disconnected, indeed.
Desperation.
In this evening’s post, Robert observes the following with respect to today’s oral argument addressing the legality of Judge Chutkin’s gag order: “But I am mystified by the deference being afforded Trump. He is an indicted felon awaiting trial. He was granted a pre-trial release that imposed conditions on his conduct pending trial.”
Robert’s point is excellent. Although I’ve not had time to listen to or read a transcript of the argument, I was able to view the TV analysis of some of the brightest legal pundits, yet none of them alluded to Robert’s point, which I believe goes to the heart of the case. The TV scholars all seemed to agree that disposition of the case will turn on balancing free speech rights against the need to assure a fair trial in which witnesses and other participants are not threatened.
This misses Robert’s point. It ignores the fact that Trump is an indicted defendant who is out on bail and who must either abide by the conditions of his pretrial release or, or upon failing to so abide, can be subject to bail revocation and pretrial imprisonment. The real question, then, has nothing to do with Trump’s free speech rights, but rather involves whether speech can be limited as a condition of allowing an indicted defendant to remain free on bail while awaiting trial. If such a defendant doesn’t like or accept the conditions on which he has been allowed to remain free pending trial, he can refuse to abide and spend his time in jail while awaiting trial.
Manny Aruoura, a defense attorney made this point as a guest on Ari Melber. He said people were discussing the wrong issue. It’s not about a gag order but a violation of his bail release.
If it is true that the appeal involves application of a balancing test (as the judges' questions at oral argument suggest), then the first-amendment side of the balance in Trump's case should be determined, not by assessing the first amendment rights of an ordinary citizen who has not been indicted, but rather by the the rights (if any) of a person indicted on felony charges who is free on bail solely at the discretion of the court. It seems the starting position should be that Trump, as a person indicted on felony charges, should be jailed pending trial. He can be allowed to escape jail pending trial if the judge deems him worthy of bail subject to his compliance with the conditions the judge imposes as a condition to remaining free. If there is no compliance, the defendant is returned to custody, which was the starting point.
We didn't watch Ari Melber last night! I was watching the Chief's game!
Oh, no !! :) how dare you take the night off LOL
Good for you. I recorded the game which I enjoyed watching
I don’t think it’s far-fetched to suggest that these judges who are making decisions about Trump’s rights while out on bail are acting as if they are afraid of Trump, his violent rhetoric, and how it may threaten them. Since they are human beings, I can understand this; but their job is to enforce the law and prevent witnesses, prosecutors, and others involved in these trials from being harassed. They need to reign him in, once and for all, or incarcerate him if he can’t control himself.
I read with interest (always) Robert’s and Joyce’s pieces this morning. I’m not a lawyer but a ‘recovering’ Ob/Gyn, nor do I play one on TV. I’m struck by how different their positions were in their discussions of tRump’s appeal of Judge Chutkan’s order, especially given Joyce’s long history of lawyering in the appellate division. Perhaps both positions can be true?
I agree with your comment but the judiciary never dealt with a former President or a person like Trump proving that it was not a with hunt or politic as usual. We need to take away the excuses.
Your columns, Robert, are written with in-depth knowledge and facts. I really couldn’t ask for anything more. Like you, I was angered at the 8th court for their extreme partisan views about VRA. Of course, ACLU, NAACP, and others will appeal this. The DC 3 panel set of judges spent 2.5 hours with Trump’s lawyers and the Government’s prosecutors, asking questions. Figure that the gag Chutkin handed will be reinstated but “more narrow”. What the heck does that mean? Trump still gets to walk all over everybody? Like Michael Steele said today, why is this man not in jail? It’s like the boy who cried wolf, to me. Can just some-body instruct Trump to take his finger out of the dyke so he can be swept away into oblivion?
Michael Steele expressed our outrage perfectly last night.
Hi Pamsy, do you know where I can find a video of Michael Steele‘s comments? I don’t have a TV, but if you can tell me which program he was speaking on, I can look it up.
Either take his finger out of the dyke, or cut if off already. He needs to go away, and soon!
AMEN!
In light of the Federal decision today on Voting Rights it is more important than ever for Biden to expand the Supreme Court. Besides protecting voting rights it will help keep the progressives on his side
Agree 100%!
I second this, about 30 times. 😊
My sad response is that not one person who comes to sit at my table will even nod to current events. They do not pay attention to voting rights, women’s right, abortion rights, how things in our gov work, what is at stake, wealthy corporations abuses, how keeping Europe whole will keep us whole… nothing. They are successful and their combined successes result from everything that Democrats have built over the last 50 years – their entitlement to the system that sustains them is mind numbing to me. The ignorance to that which holds our country together is sickening. There are two little girls- Think about that, it’s sickening. I am so unhappy to host yet another gathering where family sits there scarfing down food and drink while the world swirls around them. It’ not even apathy, it’s a horrific selfish, self centric, emptiness. A constant desire for more of this and more of that. GAWD!
I’m sorry. I’ll stop now. I’m being a Debbie Downer. In my small defense I’m just depressed at how many card carrying members of the United States of America are like this.
Better that you express those thoughts here, among friends. Your feelings are understandable. I wish you an uneventful holiday celebration. Focus on the two little girls. They represent promise. There is hope in that.
Yes, Robert, Glad to have a group where I can share my thoughts, still I probably shouldn’t put this sort of thing in writing. That was a bit of a goof! Thank you for your kindness.
We're not going to post these comments elsewhere, so you are safe in this group :)
Karen, I have been through this many times over when my father was still alive, a diehard Republican and Trump voter. I have actually chosen to spend Thanksgiving alone to avoid exactly what you are talking about here. I am going to help serve meals at a church or homeless shelter. It’s time well spent; and there will be no political discussions, just grateful people getting some food they desperately need.
What is bizarre is that they aren’t trump supporters… they just don’t care. I’m so tickled that you are going to serve meals for Thanksgiving. Please share your experience!
I hope that regardless of what transpires, you have a very good day. I also have friends who live their lives in a state of oblivion, not aware of how lucky we are compared to others around the world, who are living with constant food insecurity and without their basic needs met.
Janet, you’ve accurately expressed what *Thanks*giving should be about.
Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving.
Right there with you.
But not all and not enough to win an election if everyone votes.
To my earlier point, they know nothing but reap all the benefits. Media isn't helping by providing information about all Biden and his team have done............
I had a silly thought - maybe do a Thanksgiving with less bounty or less desirable foods (think crow instead of turkey).
Seriously though, my wife has everyone at the table say what they're thankful for. Perhaps your contribution could be a way to express what they're overlooking.
This year, my wife and I are bringing Thanksgiving to our two young grandsons in Japan. Our son hasn't had Thanksgiving with us for at least 15 years, so it's a chance for him to enjoy it as well, and share the experience with his Japanese wife.
The only problem is that we'll have to make a chicken look like a turkey!
Funny you should say more crow, less turkey, problem is our crows are a goofy bunch and I like them more than the crowd that sit at my table! Thank you for suggesting that I use lemons to make lemonade: I will be proactive! Rather than resigning my self to the absurdity of it all, I will offer a new tradition to our Tday and I will make it appealing- we will each offer our thoughts on what we are thankful for. My contribution will gently touch on a couple big items. I’ll start with Janet (Co-West Slope)’s words:
“… how lucky we are compared to others around the world, who are living with constant food insecurity and without their basic needs met”.
I don’t expect miracles but as Robert Hubbell always says we have every reason to be hopeful but we can’t afford to be complacent.
Oh! So exciting you and your wife are traveling to Japan to see your kids! Wow, just WOW! Have a wonderful time.
You may well be on the plane this morning- it’s quite a trek! My hubs just got home from South Korea and Taipei he/we have made that trek many times. Please wear a mask in the airport, and on the shuttle around the airport - DO IT. Everyone I know gets COVID when they travel through the airport without a mask, EVERY single one. Once the plane is in the air the system is quite effective at keeping you safe (this is not Karen on high horse- just be safe, you’ll have a better time with the kiddos if you feel well)!
Hi Karen,
Janet's words are good ones. Let me know how it goes!
We actually arrived last Thursday, and celebrated our 45th anniversary here Saturday. We have another son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter about an hour away from us at home, but we see them often. We figured this year we'd spend with our firstborn and his family. I probably should have worn a mask in the airport and shuttles, but didn't. My wife and I are well-vaccinated so I hope we're protected.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Good Times! Thanks for sharing your story!
Love your advice for the holidays. Thank you. Wishing you all a peaceful Thanksgiving filled with sincere gratitude
Excellent advice about the holiday gatherings. Life is short. Political debates are fine with your partner that you see everyday. My Dad, unfortunately, has views that are the antithesis to what is empathy, and doesn't choose to see the inequities and suffering. I avoid any discourse as I don't know how many more conversations I can have with him, or, him with me. I am preparing to write farewell letters to my children as my disease has progressed. Eat the turkey and pie, and talk about your favorite movie or the weather. It may be your last conversation. Leave it with love.
I wish you peace and consolation during your time with your family.
Mr. Hubbell, your words, and your ability to make sense out of a chaotic world, soothe me. Thank you for your work, and for being a part of this community. It is a candle in the window on a dark night. Enjoy your family.
Susan, I don’t know about your condition, but I want to say I am sorry to read about it and that I care. What you write is poignant.
It is a little known autoimmune disease that is ravaging my body. The life expectancy is fifty years, and I am fifty nine. I am having my thirty seventh major surgery soon, and want to be prepared for not making it. I outlived my Mum, and for that I am eternally grateful. Thank you for your kind words. Time is a precious commodity.
"...Social worker, probation officer, crisis counselor..." — your life has been about service to others. That is meaningful, worthwhile, suggests integrity and an enlightened understanding about the human condition. And you've beat the odds (another poll that was wrong) and had another decade (so far) with family & loved ones. You've made a difference, influenced the world around you in a better direction, and you're still working at it. There is much to be content with in your story; I'll bet your children know it. None of us can fix all the problems in the world alone, but together we can, we are and we will continue a process that began long before you & I existed and will continue long after we are gone. Thank you for all you have given the world; I hope your seventh surgery will be successful and that you'll have many more good hours on this earth. But whatever happens, you've made the world you entered a better place.
I love this community.
I feel confident in speaking for us in this: "We love you right back!"
Wishing you abundant peace. Always.
Abundant peace and continued, long life at “beating the odds”.
Back at ya.❤️
Thank you so much. Being sick, I have felt so useless. Your words have touched my heart when it really needed it. May you have a wonderful season, whatever you do or don't celebrate. My daughter's wedding is happening just over a week from now. I will raise a glass to you. Slainte.
I have to agree with everything that Tom wrote. Yours has been a life of service; you own that. You’ve probably helped more people than you even realize. May your thanksgiving be about the gratitude that others feel toward your service. 💜
Thank you.
sláinte agatsa!
Yes. Beautifully expressed, Tom.
Susan, you have suffered and been through so much, and you are very brave. Thank you for sharing yourself in this way. To me, one of the best things you can do for someone is to really see and hear them. Thank you for sharing yourself in this way. I hope you feel “seen” and “heard” in some way here. I will be rooting for you over Thanksgiving and with your next surgery.
Thank you. I couldn't have done it without my Ken. He is my rock.
Thinking of you, Susan, with your daughter's wedding any day (if not already) and as your next surgery nears. And I am still so moved by the outpouring of support you received from this community, as you well deserve. How lovely. May this be a source of courage and strength for you during these days. This, along with your Ken, your rock. Blessed are you. Truly.
Thank you so much. The wedding is this Saturday...yikes! I love this community. ❤️
Sending you love and a hug.You are so right….every day is a gift.
If the last 40 years of Fox News, Breitbart, Sinclair, Rush Limbaugh, Alex Jones, NewsMax, "X" formerly known as Twitter, et al have taught us anything ... it's that Free Speech will be the death of us unless we manage to redefine it to separate facts from fiction!
Republicans on care about the first and second Amendments when it’s convenient to them not when it is applied correctly.
It's all easily traced back to the decision to abolitsh the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 that allowed for the rise of hyperpartisan news sources and thus alternate realities.
If you are not familar with what passes for "the obvious truth that everyone is on board with" in that Right Wing Media Ecosystem, you can watch this short clip. It features Piers Morgan, who, whatever you might think of him, is a tough interviewer, trying to get MTG to square her current support of Israel with her comments about Jewish Space Lasers. While she refuses to engage (her tenacity in changing the subject will make her PR agent proud) she ticks off a list of Right Wing "Truths" that are particularly eye-opening. This is what the other side believes the way we believe it is cold in New England in the winter.
https://twitter.com/totalrondom/status/1724575599291703426
This woman’s brain is completely fried. And with the constituents she represents, there’s little hope of getting her out of Congress. Ugh!!
Rosalynn Carter once said "There are only four kinds of people in the world: those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, and those who will need caregivers." Let’s all practice self care this holiday season to fortify ourselves for whatever comes next.
What makes defending our democracy so exhausting is the whack-a-mole nature of the attacks. One Supreme Court Justice of six can wake up one morning and take us for an E-ticket ride that requires a huge effort to tax our already stretched human resources.
Reading about Gorsuch's newest bright idea made the future blowback pass before my eyes! We're still dealing with Dobbs, and here we go!
Thank God for a day of Thanksgiving! A day of rest and gratitude, renewal.
"Whack-a-mole" and "E-ticket." Love the references. For those who believe an "E-ticket" refers to an electronic ticket on your smart phone, it is (or was) a reference to a paper ticket that you purchased at Disneyland when you needed paper tickets to get on a ride. An "E" ticket got you on the Matterhorn, the Submarine, and the Monorail.
A trip down memory lane! This morning I was trying to remember the various rides, including A, B, C, D, and E. I think A got you into the General Electric exhibit that showed you the electric appliances of the future., which are probably all in an antique store now. It also, I think, got you into the Abraham Lincoln "talking" exhibit, the Grand Canyon diorama, and the Trolley ride down Main Street. My friends and I visited Disneyland soon after it opened, and I loved the Peter Pan ride, the Merry-go-Round, the General Store on Main Street (and listening to the people on the phones), the glass menagerie (where you could watch the glass blowers), the Magic Shop. Yes, those were the days, my friend!
Well spoken. Haha E-ticket ride, right!?
Remember those? I do!
Is that like an E-Ticket to Ride?🎶
See the above exchange with Robert. I think an E-Ticket to ride is definitely part of it. When Disneyland first opened, every ride was classified according to A-E, and you needed an E-Ticket to ride an E-Ticket ride. I can still feel, hear and smell the rides, the dark surprises on the Wild Toad ride, the feeling on the Matterhorn when the water splashed on us, the flying through the air on the Peter Pan ride, and Tinker Bell fluttering about. When Disneyland first opened, it was the essence of magical for us in the mid-1950's. :-)
This is my first comment…perhaps sadly so. I am very grateful for your newsletter - VERY grateful. Thank you for your time, your courage, for sharing your knowledge, and your wisdom. Your closing thoughts on holiday dinners and the relational context are so true. Thank you for voicing such thoughtfulness.
Loved the photo of the Carters, it perfectly represents them. I also appreciate your advice in Concluding Thoughts. Well done. I hope everyone in this community has a peaceful holiday.
Besides the Carter's, I enjoyed seeing Lynell doing her job as scribe. I always look for her comments, and I always learn something from what she says. Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving, Robert, Lynell, and fellow readers.
Carters (bad autocorrect 🤨)
Re Rosalyn Carter; someone wrote this am (I can’t find where I read it now) that when President Carter was asked whether he was more excited over becoming President or winning the Noble Peace Prize, he said he was most excited when Rosalyn said she would marry him. That was so lovely.
(And reminds me of my father who always said marrying my mother was the best thing that ever happened in his life. Every speech he gave he mentioned how lucky he has been.) Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you Robert for this newsletter, thank you to all the community that writes & comments here. Bless you all.
Thank you for the straightforward advice regarding potentially inflammatory remarks made during the holiday. I will draft the reply in my mind and then delete. If necessary, I might go into the bathroom, write it down and rip it up. Or I could talk to myself in the mirror. I sure hope a certain someone does not drive me to that. It's very hard to keep from calling traitors out for who they are and what they represent.
Robert and Jill, you are definitely on my list of things I am grateful for. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!
Beautifully stated, Lynn. Thank you. Have a lovely holiday (I try to notice the tidbits of delight — even if it’s just the color of the towels)
I love that SLWeston! Thank you!
Echoing Robert's advice about disengaging. Years ago I took a course in "Positive Power and Influence" - this was one of those management consultant trainings for corporations. It was good. I was shocked that one of six strategies was disengaging. As a method they taught four actions: (I went to the loosefleaf notebook to find them) Postpone, Process, Change the Subject, and Take a Break. We're in a scary world. Love your loved ones. No one can be loved too much. (Virginia Satire)
I am so grateful to you for all you write, and share. All I can think of is “What’s so funny about peace, love and understanding” ? I wish you and your family a beautiful Holiday.