Trying to follow John Lewis’ lead. Today, I went again to a rally at the Tesla showroom in Walnut Creek. Last week, the crowd was sparse but today, at least 200 people showed up! It was a great one hour event where we displayed our signs, spoke with one another, and marched in front of the Apple Store too on Main Street. Many people honked their horns but seeing even those in Teslas giving a thumbs up, was the icing on the cake! Forbes reported 2 days ago that Musk is officially $122 billion poorer! I hope this keeps up!
Thank you for showing up for America, Marlene! I appreciate hearing about the big crowd today at the Tesla showroom in Walnut Creek.
I'm not surprised about Tesla owners approving of your rally. My family wanted to support electric vehicles when Teslas first appeared, so they have been driving them for years. Now they're all furious with Musk (and it goes without saying they despise the traitorous orange joke in the White House who is egging Musk on).
If Americans keep coming out in any size gatherings to oppose the dismantling:
of our government, our laws, our Constitution, our civil rights, our longstanding freedoms, our social safety nets, our close ties to faithful allies and our strong opposition to evil dictators, I believe the number of angry, protesting citizens is going to swell very quickly.
Millions and millions of determined Americans marching in the streets will make it very hard for corporations, foot-dragging Democratic politicians, low information voters and even arrogant sociopaths in this Trump Administration, to ignore the will of our citizens.
This is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. And the vast majority of us intend to keep it that way.
Wishing peace to everyone here. We will prevail, one step at a time.
Those millions in the streets need to be a broad coalition of groups to build a movement to protest the Unconstitutional, Greedy actions that are undermining US security as well as the quality of life of US citizens and many in other countries.
And, we need messaging that not only protests the grotesque Trump/Musk policies, but that communicates alternative policies that prioritize health, fair wages and safe working conditions, voting rights, public education preK-post secondary, housing, and a robust social safety net as well as national security and environmental sustainability... for which the current Administration has no concern... Their interests are only for the pockets of those who already have enormous wealth, zero empathy and zero wisdom.
The Tesla demonstrations have been so effective, that maybe we should expand to boycotting/ demonstrating against Bezos (Amazon and Washington Post) and Zuckerberg’s Facebook. And a boycott of all AI?
I am already doing both. Feb. 28 had impact--but not enough to cause change. "Here are the results, according to FORBES:
On Economic Blackout day, FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28th, the nation’s number one retailer, Walmart, experienced a 5% slump in web traffic, down from 11.7 million on Feb. 14 to 11.2 million. Walmart’s app traffic dropped 2% to 13.6 million.
Web traffic of number two Amazon dropped by 2%, from 67.1 million on February 14 to 65.9 million on February 28, but Amazon app traffic rose 1% to 51.4 million visitors. OVERALL though, Amazon's numbers still showed a loss.
Target suffered the worst losses because of their stance on DEI. Target website visitors dropped 9% compared to Feb. 14, from 5.2 million to 4.7 million. But their app user traffic, representing the most loyal Target customers, was down 14%, from 4.2 million to 3.5 million.
By comparison, Costco - which supports DEI - experienced a 22% rise in Feb. 28 web traffic, from 2.4 million Feb. 14 to 2.9 million and Costco app user visits rose 3%, from 1.3 million to 1.34 million.
The consensus by statisticians is that, in general, one-day boycotts tend to not have enough of an impact to REALLY get the message through to major corporations. We do need to do more. But this one DID work.
FORBES notes that: "Black faith and civil rights leaders advocating for a 40-day “Target Fast” over Lent starting this Ash Wednesday. About the same time as Target was dialing back DEI, Costco affirmed its strong DEI commitment after striking down a proxy vote to evaluate its policy in light of rising anti-DEI political and legal pressure."
I do not have statistics on major retailer foot traffic on February 28. But I went by the Walmart and Stop and Shop parking lots that day, and noticed considerably fewer cars in the parking lot than usual.
I have heard from several small business owne"rs that they did well, and even had new customers come check them out."
We have permanently (indefinitely) boycotted Bezos--WP and Amazon, Target and do not shop at Walmart, Sam's Club, Home Depot and Menards. COSTCO is a good corporate citizen with happy, higher paid floor staff. We shop there. Downside is we can't fit a "6 mo supply" of stuff in our condo.
I stopped shopping at Whole Foods, which had been my goto grocer. I use Facebook to make corrections to lies and false information that shows up there.
https://thinkinthemorning.com/resign/ has reprinted the text of Grant Grissom’s courageous ad in last week’s Sunday New York Times entitled “A Plea for Trump to Resign.” Attention must be paid. Please.
I don’t get it. Asking Trump, a malignant narcissist, to resign is a fool’s errand. The $50,000 could surely have been spent more productively funding opposition groups’ anct and alternative media.
As a follow up to Senator Merkley's remarkable Senate exchange on the orange asset, this creative description enhances the already-compelling narrative. It reads almost like contemporary fiction.
I find Merkley's inquiry in the chamber helpful on a personal level, whether DJT is an asset or just a useful vessel, to re-frame these grievous ruptures. It helps makes some overarching sense of the madness and loss we face.
Thank you, not on Facebook , I’ve been grateful for the alternative postings here, helps clarify and augment my talking points. Senator Merkeley is such an excellent role model for staying on point, staying focused, holding a bright light steady on the twisting and turning of the administration voices.
Yes. I mentioned that in my original post on Merkley's exchange a couple days ago. The entire Senate knows. The GOP knows we know. The constituents know. They are blown now.
thanks for sharing this fun read with the group. Yesterday Senator Merkley did an amazing town hall with an overflow crowd. Before it started he went outside and spoke to the hundreds of people who couldn't get in due to fire code regulations. We love our senator, and this post you shared shows how good he is.
I miss John Lewis and Elijah Cummings more than ever now. We need strong Democratic leaders to come forward and inspire/lead us. We just don't have that with Hakeem Jefferies or Chuck Schumer. They roll over and play dead and drag many of their colleagues along with them. My source of inspiration now: Rev. William J. Barber II, Senators Sanders and Warren, and Reps. Green, AOC, Omar, Crockett, and a few others who openly oppose the Convicted Felon. We need Congress to grow a backbone.
Meanwhile, we are the ones who need to stay active and save our democracy.
We had a full -on rally in Asheville yesterday where outrage, humor, and creativity (“Humanity Not Insanity, “ “ I Can’t Believe I’m Having to Protest this Shit Again”)filled the Square. Pink Pussy Hats are back in style, even worn by a few men. We’re on the move, friends.
We had 1,450 show up Saturday in Muskegon Michigan. Great speakers and lots of great signs. Pink Pussy Hats were a nice surprise, and some were a little faded from age.
There were about 100 peaceful protesters yesterday at our Tesla showroom here on the Space Coast of Florida,along with a few young MAGA hecklers across the street.
Many Dems parked at Walmart(located across the street) and apparently someone notified management who then forced protesters to move their cars in the midst of the protest.
We are in a GOP-dominated district with a MAGA US Rep and a “constitutional” sheriff ,who sent a deputy to monitor our activity.Merritt Island is also home to Kennedy Space Center so there is much support for Elon.Although the honks and thumbs 👍 were overwhelmingly positive !!
No matter where you live, or who your legislators are….NEVER.GIVE.UP. !!!!
I'm watching, listening, reading and showing up as my health allows. I've just watched the movie 'Lee' about Lee Miller who was a photographer and many other things. She was in Europe during WWII as a correspondent for Vogue. This woman had so much courage! These stories are inspiring and help me keep going. Her photographs are some of the best for showing what really happened in the concentration camps. I joined Hulu to watch the Oscars and will be canceling that at one month. Anyway, we must just carry on and not be discouraged. Some of the words in 'Lee' resonated with me...occupied, chaos and resistance stuck out. And the sentence, "Can't they see him for who he is?" I'm reading 'How Democracy Dies' and that's like an outline of how things can break down from within and what can be done to slow and stop it. I won't bow down in fear. I ask myself what is the worst thing that can happen and the answer is, death. That's going to happen anyway so with that in mind, I can be courageous. So many before us have shown us all how to do it...John Lewis, Al Green, John McCain, Liz Cheney, Martin Luther King, Leonard Peltier, and SO MANY MORE.. There are women, men, black, white and Native Americans in the mix. It's inspiring! We must carry on in the face of overwhelming challenges just as they did.
I’m going to post this on my mirror and I thank you. I am 72, have lived a good life, and it’s time to be brave. My four precious grandchildren deserve better.
“I won't bow down in fear. I ask myself what is the worst thing that can happen and the answer is, death. That's going to happen anyway so with that in mind, I can be courageous. So many before us have shown us all how to do it.”
You sound just like me, except I won't be 72 until 5/5/25. I too have four grandchildren that I am fighting for. I will never bow down in fear or to a bully. I am with you, sister!
Bless you for this encouraging comment. At 83, I too am prepared to stand up to this president and his hateful enablers. I too have nothing to lose but much to gain for my grandchildren and all children in this Country.
Thank you to Dan for posting Sen. Merkley's remarks regarding Trump (KGB code name "Krasnov") as a Putin asset. This seems like a far clearer and straighter route to impeachment than any of the grotesqueries he is creating domestically and a far more serious existential threat. Any Republicans refusing to see this and act on it to protect the USA are traitors. I don't know why people are couching language to avoid this term. Call it what it is. Loudly.
Granted, that is an op-ed piece but The Guardian (subscribe to US or UK edition) provides a more global perspective. Excellent journalism that put US legacy media to shame.
Thank you for emphasizing the Selma marchers and their bravery despite known risks to their own safety. Everyone should make a pilgrimage to see the Legacy Sites in Montgomery (https://legacysites.eji.org). It is profoundly moving and informative to take in the force and the lessons of this history.
I’m surprised that National Archives and Records Administration hasn’t taken down that photo yet. As someone (Orwell?) said, He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.
We have it better than our trailblazing ancestors - we haven't yet been beaten and left for dead.
The right to vote was only written into law sixty years ago, and the legislatures and courts have been gutting those hard-earned rights ever since. But democracy, GOVERNMENT OF, BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE,
I have been thinking about Rep Al Green and his Trump protest at the "Address to Congress." He was the only Democrat who stood up and said what I have been thinking for weeks now....he protested directly to Trump and the MAGA Congress that Trump is lying about his big election win, it was only a 1.5% margin meaning he doesn't have a mandate, and Trump is threatening to cut Medicaid, and possibly Medicare and Social Security which Americans depend on. Why didn't ALL the Democrats stand up and shout! Why didn't more Democrats stand up when they admonished Green? When they escorted him out? I have been calling, writing our electeds, attending protests, making signs, chanting and yelling about our rights being throttled, but when they had the chance could not muster enough pro-liberty energy to stand up and shout!? Instead nine Democrats voted to censor him. Do they not understand what is at stake?
I'm stunned by the inaction of Republican elected officials toward the madness, disarray and confusion that surrounds them. What is happening in our country is more than the workings of Trump and Musk. Turmoil will continue because Republican enablers are allowing it.
Your statement is so true and what I call a BFO: Blinding Flash of the Obvious. In what universe is it ok to stand by and watch the country being “run” by a drug addict and a man with dementia?
Yes! I would only add to your characterization of Trump, "a[n] (evil, cruel, narcissistic, ignorant, enormously prideful, racist, sexist) "man with dementia?" As serious as it it Trump's dementia is the least of our worries.
Excellent news about San Antonio's American Legion's support for Ukraine. Any follow up on that event you can share, we should all try to spread. Thanks, Barbara. This is a great sign. San Antonio's metro area is the third largest in Texas, the 24th largest in the U.S. Over 2,400,000 people. This matters. Let's do what we can to magnify this event, like the Tesla demonstrations.
The Ukrainian women who spoke shared data from the war and their emotions about family members still in Ukraine. One woman spoke about her trauma and willingness to be a witness in a trial of the Russians. These women referred to Putin as a monster and said he cannot be trusted to give any guarantees in a ceasefire. It was riveting.
We should have had a roomful but it was sparsely attended, unfortunately.
Wouldn't it be fantastic if Musk paid 1/4 of his taxes- then they wouldn't have to slash and burn existing policies that are causing such havoc to the American people?
If you haven't seen it already go read Timothy Snyder's commentatry from saturday "The DOGE Helpline Comms from Armageddon" while you wait for the conversation here to blossom. This is an upper for an otherwise dreary weekend.
When will it be discussed that what all the cuts and policy changes prove is that they literally want is people to die. It isn’t metaphorical. When Musk told Joe Rogan that the problem with social security is that people are living longer, he implied that the solution is for them to die younger.
This is not a new insight and it explains why healthcare is so hard to get, why research on cancer and such is stopped, why cdc and NIH funding is stopped, environmental regulations ended. They not only don’t care about us, they want us gone.
I’m not surprised he considers empathy a weakness. My point is that they want me and mine to die sooner than later. Empathy for others is another matter.
Trying to follow John Lewis’ lead. Today, I went again to a rally at the Tesla showroom in Walnut Creek. Last week, the crowd was sparse but today, at least 200 people showed up! It was a great one hour event where we displayed our signs, spoke with one another, and marched in front of the Apple Store too on Main Street. Many people honked their horns but seeing even those in Teslas giving a thumbs up, was the icing on the cake! Forbes reported 2 days ago that Musk is officially $122 billion poorer! I hope this keeps up!
Thank you for showing up for America, Marlene! I appreciate hearing about the big crowd today at the Tesla showroom in Walnut Creek.
I'm not surprised about Tesla owners approving of your rally. My family wanted to support electric vehicles when Teslas first appeared, so they have been driving them for years. Now they're all furious with Musk (and it goes without saying they despise the traitorous orange joke in the White House who is egging Musk on).
If Americans keep coming out in any size gatherings to oppose the dismantling:
of our government, our laws, our Constitution, our civil rights, our longstanding freedoms, our social safety nets, our close ties to faithful allies and our strong opposition to evil dictators, I believe the number of angry, protesting citizens is going to swell very quickly.
Millions and millions of determined Americans marching in the streets will make it very hard for corporations, foot-dragging Democratic politicians, low information voters and even arrogant sociopaths in this Trump Administration, to ignore the will of our citizens.
This is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. And the vast majority of us intend to keep it that way.
Wishing peace to everyone here. We will prevail, one step at a time.
Those millions in the streets need to be a broad coalition of groups to build a movement to protest the Unconstitutional, Greedy actions that are undermining US security as well as the quality of life of US citizens and many in other countries.
And, we need messaging that not only protests the grotesque Trump/Musk policies, but that communicates alternative policies that prioritize health, fair wages and safe working conditions, voting rights, public education preK-post secondary, housing, and a robust social safety net as well as national security and environmental sustainability... for which the current Administration has no concern... Their interests are only for the pockets of those who already have enormous wealth, zero empathy and zero wisdom.
The Tesla demonstrations have been so effective, that maybe we should expand to boycotting/ demonstrating against Bezos (Amazon and Washington Post) and Zuckerberg’s Facebook. And a boycott of all AI?
I am already doing both. Feb. 28 had impact--but not enough to cause change. "Here are the results, according to FORBES:
On Economic Blackout day, FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28th, the nation’s number one retailer, Walmart, experienced a 5% slump in web traffic, down from 11.7 million on Feb. 14 to 11.2 million. Walmart’s app traffic dropped 2% to 13.6 million.
Web traffic of number two Amazon dropped by 2%, from 67.1 million on February 14 to 65.9 million on February 28, but Amazon app traffic rose 1% to 51.4 million visitors. OVERALL though, Amazon's numbers still showed a loss.
Target suffered the worst losses because of their stance on DEI. Target website visitors dropped 9% compared to Feb. 14, from 5.2 million to 4.7 million. But their app user traffic, representing the most loyal Target customers, was down 14%, from 4.2 million to 3.5 million.
By comparison, Costco - which supports DEI - experienced a 22% rise in Feb. 28 web traffic, from 2.4 million Feb. 14 to 2.9 million and Costco app user visits rose 3%, from 1.3 million to 1.34 million.
The consensus by statisticians is that, in general, one-day boycotts tend to not have enough of an impact to REALLY get the message through to major corporations. We do need to do more. But this one DID work.
FORBES notes that: "Black faith and civil rights leaders advocating for a 40-day “Target Fast” over Lent starting this Ash Wednesday. About the same time as Target was dialing back DEI, Costco affirmed its strong DEI commitment after striking down a proxy vote to evaluate its policy in light of rising anti-DEI political and legal pressure."
I do not have statistics on major retailer foot traffic on February 28. But I went by the Walmart and Stop and Shop parking lots that day, and noticed considerably fewer cars in the parking lot than usual.
I have heard from several small business owne"rs that they did well, and even had new customers come check them out."
We have permanently (indefinitely) boycotted Bezos--WP and Amazon, Target and do not shop at Walmart, Sam's Club, Home Depot and Menards. COSTCO is a good corporate citizen with happy, higher paid floor staff. We shop there. Downside is we can't fit a "6 mo supply" of stuff in our condo.
Split your items with friends!!
Thanks so much for the info on the boycott day. Was wondering. Sounds like a great start to me!
I stopped shopping at Whole Foods, which had been my goto grocer. I use Facebook to make corrections to lies and false information that shows up there.
I have also. I go to Trader Joe’s.
This is Amazon boycott week March 7-14
I love this so much! Thank you!
Bravo!!
On Saturday in Chicago, there were about 800.
I heard!! Amazing!!
Well done!
https://thinkinthemorning.com/resign/ has reprinted the text of Grant Grissom’s courageous ad in last week’s Sunday New York Times entitled “A Plea for Trump to Resign.” Attention must be paid. Please.
Thanks for posting.!
A terrific and courageous letter!
I don’t get it. Asking Trump, a malignant narcissist, to resign is a fool’s errand. The $50,000 could surely have been spent more productively funding opposition groups’ anct and alternative media.
Every act of resistance counts, and reading his letter will have given heart and hope to many. Why be dismissive of an 80 year old man efforts?
Thanks for posting. Could we be organizing ad buys so that we can get the word out more broadly? Is anyone organizing something like this?
I have been wondering the same thing and wishing I had the money to take one out.
Everyone needs to share this piece!
Thanks for posting.
As a follow up to Senator Merkley's remarkable Senate exchange on the orange asset, this creative description enhances the already-compelling narrative. It reads almost like contemporary fiction.
I find Merkley's inquiry in the chamber helpful on a personal level, whether DJT is an asset or just a useful vessel, to re-frame these grievous ruptures. It helps makes some overarching sense of the madness and loss we face.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1XwPXj2AfD/?mibextid=WC7FNe
"Senator Merkley walked into the hearing room like a man who'd just been told his car got keyed and knew exactly who did it [...]"
Dan, I took the liberty of posting the 7 min video of Sen Merkley’s exchange for those not on Facebook.
He is so inspiring .What a masterful takedown !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-9tiGDuwCc
The legacy media is not covering things like this. We must post in every possible spot to get the message out.
Thank you, not on Facebook , I’ve been grateful for the alternative postings here, helps clarify and augment my talking points. Senator Merkeley is such an excellent role model for staying on point, staying focused, holding a bright light steady on the twisting and turning of the administration voices.
I think I read that it also puts all of this “on the record.”
Yes. I mentioned that in my original post on Merkley's exchange a couple days ago. The entire Senate knows. The GOP knows we know. The constituents know. They are blown now.
Thank you -- yes, it's like the key to unraveling the entire mystery. Even if the details are not exact, it places the schism into masterful relief.
Thank you. Excellent.
Merkley’s questioning was expert and spot on.
We in OR are so glad to have Dem fighters in the House & Senate.
Dan and Kathy, thank you for spreading the word on this brilliant senator and his truth telling. I posted it in a letter recently as well.
https://billalstrom.substack.com/p/the-obvious-stated
But here is another layer to this "Russian asset" story. If you are short of time, skim it but PLEASE read the last paragraph.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/9-things-trump-has-said-election-might-make-putin-smile-n707566
thanks for sharing this fun read with the group. Yesterday Senator Merkley did an amazing town hall with an overflow crowd. Before it started he went outside and spoke to the hundreds of people who couldn't get in due to fire code regulations. We love our senator, and this post you shared shows how good he is.
This was excellent! I re-posted on Facebook. Trump is Krasnov, the Russian asset
I miss John Lewis and Elijah Cummings more than ever now. We need strong Democratic leaders to come forward and inspire/lead us. We just don't have that with Hakeem Jefferies or Chuck Schumer. They roll over and play dead and drag many of their colleagues along with them. My source of inspiration now: Rev. William J. Barber II, Senators Sanders and Warren, and Reps. Green, AOC, Omar, Crockett, and a few others who openly oppose the Convicted Felon. We need Congress to grow a backbone.
Meanwhile, we are the ones who need to stay active and save our democracy.
Maxwell Frost too!
And Chris Murphy!
We had a full -on rally in Asheville yesterday where outrage, humor, and creativity (“Humanity Not Insanity, “ “ I Can’t Believe I’m Having to Protest this Shit Again”)filled the Square. Pink Pussy Hats are back in style, even worn by a few men. We’re on the move, friends.
We had 1,450 show up Saturday in Muskegon Michigan. Great speakers and lots of great signs. Pink Pussy Hats were a nice surprise, and some were a little faded from age.
There were about 100 peaceful protesters yesterday at our Tesla showroom here on the Space Coast of Florida,along with a few young MAGA hecklers across the street.
Many Dems parked at Walmart(located across the street) and apparently someone notified management who then forced protesters to move their cars in the midst of the protest.
We are in a GOP-dominated district with a MAGA US Rep and a “constitutional” sheriff ,who sent a deputy to monitor our activity.Merritt Island is also home to Kennedy Space Center so there is much support for Elon.Although the honks and thumbs 👍 were overwhelmingly positive !!
No matter where you live, or who your legislators are….NEVER.GIVE.UP. !!!!
I'm watching, listening, reading and showing up as my health allows. I've just watched the movie 'Lee' about Lee Miller who was a photographer and many other things. She was in Europe during WWII as a correspondent for Vogue. This woman had so much courage! These stories are inspiring and help me keep going. Her photographs are some of the best for showing what really happened in the concentration camps. I joined Hulu to watch the Oscars and will be canceling that at one month. Anyway, we must just carry on and not be discouraged. Some of the words in 'Lee' resonated with me...occupied, chaos and resistance stuck out. And the sentence, "Can't they see him for who he is?" I'm reading 'How Democracy Dies' and that's like an outline of how things can break down from within and what can be done to slow and stop it. I won't bow down in fear. I ask myself what is the worst thing that can happen and the answer is, death. That's going to happen anyway so with that in mind, I can be courageous. So many before us have shown us all how to do it...John Lewis, Al Green, John McCain, Liz Cheney, Martin Luther King, Leonard Peltier, and SO MANY MORE.. There are women, men, black, white and Native Americans in the mix. It's inspiring! We must carry on in the face of overwhelming challenges just as they did.
I’m going to post this on my mirror and I thank you. I am 72, have lived a good life, and it’s time to be brave. My four precious grandchildren deserve better.
“I won't bow down in fear. I ask myself what is the worst thing that can happen and the answer is, death. That's going to happen anyway so with that in mind, I can be courageous. So many before us have shown us all how to do it.”
You sound just like me, except I won't be 72 until 5/5/25. I too have four grandchildren that I am fighting for. I will never bow down in fear or to a bully. I am with you, sister!
I need to add Grant Grissom to the list! That is a well written statement of truth and I agree...TRUMP NEEDS TO RESIGN!
Bless you for this encouraging comment. At 83, I too am prepared to stand up to this president and his hateful enablers. I too have nothing to lose but much to gain for my grandchildren and all children in this Country.
Thank you to Dan for posting Sen. Merkley's remarks regarding Trump (KGB code name "Krasnov") as a Putin asset. This seems like a far clearer and straighter route to impeachment than any of the grotesqueries he is creating domestically and a far more serious existential threat. Any Republicans refusing to see this and act on it to protect the USA are traitors. I don't know why people are couching language to avoid this term. Call it what it is. Loudly.
See how the UK press is handling : https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/08/being-putins-stooge-wont-win-trump-a-peace-prize-the-order-of-lenin-though-is-in-the-bag is one example.
Granted, that is an op-ed piece but The Guardian (subscribe to US or UK edition) provides a more global perspective. Excellent journalism that put US legacy media to shame.
Thank you for emphasizing the Selma marchers and their bravery despite known risks to their own safety. Everyone should make a pilgrimage to see the Legacy Sites in Montgomery (https://legacysites.eji.org). It is profoundly moving and informative to take in the force and the lessons of this history.
I’m surprised that National Archives and Records Administration hasn’t taken down that photo yet. As someone (Orwell?) said, He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past.
The Daily Dose of Perspective is back!
We're building and crossing bridges - not walls!
We have it better than our trailblazing ancestors - we haven't yet been beaten and left for dead.
The right to vote was only written into law sixty years ago, and the legislatures and courts have been gutting those hard-earned rights ever since. But democracy, GOVERNMENT OF, BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE,
remains better than all other options.
Better than revolution.
Let's do this!
I have been thinking about Rep Al Green and his Trump protest at the "Address to Congress." He was the only Democrat who stood up and said what I have been thinking for weeks now....he protested directly to Trump and the MAGA Congress that Trump is lying about his big election win, it was only a 1.5% margin meaning he doesn't have a mandate, and Trump is threatening to cut Medicaid, and possibly Medicare and Social Security which Americans depend on. Why didn't ALL the Democrats stand up and shout! Why didn't more Democrats stand up when they admonished Green? When they escorted him out? I have been calling, writing our electeds, attending protests, making signs, chanting and yelling about our rights being throttled, but when they had the chance could not muster enough pro-liberty energy to stand up and shout!? Instead nine Democrats voted to censor him. Do they not understand what is at stake?
I'm stunned by the inaction of Republican elected officials toward the madness, disarray and confusion that surrounds them. What is happening in our country is more than the workings of Trump and Musk. Turmoil will continue because Republican enablers are allowing it.
Your statement is so true and what I call a BFO: Blinding Flash of the Obvious. In what universe is it ok to stand by and watch the country being “run” by a drug addict and a man with dementia?
Yes! I would only add to your characterization of Trump, "a[n] (evil, cruel, narcissistic, ignorant, enormously prideful, racist, sexist) "man with dementia?" As serious as it it Trump's dementia is the least of our worries.
Our local American Legion and veterans are sponsoring a Support Ukraine press conference today in San Antonio.
Our Democratic Party and outlying clubs are planning a town hall in Chip Roy's district with many elected officials invited.
There will be many more to come as many of our federal employees lose their jobs!
Excellent news about San Antonio's American Legion's support for Ukraine. Any follow up on that event you can share, we should all try to spread. Thanks, Barbara. This is a great sign. San Antonio's metro area is the third largest in Texas, the 24th largest in the U.S. Over 2,400,000 people. This matters. Let's do what we can to magnify this event, like the Tesla demonstrations.
The Ukrainian women who spoke shared data from the war and their emotions about family members still in Ukraine. One woman spoke about her trauma and willingness to be a witness in a trial of the Russians. These women referred to Putin as a monster and said he cannot be trusted to give any guarantees in a ceasefire. It was riveting.
We should have had a roomful but it was sparsely attended, unfortunately.
Wouldn't it be fantastic if Musk paid 1/4 of his taxes- then they wouldn't have to slash and burn existing policies that are causing such havoc to the American people?
If you haven't seen it already go read Timothy Snyder's commentatry from saturday "The DOGE Helpline Comms from Armageddon" while you wait for the conversation here to blossom. This is an upper for an otherwise dreary weekend.
Snyder has been a welcome guide through these dark days.
When will it be discussed that what all the cuts and policy changes prove is that they literally want is people to die. It isn’t metaphorical. When Musk told Joe Rogan that the problem with social security is that people are living longer, he implied that the solution is for them to die younger.
This is not a new insight and it explains why healthcare is so hard to get, why research on cancer and such is stopped, why cdc and NIH funding is stopped, environmental regulations ended. They not only don’t care about us, they want us gone.
Musk was quoted as saying “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.”
I’m not surprised he considers empathy a weakness. My point is that they want me and mine to die sooner than later. Empathy for others is another matter.