I wonder if January 6 might be referred to as a "failed coup," or an "unsuccessful coup," rather than an attempted coup. Or even, a "thwarted coup." "Attempted coup" sounds too tame for what was intended, and what transpired.
The complete answer to gerrymandering are the John Lewis Voting Advance Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. The only impediment is the filibuster and the anti-democratic stance of Sinema and Manchin. (Even if they vote to override the filibuster, they don't support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act--at least Manchin doesn't.)
Thank you for including David Goodman's beautiful letter to you about his brother Andrew. It was an inspiration to work harder and do more to make change happen!
Your newsletters are always informative and insightful. Today's Newsletter underscores how you masterfully provide clear-eyed analysis by linking current events with the larger context. Thank you for sharing your insights and wisdom.
HOW do WE change the course of the Democratic Party? HOW do WE get the party to "retire" weak candidates like McAuliffe and embrace Democrat's "greatest strength: economic populism" as Jennifer Rubin writes and "in words of one syllable, and in short, declarative sentences" as you write???
2. The Supreme Court:
We have a very serious issue when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court cannot discern the difference between the right to free speech under the First Amendment and the right to keep and bear Arms. During oral arguments he asks this flippant, rhetorical question:
“You don’t have to say, when you’re looking for a permit to speak on a street corner or whatever, that, you know, your speech is particularly important. So why do you have to show in this case, convince somebody, that you’re entitled to exercise your Second Amendment right?”
Well, Chief Justice Roberts (who could care less what you, I or any anyone else - other than the Federalist Society - thinks about this matter), there is a succinct and deadly serious answer to your irreverent question:
To append the comment above, in Today's 11/4/21 New Haven Register Daily Brief (behind a paywall), Mark Prokop, the newsletter producer, cited the response by Maggie LaBlanca, a survivor of the Newtown massacre, to callous zealots like Chief Justice Roberts and his brethren:
"The Newtown Action Alliance is fighting for a ban on the open carry of guns on town property. And the typical politicking that you’d see on any other issue hits differently here — one young person said her previous comments were “trivialized as hurt feelings.”
“Hurt feelings is what I would get when I was 5 years old and someone would push me down on the playground. Hurt feelings are not what happened when I was 8 years old and I listened to four minutes of gunfire in my elementary school,” said Maggie LaBanca. “Hurt feelings are not what I experienced when I came home that night without my best friend Daniel. He was 7 and he was shot and I was left to live without him. That’s trauma. Trauma is what most people in our Newtown community live with on a daily basis … hurt feelings are temporary, but trauma is permanent.”
Touched by David Goodman’s letter. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I won’t see the change we seek in my lifetime but hopefully future generations will. Hopefully…..
I wonder if January 6 might be referred to as a "failed coup," or an "unsuccessful coup," rather than an attempted coup. Or even, a "thwarted coup." "Attempted coup" sounds too tame for what was intended, and what transpired.
Interesting thought. i had not reflected on that point, but it is a good one.
We need to talk about gerrymandering. I fear that is the way the R agenda will take over inspite of all our pushback.
The complete answer to gerrymandering are the John Lewis Voting Advance Act and the Freedom to Vote Act. The only impediment is the filibuster and the anti-democratic stance of Sinema and Manchin. (Even if they vote to override the filibuster, they don't support the John Lewis Voting Rights Act--at least Manchin doesn't.)
Thank you, Robert. Rubin is superb. Goodman is inspirational.
(Side note: I send notes to Substack—should I be using an email address?)
If you reply to the Substack email, it comes into my gmail inbox.
Thank you for including David Goodman's beautiful letter to you about his brother Andrew. It was an inspiration to work harder and do more to make change happen!
Andrew Goodman, what an inspiration. Thanks for this and sharing links that are always good~
Your newsletters are always informative and insightful. Today's Newsletter underscores how you masterfully provide clear-eyed analysis by linking current events with the larger context. Thank you for sharing your insights and wisdom.
About 2 leads in today's newsletter:
1. The Democratic Party:
HOW do WE change the course of the Democratic Party? HOW do WE get the party to "retire" weak candidates like McAuliffe and embrace Democrat's "greatest strength: economic populism" as Jennifer Rubin writes and "in words of one syllable, and in short, declarative sentences" as you write???
2. The Supreme Court:
We have a very serious issue when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court cannot discern the difference between the right to free speech under the First Amendment and the right to keep and bear Arms. During oral arguments he asks this flippant, rhetorical question:
“You don’t have to say, when you’re looking for a permit to speak on a street corner or whatever, that, you know, your speech is particularly important. So why do you have to show in this case, convince somebody, that you’re entitled to exercise your Second Amendment right?”
Well, Chief Justice Roberts (who could care less what you, I or any anyone else - other than the Federalist Society - thinks about this matter), there is a succinct and deadly serious answer to your irreverent question:
Words don't kill.
To append the comment above, in Today's 11/4/21 New Haven Register Daily Brief (behind a paywall), Mark Prokop, the newsletter producer, cited the response by Maggie LaBlanca, a survivor of the Newtown massacre, to callous zealots like Chief Justice Roberts and his brethren:
"The Newtown Action Alliance is fighting for a ban on the open carry of guns on town property. And the typical politicking that you’d see on any other issue hits differently here — one young person said her previous comments were “trivialized as hurt feelings.”
“Hurt feelings is what I would get when I was 5 years old and someone would push me down on the playground. Hurt feelings are not what happened when I was 8 years old and I listened to four minutes of gunfire in my elementary school,” said Maggie LaBanca. “Hurt feelings are not what I experienced when I came home that night without my best friend Daniel. He was 7 and he was shot and I was left to live without him. That’s trauma. Trauma is what most people in our Newtown community live with on a daily basis … hurt feelings are temporary, but trauma is permanent.”
Touched by David Goodman’s letter. Thanks for sharing. Maybe I won’t see the change we seek in my lifetime but hopefully future generations will. Hopefully…..