as i have written before --you are the best father any of us could have had... no matter what our age is... thank you always for elevating civil discourse.
Robert, I completely agree with you that there should be discipline of university students who call for a genocide of the Jews. That the presidents of 3 top universities couldn’t clearly state that is beyond disturbing. And as you said, I believe this should be true across the board for any group.
I have been hearing more about the incredible brutality and horrifying rapes, torture and mutilations of women and some me during the Oct 7 attack. I looked up the reports and almost threw up. It doesn’t obviate the need to wage war according to international laws, but what was done to the Israelis on Oct 7th was utterly nauseating and beyond devastating and inhumane. Hamas is inhumane and barbaric.
I am also so saddened and sickened by the continuing hatred of a group of people for what? For nothing. What makes some hate others for their ethnicity, their skin color, for living their truth. I will never understand it.
I am also heartened to hear such good reports on the Biden economy and jobs. We need to shout it from the mountaintops. Even faux couldn’t deny it!!!
Thanks for your honestly and decency in reporting the important news to us week after week, for giving me hope for the future, and for sharing ways we can engage to help save our democracy. You are the best!
I support your newsletter unconditionally. You are a brilliant, empathetic, clarifying voice that everyone in America needs to hear loud and clearly. Thank you.
Thank you for all of your amazing work and dedication to keep this newsletter going. It has grown a community, and we will not lose our core even if there are heated arguments here.
For some inspiration, please look at this great sculpture that depicts the generational struggle for democracy. That’s what we’re all about here. The sculpture I’m referencing is “Government of the People” by the Jewish immigrant artist Jacques Lipchitz. Here’s a link to some views of that sculpture and its background story. I’ve also posted this llnk to the Heather Cox Richardson blog because art like this has the power to lift us up. Your newsletter lifts us up as does Heather’s.
I am a Robert and Jill fan as well! You all have been a source of hope (and I do have a lot) these last years. Thank you!
And now, fellow, activists, I could use help. You have likely read that late last night, the Texas Supreme Court essentially blocked a court ordered permission for a pregnant woman here to access and abortion for health reasons, per her doctor's recommendation. Unbelievable. Non-Texans especially, could you take a minute to contact a Texas newspaper to let them know the rest of the country is watching as Texas does this to one of its own. We have seen recently that feedback to media is effective--we need more. Please also let me know of any other Texas media contacts. Thank you.
Speaking of Hunter Biden, James Comer has managed to prove to the world that exists beyond the halls of GOP leadership of the House, that the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee and the representative of KY's 1st District is, not to put too fine a point on it, an idiot. The US Congress is ill served by blowhards wantonly neglecting their duty to pass constructive legislation and pass a budget to avoid the next debt crisis. To put icing on the cake, it strikes me that the dogged pursuit of Hunter Biden is remarkably un-Christian for such a pious bunch.
Thank you Pam Smith and Dean Gavney! My 3 cents on Biden ala Substack:
Imagine a doctor tells you definitively that you have only 5 more years to live. At best. There’s nothing major wrong with you, you’re feeling pretty good, but statistically, and here again, definitively, you’ll be gone in 5 years.
Where do you go in your mind? For many seniors, even those of us in relatively good health, this is a possibility we live with, at least rattling in the back of our minds, every day. Of course, there are those who will decide simply to enjoy themselves by reading all those books they haven’t gotten to yet, or play as much golf as humanly possible. And why not? Our country tells us we are close to the end of the road. We’ve made our mark and done our time. Move over and let the next generation take their turn. May as well hang it up before it gets embarrassing. But what if you have only that long to literally save the world’s strongest and most powerful Democracy from the vicious narcissistic bully chomping at the bit to destroy it? And you are, for the moment, the person with the position, requisite skills, experience, relevant history and social capital to effectively fight back?
What if you are Joe Biden? It’s one thing to step aside and hand over the reins to…who? That’s a problem. Anyone younger you can name is going to be untested, unappealing to some crucial constituency, and lacking at least some of the vital resources just listed, critical in facing down Democracy’s demise. IMHO Biden has no choice but to press on in a contest determined to push him aside because the stakes are simply too high for him not to. Here’s the thing about age that so many people in this country do not understand. Reduced time left can become an engine. It can focus a person on using everything they have to achieve the mission. The periphery falls away, clarity brings its own energy, vision and thrust. Of course, possible jail time can also focus an elder on staying out of it. Even if he brings down our entire nation in the process. I’m not worried about Joe Biden in a second term. I worry about Americans wringing their hands over one man’s wrinkles when they should be focused on the other guy’s fangs.
"To be clear, I would support the same result for a call for genocide directed at any group." I feel exactly the same way. I think of what happened in Rwanda, with the genocide of the Tutsis. Is it REALLY OK to shout in favor of killing any group of human beings? My answer: absolutely not.
University campuses should be places for discussion of ideas. Calling for a genocide of Jews or any other group, is not discussion of the idea of genocide, it is calling on people to kill others, to break the sixth commandment. If you live your life according to the precept of “do unto others, as you would have others do unto you“ genocide could never be an option. I would have hoped that any university president would have denied a genocide of any group of people existing on the Earth.
Robert, you are the very best and I am extremely happy being in your company. I think yesterday’s newsletter ignited me and perhaps I went over the cliff’s edge. I am just a strong women’s advocate and between Hamas’ brutality against women and the three female presidents, I couldn’t help myself. I hope I had made sense in my babble-rousing.
Watching Comer is spellbounding! He has to be the dumbest guy from Kentucky. According to Wikipedia, Comer got a BS degree in Agriculture. My BS degree stands for Bachelor’s of Science. His must stand for BullShit.
As to your monitoring the comments section, well stated!
I am uneasy with lengthy, emphasis lengthy, comments from those who also have a substack newsletter! It has the appearance of the equivalent of ‘photo bombing’!
Suggestion make your point then link your newsletter!
I have not posted much recently only because of time. I had several activities that are taking a lot of my brain energy and my time, all with respect to climate change and bringing Biden Administration resources to underserved communities vulnerable to climate disasters. I had no idea people are trolling your (our) comment section.
My own interest in this newsletter is that it gives me support for the issues I am working on, puts me in touch with others so that we can support one another. On other so called progressive Facebook sites I have found that people post with agendas and frame their posts to meet those agendas. Sometimes people post with the express purpose of dividing those of us who are working on progressive, liberal or Democratic issues, and weaken us as we prepare for the 2024 elections. (I think those people are called Trolls)
This site feels different, as it is populated by people who are actually working on things, and not people whose main political activities consist of reading social media, listening to cable news, and posting zingers about MAGA people, as the main way of thinking we are being politically active. (Please read Politics is for Power, by Eitan Hersh)
Anyway, I fully support keeping this site as one that is networking and supportive of like-minded people who wish to inform others of what we are all doing, and sharing perspectives on how to frame issues and work on them.
I am not out to convince anyone to change their point of view. We all appear to understand that we do not all agree on specifics within a particular issue, but we do all support democracy and progressive ideas. We recognize the need to work together despite having some differences of opinion.
The more successful we are with that approach, the more certain people will want to undermine it. One way they do that, of course, is to use what appears to be a progressive idea, and accuse Biden, or progressives, or Democrats, of being anti-whatever that progressive idea is and try to start us fighting with one another.
We obviously see that with some people who are accusing Biden of genocide of the Palestinian people by supporting Israel. We hate to limit free speech, so instead we respond with reason, history, feelings, etc., then we are off to the races.
I had a sinking feeling when Elise Stefanik was interrogating the presidents of universities, and Robert, your comments on that explained my sinking feelings. Here in Florida, there is an all-out assault on liberal thought in colleges and universities. The narrative on Morning Joe is that leftist thought is out of control in colleges and universities. I saw Stefanik's purpose as one to undermine liberalism in universities. She succeeded.
Here in the U.S., we believe in free speech and the First Amendment. If you remember the Nazi march in Skokie, Ill. years ago, and the ACLU fought for their right to have a permit? Many of my Jewish friends stopped donating to the ACLU. Same dilemma: Nazis should not have any platform to spew their hate; Or, If you allow certain groups to be censored, it is going to come right back to your group in the end. I live in Florida, remember?
In Europe some countries do not allow Nazi organizations to exist and shut down Nazi rhetoric. It has not stopped the rise in influence of neo-Nazi and fascist organizing and influence.
I do think that ACTIONS that are hateful, dangerous and destructive should be illegal, and that any speech that exhorts people to act in an illegal way should be criminal. I think trying to shut down racist or antisemitic thought is a mistake and does not work to shut it down.
I think that ACTIONS that are meant to overthrow our democracy should be illegal and those who do it should be held accountable and not be allowed to hold public office. Trying to shut down a discussion of different forms of government and political philosophy is a bad idea and does not work to stop people who are racist or antisemitic from trying to form white nationalist governments.
To be clear, speech that exhorts people to conduct genocide of Jews, or any group of people, in my view is criminal. Hope that clears up any misconception about what constitutes speech protected by the First Amendment, and speech that is not.
In my view, this is the type of discussion we should be having, the pros and cons of shutting down fascist or nazi or white nationalist speech, vs. the importance of the way in which the First Amendment has been interpreted in the U.S.
I fully support your pulling the plug on speech here that has the goal of dividing us so that we stop doing the work, but allowing speech that is meant to fully air differing viewpoints on our issues.
Thank you Robert. You are such a beacon of good will and good sense.
Regarding the university presidents. I think the problem is that there is disagreement on what calling for genocide means in this case. Because of successive Israeli governments’ political campaigns to elide being Jewish with being Zionist, many people in the US now think that disagreeing with Zionism is antisemitic and or potentially genocidal speech. Given the variety of opinions of Jews around the globe, that is clearly a misuse of the term genocide and also a misuse in terms of the legal definition. Calling for the explicit destruction of all people belonging to an ethnic or religious group in the definition of genocide. Ie saying all Jews have to die is genocidal, calling for the end of Israel is not necessarily. I think the university leaders would have been much better served had they made those distinctions, in which case they could have clearly stated that genocidal talk is unacceptable, even on a university campus.
Robert, I apologize for commenting on something that occurred last Tuesday December 5th, but I've been so swamped by trying to pull together a "post retirement" radio show, that I just couldn't focus on commenting. The show still isn't done, but I feel I can't just remain silent. That said, here goes:
I was shocked when I heard on the Tuesday December 5th edition of the PBS Newshour that President Biden stated, "If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I would be running. We cannot let him win." In other words, the president wants to protect the nation from Trump. I must admit that I was disappointed that, as far as I could tell, you didn't discuss this statement. It seems to me that the statement implies that deep down, President Biden would prefer to retire, rather than be a candidate for re-election in 2024. A number of months ago, I had thoughts that President Biden might decide not to run and announce that decision sometime before the campaigns began in earnest. Considering his Tuesday statement, I find it hard to picture him waging a vigorous campaign. I worry that he just doesn't have the juice for it. If not Joe Biden, then who? Kamala Harris? I'm not sure. Gavin Newsom? It seems to me that he would be a strong candidate, but I've been told he was asked and declined. I have to confess, this situation fills me with angst. Am I out in left field? I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this.
as i have written before --you are the best father any of us could have had... no matter what our age is... thank you always for elevating civil discourse.
Robert, I completely agree with you that there should be discipline of university students who call for a genocide of the Jews. That the presidents of 3 top universities couldn’t clearly state that is beyond disturbing. And as you said, I believe this should be true across the board for any group.
I have been hearing more about the incredible brutality and horrifying rapes, torture and mutilations of women and some me during the Oct 7 attack. I looked up the reports and almost threw up. It doesn’t obviate the need to wage war according to international laws, but what was done to the Israelis on Oct 7th was utterly nauseating and beyond devastating and inhumane. Hamas is inhumane and barbaric.
I am also so saddened and sickened by the continuing hatred of a group of people for what? For nothing. What makes some hate others for their ethnicity, their skin color, for living their truth. I will never understand it.
I am also heartened to hear such good reports on the Biden economy and jobs. We need to shout it from the mountaintops. Even faux couldn’t deny it!!!
Thanks for your honestly and decency in reporting the important news to us week after week, for giving me hope for the future, and for sharing ways we can engage to help save our democracy. You are the best!
I support your newsletter unconditionally. You are a brilliant, empathetic, clarifying voice that everyone in America needs to hear loud and clearly. Thank you.
Robert and Jill,
Thank you for all of your amazing work and dedication to keep this newsletter going. It has grown a community, and we will not lose our core even if there are heated arguments here.
For some inspiration, please look at this great sculpture that depicts the generational struggle for democracy. That’s what we’re all about here. The sculpture I’m referencing is “Government of the People” by the Jewish immigrant artist Jacques Lipchitz. Here’s a link to some views of that sculpture and its background story. I’ve also posted this llnk to the Heather Cox Richardson blog because art like this has the power to lift us up. Your newsletter lifts us up as does Heather’s.
https://www.associationforpublicart.org/artwork/government-of-the-people/
Forever fan of Today's Edition Newsletter and Robert & Jill Hubbell.
I am a Robert and Jill fan as well! You all have been a source of hope (and I do have a lot) these last years. Thank you!
And now, fellow, activists, I could use help. You have likely read that late last night, the Texas Supreme Court essentially blocked a court ordered permission for a pregnant woman here to access and abortion for health reasons, per her doctor's recommendation. Unbelievable. Non-Texans especially, could you take a minute to contact a Texas newspaper to let them know the rest of the country is watching as Texas does this to one of its own. We have seen recently that feedback to media is effective--we need more. Please also let me know of any other Texas media contacts. Thank you.
DALLAS MORNING NEWS contacts
2149778205
editorialboard@dallasnews.com
publisher@dallasnews.com
Newstips: 2149778222
newstips@dallasnews.com
HOUSTON CHRONICLE contacts
viewpoints@houstonchronicle.com
Interim Editor-in-Chief Chris.Fusco@houstonchronicle.com
Managing Editor Jennifer Chang Jennifer.Chang@houstonchronicle.com
Speaking of Hunter Biden, James Comer has managed to prove to the world that exists beyond the halls of GOP leadership of the House, that the Chairman of the House Oversight Committee and the representative of KY's 1st District is, not to put too fine a point on it, an idiot. The US Congress is ill served by blowhards wantonly neglecting their duty to pass constructive legislation and pass a budget to avoid the next debt crisis. To put icing on the cake, it strikes me that the dogged pursuit of Hunter Biden is remarkably un-Christian for such a pious bunch.
Thank you Pam Smith and Dean Gavney! My 3 cents on Biden ala Substack:
Imagine a doctor tells you definitively that you have only 5 more years to live. At best. There’s nothing major wrong with you, you’re feeling pretty good, but statistically, and here again, definitively, you’ll be gone in 5 years.
Where do you go in your mind? For many seniors, even those of us in relatively good health, this is a possibility we live with, at least rattling in the back of our minds, every day. Of course, there are those who will decide simply to enjoy themselves by reading all those books they haven’t gotten to yet, or play as much golf as humanly possible. And why not? Our country tells us we are close to the end of the road. We’ve made our mark and done our time. Move over and let the next generation take their turn. May as well hang it up before it gets embarrassing. But what if you have only that long to literally save the world’s strongest and most powerful Democracy from the vicious narcissistic bully chomping at the bit to destroy it? And you are, for the moment, the person with the position, requisite skills, experience, relevant history and social capital to effectively fight back?
What if you are Joe Biden? It’s one thing to step aside and hand over the reins to…who? That’s a problem. Anyone younger you can name is going to be untested, unappealing to some crucial constituency, and lacking at least some of the vital resources just listed, critical in facing down Democracy’s demise. IMHO Biden has no choice but to press on in a contest determined to push him aside because the stakes are simply too high for him not to. Here’s the thing about age that so many people in this country do not understand. Reduced time left can become an engine. It can focus a person on using everything they have to achieve the mission. The periphery falls away, clarity brings its own energy, vision and thrust. Of course, possible jail time can also focus an elder on staying out of it. Even if he brings down our entire nation in the process. I’m not worried about Joe Biden in a second term. I worry about Americans wringing their hands over one man’s wrinkles when they should be focused on the other guy’s fangs.
"To be clear, I would support the same result for a call for genocide directed at any group." I feel exactly the same way. I think of what happened in Rwanda, with the genocide of the Tutsis. Is it REALLY OK to shout in favor of killing any group of human beings? My answer: absolutely not.
Thank you. Civility seems, sadly, to be underrated these days.
University campuses should be places for discussion of ideas. Calling for a genocide of Jews or any other group, is not discussion of the idea of genocide, it is calling on people to kill others, to break the sixth commandment. If you live your life according to the precept of “do unto others, as you would have others do unto you“ genocide could never be an option. I would have hoped that any university president would have denied a genocide of any group of people existing on the Earth.
Robert, you are the very best and I am extremely happy being in your company. I think yesterday’s newsletter ignited me and perhaps I went over the cliff’s edge. I am just a strong women’s advocate and between Hamas’ brutality against women and the three female presidents, I couldn’t help myself. I hope I had made sense in my babble-rousing.
Watching Comer is spellbounding! He has to be the dumbest guy from Kentucky. According to Wikipedia, Comer got a BS degree in Agriculture. My BS degree stands for Bachelor’s of Science. His must stand for BullShit.
As to your monitoring the comments section, well stated!
I am uneasy with lengthy, emphasis lengthy, comments from those who also have a substack newsletter! It has the appearance of the equivalent of ‘photo bombing’!
Suggestion make your point then link your newsletter!
Namaste!
I have not posted much recently only because of time. I had several activities that are taking a lot of my brain energy and my time, all with respect to climate change and bringing Biden Administration resources to underserved communities vulnerable to climate disasters. I had no idea people are trolling your (our) comment section.
My own interest in this newsletter is that it gives me support for the issues I am working on, puts me in touch with others so that we can support one another. On other so called progressive Facebook sites I have found that people post with agendas and frame their posts to meet those agendas. Sometimes people post with the express purpose of dividing those of us who are working on progressive, liberal or Democratic issues, and weaken us as we prepare for the 2024 elections. (I think those people are called Trolls)
This site feels different, as it is populated by people who are actually working on things, and not people whose main political activities consist of reading social media, listening to cable news, and posting zingers about MAGA people, as the main way of thinking we are being politically active. (Please read Politics is for Power, by Eitan Hersh)
Anyway, I fully support keeping this site as one that is networking and supportive of like-minded people who wish to inform others of what we are all doing, and sharing perspectives on how to frame issues and work on them.
I am not out to convince anyone to change their point of view. We all appear to understand that we do not all agree on specifics within a particular issue, but we do all support democracy and progressive ideas. We recognize the need to work together despite having some differences of opinion.
The more successful we are with that approach, the more certain people will want to undermine it. One way they do that, of course, is to use what appears to be a progressive idea, and accuse Biden, or progressives, or Democrats, of being anti-whatever that progressive idea is and try to start us fighting with one another.
We obviously see that with some people who are accusing Biden of genocide of the Palestinian people by supporting Israel. We hate to limit free speech, so instead we respond with reason, history, feelings, etc., then we are off to the races.
I had a sinking feeling when Elise Stefanik was interrogating the presidents of universities, and Robert, your comments on that explained my sinking feelings. Here in Florida, there is an all-out assault on liberal thought in colleges and universities. The narrative on Morning Joe is that leftist thought is out of control in colleges and universities. I saw Stefanik's purpose as one to undermine liberalism in universities. She succeeded.
Here in the U.S., we believe in free speech and the First Amendment. If you remember the Nazi march in Skokie, Ill. years ago, and the ACLU fought for their right to have a permit? Many of my Jewish friends stopped donating to the ACLU. Same dilemma: Nazis should not have any platform to spew their hate; Or, If you allow certain groups to be censored, it is going to come right back to your group in the end. I live in Florida, remember?
In Europe some countries do not allow Nazi organizations to exist and shut down Nazi rhetoric. It has not stopped the rise in influence of neo-Nazi and fascist organizing and influence.
I do think that ACTIONS that are hateful, dangerous and destructive should be illegal, and that any speech that exhorts people to act in an illegal way should be criminal. I think trying to shut down racist or antisemitic thought is a mistake and does not work to shut it down.
I think that ACTIONS that are meant to overthrow our democracy should be illegal and those who do it should be held accountable and not be allowed to hold public office. Trying to shut down a discussion of different forms of government and political philosophy is a bad idea and does not work to stop people who are racist or antisemitic from trying to form white nationalist governments.
To be clear, speech that exhorts people to conduct genocide of Jews, or any group of people, in my view is criminal. Hope that clears up any misconception about what constitutes speech protected by the First Amendment, and speech that is not.
In my view, this is the type of discussion we should be having, the pros and cons of shutting down fascist or nazi or white nationalist speech, vs. the importance of the way in which the First Amendment has been interpreted in the U.S.
I fully support your pulling the plug on speech here that has the goal of dividing us so that we stop doing the work, but allowing speech that is meant to fully air differing viewpoints on our issues.
Thank you Robert. You are such a beacon of good will and good sense.
Regarding the university presidents. I think the problem is that there is disagreement on what calling for genocide means in this case. Because of successive Israeli governments’ political campaigns to elide being Jewish with being Zionist, many people in the US now think that disagreeing with Zionism is antisemitic and or potentially genocidal speech. Given the variety of opinions of Jews around the globe, that is clearly a misuse of the term genocide and also a misuse in terms of the legal definition. Calling for the explicit destruction of all people belonging to an ethnic or religious group in the definition of genocide. Ie saying all Jews have to die is genocidal, calling for the end of Israel is not necessarily. I think the university leaders would have been much better served had they made those distinctions, in which case they could have clearly stated that genocidal talk is unacceptable, even on a university campus.
Robert, I apologize for commenting on something that occurred last Tuesday December 5th, but I've been so swamped by trying to pull together a "post retirement" radio show, that I just couldn't focus on commenting. The show still isn't done, but I feel I can't just remain silent. That said, here goes:
I was shocked when I heard on the Tuesday December 5th edition of the PBS Newshour that President Biden stated, "If Trump wasn't running, I'm not sure I would be running. We cannot let him win." In other words, the president wants to protect the nation from Trump. I must admit that I was disappointed that, as far as I could tell, you didn't discuss this statement. It seems to me that the statement implies that deep down, President Biden would prefer to retire, rather than be a candidate for re-election in 2024. A number of months ago, I had thoughts that President Biden might decide not to run and announce that decision sometime before the campaigns began in earnest. Considering his Tuesday statement, I find it hard to picture him waging a vigorous campaign. I worry that he just doesn't have the juice for it. If not Joe Biden, then who? Kamala Harris? I'm not sure. Gavin Newsom? It seems to me that he would be a strong candidate, but I've been told he was asked and declined. I have to confess, this situation fills me with angst. Am I out in left field? I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on this.