I just left scathing messages for the 10 Democrats in the House who had the unmitigated GALL to vote WITH Republicans to censure Al Green---a brave Democrat who had the GUTS to do what they all should be doing! Opposing Republican fascists in every way possible.
The time for playing nice is over. These people will destroy us. We can’t wait for the midterms----what makes them think there will even BE midterms?
"The moment I saw what Al Green did, I stood up and began to applaud." So DID I plus, I voiced my approval so loudly (like I was at a sporting event, sad but true). I also loved seeing two women leave with the word "RESIST" on the backsides of their tee-shirts. Finding it a lot sad but realizing I'm on track since earlier that day I had spent some time deciding what my resistance protest attire was going to look this year. :) Don't give me shit, this is just me, I have to match. I settled on two from Etsy, a sweatshirt that shows red caped women white bonnet hats with BOLD letters stating, "RESIST". The other is a tee-shirt that has the same logo, with words telling women "sisters arise". Of course, there is my trusty Levi jacket that has "thought pins" attached all over saying more direct messaging, mostly in R rated wording.
I tell myself, I must be brave in my mid size/rural town of 35,000. Because the last time, a bouncer type grocery clerk asked me what my Project 2025 pin was all about while checking out, when I told him and I made the mistake of saying you "should" instead of I "urge" you to check it out.
He scared the shit out of me as he changed his body language acting as if he was going to climb over the counter and then raised his voice and told me "NO one tells him what he "should" do. I left the store with my groceries trembling. The hate is so real.
Be careful. Be aware of your surroundings, and always have an exit plan when you RESIST.
My Lesson learned, I know better than to say "you should" that was a refresher moment. In my profession I know better. Also, this Natural Foods Store, does not/will not get our money very often as it once did. We've found other options. We now drive 20 minutes to shop at another healthier option store in another town. From us they lost 90% from our grocery budget. Hugs, D~
Those guys are going to find an excuse to be hostile no matter what you say. It was totally not your fault. But yes, you need to be safe. I've got a conversation planned with Will Fullwood tomorrow and we're going to talk about the way these bullies think, it'll be released as a podcast within a week. Stay safe! Thanks for resisting!
DGeiger, I can relate. My mother used to tell me, "don't should on yourself." and don't let anyone else should on you either". Mama was right: "should" is judgment. Whether its you judging yourself, or you judging someone else, or someone else judging you, its the symptom of a closed mind (as in case closed, no more discussion, end of story).
Like you, whenever I hear myself, or someone else use the word 'should' I stop and reconsider the situation.
Yes. Agreed. That is why I said, "Lesson learned" and that it was a refresher, a reminder for myself. My thoughts at the time was that this 2025 document is huge 800 pages. I would not be able to quickly summarize it for the clerk. My field is in Human Development and a graduate degree in Psychology. It was like Oh shit, I do know better. :( On the brighter side after realizing my how I had triggered him, for days I got myself back into the habit of saying, "urge" instead of "should". LOL Even my husband caught on. It was never meant to be a judgement. Your mother was wise. Hugs, D~ :)
DGrieger, lol. You describe my brain whenever I did some shoulding. It really does take a couple days to get my brain back on track.
Hugs to you for reading Project 2025. As for summarizing that beastly plan, I offer you my summary... "Project 2025 is a plan to replace Democracy with Corporate Rule."
DGrieger ;), now that I know where you're coming from, I want to ask for your insight... So far, in conversations with conservatives, my Project 2025 summary has evoked such strong reactions against corporations, its opened the door to really productive conversations. Of course, I have to make sure I stick to corporations, cause if I wander into social territory, the conversation ends - abruptly. Inasmuch as I argue for business, just as strongly, as I argue against corporations, conservatives don't even mention social issues.
I think the key to this success is that corporations are things. Since people are people, not things, people side with people. That said, I can argue rather persuasively anything I truly believe, and I honestly think, feel, believe and know that corporations are pure evil.
I will memorize your summary suggestion. No one seems to like big corporations, even the extreme right. Your recommendations just might work. Worth a try. Thanks. Hugs, D~
DGreiger, I apologize for taking so much of your time. But.... I would really appreciate hearing about your experience with that summary of Project 2025.
Hi Raffey, I don't want to put in that much work. I have to manage my sanity. LOL :) I have learned how to set my own boundaries.
Even when I first discovered this document and downloaded it for safe keeping, for fear it would disappear, I did not read it straight through, only bits and parts of it. However, I did join a group online that was breaking it down, summarizing, and sending weekly emails. They made it much easier and quicker to understand, plus it didn't overwhelm me emotionally. Super easy, how they had it set up, "What this or that means in your state" and you clicked and read.
That was well before the election, I discontinued that newsletter after Trumpet won. I have moved onto to more passive/aggressive actions, warning my husband that if I get caught, it will cost us, but to me it's well worth it. I got a thumbs up!
I'm putting stickers on 'things' all around town, at the gas station, at the grocery stores, on 'things' in parking lots. They have potent messages! I'm being vague on purpose. LOL Along with joining local protests and donating to other sources, keeping up with my favorite writers here and Medium, and having non profit immigration number on speed dial, for when I see ICE, that's all I can handle. Btw they swooped up and got someone in the parking lot yesterday at our local Mexican food store, all on video, so this is where I am now. I don't want to theorize anymore, I just want to participate and see action. Thanks for the conversation. Hugs, D~
i too, was proud of Rep. Al Green. he DID something. he also said he is prepared to take his punishment. he has also already prepared articles of impeachment against Krasnov, AKA felon47, for 47's suggestion that the United States take over the Gaza Strip.
I have been trying to find out who the 10 ratfucker Democrats who voted to censure Al Green today, but I cannot currently locate this info. Anybody have a link? Marjorie Taylor Green, Bobert and many other fascists have disrupted official events in Congress in recent years but Al Green is censured for speaking out against GOP baloney?! Democrats who vote with the party of Traitors will be hearing from me. Anybody else? We are literally at war NOW and collaborators should be looking over their traitorous shoulders.
Yes. This is exactly our problem. If we had 10 GOP politicians ready to do the right thing, we could save our country tomorrow. Instead, we have 10 centrist Democrats who cozy up to the fascists. It's very upsetting.
I am so mad at this woman, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA) when I found out that one was from my state. I made a plan after discussing it with my hubby, since we don't live in her district, we will absolutely donate towards whoever is her running mate. Assuming she doesn't run uncontested. Plus, I'm making a phone call complaining about her behavior. Very upsetting indeed. Hugs, D~
When the news broke, I thought they were talking about Al Green the soul music singer. And actually "Let's Stay Together", "I'm Still In Love With You" and "You Ought To Be With Me" could be reworked into progressive political battle hymns...
My brother is a disabled veteran with a classified silver star from the first gulf war. He got screwed the first time Trump was in office as Orange Julius signed an exectuive order that resinded military veterans from receiving disability benefits from the VA and from social security as well. is income went from almost 4,000 dollars a month to less than 2,000 overnight. I told him and his veteran friends the weekend of the first executive orders this time and the mass firings that started that they need about two million veterans to start protesting. one million should hit the nation's capital and the other million should disperse out to capitals in red states and in congressional red districts. Tell them to "play" fair or let them know that you would like to be "thanked" for your service another way. The other item is for the Democratic party to hold the line and refuse to provide any vote to help raise the debt ceiling or do anything pass a budget. You have to stand firm for the game to tip back to non-zero sum then. These seem like daunting taks, but waiting for the courts to do what they are supposed to do can take a while. That is the nature of hhow our system is designed. Once John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had beef, parties got formed and we have had the chance of this lunacy we now have to arrive.
The Republicans have pushed us so far that our backs are against the wall. They are stripping people of their ability to live. They're just looking at numbers on a piece of paper but these are real people's lives. I think your advice is spot on.
I'm sorry for how your brother and the other vets have been treated. They deserve our greatest gratitude. Trump wouldn't even have a country to "f" up if it weren't for the brave service men and women who were willing to put their very lives on the line for this country. They don't deserve to be abandoned by this gov't. And yet, Trump EXPECTS to use our military to fulfill his every political whim? And after cutting of the head of three branches of military? The gall.
Oh hell yes! One of my seven degrees is a Master's in Decision Sciences. My concentration is in Game Theory. Our political system is what is called a "winner take all" system. That is what the Republicans are playing and they also have made it zero sum as well. The only way this does not end up as a catastrophy is to strike back as hard and play winner take all and zero sm hard enough for them to abandon zero sum. Once it gets to non-zero sum, then you can negotiate. Don't do it and you lose.
That's fascinating. This is the "tit for tat" game strategy right? Let me know if you want to write some articles about that. The academic angle relating to game strategy is something Medium would likely boost. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Man, Vincent, I'm intrigued. I'm not sure I understand what a non-zero sum situation would look like or what that would involve. But IF you could take all of the "moves in play" right now in the Executuve Branch and determine how they could be countered or neutralized by the Federal Courts, Dems and U.S. citizens to create an even playing field, or leave the Exec. Branch with no moves, to the benefit of all, I think you shd write that ultimate world-health program and get it to the Dems in D.C. ASAP to give them some moves toward that mutually beneficial end.
You make so many good points with which I happen to agree. (And btw, it really makes me mad when whenever I try to type in the word "happen" and auto-correct changes it to Hakeem, perhaps as in Jeffries. 🤔 God bless the man. I'm sure he means well, but there are street fighters and then there are cerebral antagonists and then there's a hybrid of both, the last one being for which this moment calls. We need to have that innate sense of right and wrong, an indignance toward what's wrong and an impassioned drive to stop at nothing to make it right. But, I digress.)
We all have different tolerance levels for injustice. Al Green met his long before that recent Trump address. No doubt, he's been studying injustice for a very long time and doesn't need anyone to interpret for him when he sees it. He was talking about the impeachment of Trump weeks ago. He's biding his time, building a case.
There was a time in life when we could spot a BSer a mile away and everyone knew it, but we kind of tolerated that person, politely looking the other way, or have him a slight wave of of the hand or maybe even got a kick out of him. However, these are not those times. There's too much at stake.
Surprisingly, frustratingly, it's gotten harder and harder, even in these days of sophisticated search engines (I'm avoiding THAT name on purpose) and AI to know when something should be a true concern for us or if it's just more political theatre. Maybe they were counting on us getting so dizzy and confused with the onslaught of the 24-hour fake news cycle that we would just choose to numb out on social media sites and streaming instead. I suppose having the need to do "fact checks" online alone could strangely enough justify the need for the internet. Hmmm. 🤔. If there were not such blatant, widespread untruths would we really need it? Sure, we like it, but do we really need it? If not for having gotten so far removed from face-to-face interactions with our friends and family where we learn the nuances of communication like vocal inflections, tone or facial expressions we might be more capable of confidently calling a spade a spade, and not need to rely on a computer to tell us. And science has shown us and our children have become accustomed to a hit of dopamine about every 6 seconds due to the use of sites like Instagram and Snapchat where they communicate largely with pictures and very few words. The problem then arises for parents when it's family time is that if we take longer than 6 seconds to get to the point of our story we've lost their attention. They haven't gotten that dopamine hit and they're looking for it so they're of and running. On top of that, science also shows that the rewards center in our brains doesn't get lit up by texts, for instance. The brain likes facial expressions, inflections and intonations. These facts make me question why Bill Gates has announced he's going to be stopping Skype in May of this year when so many people derive comfort from seeing their college student's face when away at school or distant grandparents getting to talk to their grandkids. That's when you know the services are not really there just to enhance our lives, lest we ever thought that. It's about a company's bottom line. Of course, it's nice when we can do both.
There used to be a majority of the country who seemed to believe in choosing political leaders who had built-in moral compasses as we see corporate leaders upholding ethical standards and that everything seemed to be centered around "the common good." I feel very strongly we need to get back to that. And the ones leading the charge are those who can recall the old ways of civility, of propriety and human decency, true patriotism, which to me means the movement deep in one's gut to fight for what's right and good in this country - liberty and justice for all. I believe Al Green has that gut instinct right in his very bones. You can't buy it and you can't trade it. I suppose if Trump could tariff it he would. But whether or not people approved or disapproved of Rep. Green being a civil disruptor you can be sure that Al Green is on the mind of Donald Trump. (Btw, why isn't AI abbreviated as Ai?🙄) We all need to be receptive to the idea of acting when our time comes. Look for your openings.
It's hard to know when that moment will come for each of us when the churning in our guts turns into a swift kick to the stomach that can no longer be ignored, but I DO pray we all arrive at this point, together, divinely orchestrated by God himself, to join in the fight as one to protect the freedoms we all hold dear, whether in a small or large ways.
Something as small and as easy as canceling one's Prime Video account can not only SAVE YOU, at least, $14.99/mo., but it will COST Jeff Bezos of Amazon $2,998,000,000/mo.(B as in billion), or $35,976,000,000/yr., and we wonder how they got so rich (numbers based on a conservative 200,000,000 subscribers worldwide). He became so wealthy he purchased one of the ways we are fed our information - via the Washington Post. And freedom of speech is one area where our rights are being attacked right now. What we see in print we tend to believe and what we do not see in print we may never know. So beware and do those fact checks.
We fattened the billionaire's bank accounts with our hard-earned dollars as they, in turn, fattened us on the sofa streaming, at times, mindlessly, as a means of unwinding from our days or tuning out the chaos to dulling our critcal thinking OR fattened our heads driving around sleek-looking EV cars under the guise they're ecological, when ONE Tesla Model 3 battery can release between 2.4 and 16 metric tons of CO2, primarily from the mining stage. Isn't that the opposite of why we should move away from gas-powered vehicles? To reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere? Where are our regulations?
If there's one "ACT" we can do that's easy enough to do it's "tuning out" the Prime streaming so we can "tune into" our power as citizens and a consumers. Save ourselves some money while sending a huge message to the big corporate profiteers, while also maybe creating more opportunities to deepen our personal connections with whom those we live and love. When was the last time you discussed with your family not only how their days were, but how unions were formed and what it cost to get those paid work breaks and guaranteed overtime pay that most people more take for granted? Or about the protests against the Viet Nam war? and what we didn't accomplish over there at the cost of so many human lives? Just some thoughts.
We need to be active on opposing websites like x YouTube etc.flood the information websites with facts not the alternate reality that is currently flooding them from trumps 200billion website propagandists that WE are paying for use throwaway accounts created just for this purpose because you WILL be censored, doxxed,and attempted to be canceled But this is how we need to fight back to the point that we outnumber the felon in cheifs billion dollar 35 person social media group
I just left scathing messages for the 10 Democrats in the House who had the unmitigated GALL to vote WITH Republicans to censure Al Green---a brave Democrat who had the GUTS to do what they all should be doing! Opposing Republican fascists in every way possible.
The time for playing nice is over. These people will destroy us. We can’t wait for the midterms----what makes them think there will even BE midterms?
Bravo! Way to make your voice heard!
"The moment I saw what Al Green did, I stood up and began to applaud." So DID I plus, I voiced my approval so loudly (like I was at a sporting event, sad but true). I also loved seeing two women leave with the word "RESIST" on the backsides of their tee-shirts. Finding it a lot sad but realizing I'm on track since earlier that day I had spent some time deciding what my resistance protest attire was going to look this year. :) Don't give me shit, this is just me, I have to match. I settled on two from Etsy, a sweatshirt that shows red caped women white bonnet hats with BOLD letters stating, "RESIST". The other is a tee-shirt that has the same logo, with words telling women "sisters arise". Of course, there is my trusty Levi jacket that has "thought pins" attached all over saying more direct messaging, mostly in R rated wording.
I tell myself, I must be brave in my mid size/rural town of 35,000. Because the last time, a bouncer type grocery clerk asked me what my Project 2025 pin was all about while checking out, when I told him and I made the mistake of saying you "should" instead of I "urge" you to check it out.
He scared the shit out of me as he changed his body language acting as if he was going to climb over the counter and then raised his voice and told me "NO one tells him what he "should" do. I left the store with my groceries trembling. The hate is so real.
Be careful. Be aware of your surroundings, and always have an exit plan when you RESIST.
My Lesson learned, I know better than to say "you should" that was a refresher moment. In my profession I know better. Also, this Natural Foods Store, does not/will not get our money very often as it once did. We've found other options. We now drive 20 minutes to shop at another healthier option store in another town. From us they lost 90% from our grocery budget. Hugs, D~
Those guys are going to find an excuse to be hostile no matter what you say. It was totally not your fault. But yes, you need to be safe. I've got a conversation planned with Will Fullwood tomorrow and we're going to talk about the way these bullies think, it'll be released as a podcast within a week. Stay safe! Thanks for resisting!
DGeiger, I can relate. My mother used to tell me, "don't should on yourself." and don't let anyone else should on you either". Mama was right: "should" is judgment. Whether its you judging yourself, or you judging someone else, or someone else judging you, its the symptom of a closed mind (as in case closed, no more discussion, end of story).
Like you, whenever I hear myself, or someone else use the word 'should' I stop and reconsider the situation.
That is good advice.
Like her mother, my mother was a well-loved and respected woman - and advice like that is the reason.
Yes. Agreed. That is why I said, "Lesson learned" and that it was a refresher, a reminder for myself. My thoughts at the time was that this 2025 document is huge 800 pages. I would not be able to quickly summarize it for the clerk. My field is in Human Development and a graduate degree in Psychology. It was like Oh shit, I do know better. :( On the brighter side after realizing my how I had triggered him, for days I got myself back into the habit of saying, "urge" instead of "should". LOL Even my husband caught on. It was never meant to be a judgement. Your mother was wise. Hugs, D~ :)
DGrieger, lol. You describe my brain whenever I did some shoulding. It really does take a couple days to get my brain back on track.
Hugs to you for reading Project 2025. As for summarizing that beastly plan, I offer you my summary... "Project 2025 is a plan to replace Democracy with Corporate Rule."
DGrieger ;), now that I know where you're coming from, I want to ask for your insight... So far, in conversations with conservatives, my Project 2025 summary has evoked such strong reactions against corporations, its opened the door to really productive conversations. Of course, I have to make sure I stick to corporations, cause if I wander into social territory, the conversation ends - abruptly. Inasmuch as I argue for business, just as strongly, as I argue against corporations, conservatives don't even mention social issues.
I think the key to this success is that corporations are things. Since people are people, not things, people side with people. That said, I can argue rather persuasively anything I truly believe, and I honestly think, feel, believe and know that corporations are pure evil.
I will memorize your summary suggestion. No one seems to like big corporations, even the extreme right. Your recommendations just might work. Worth a try. Thanks. Hugs, D~
DGreiger, I apologize for taking so much of your time. But.... I would really appreciate hearing about your experience with that summary of Project 2025.
Hi Raffey, I don't want to put in that much work. I have to manage my sanity. LOL :) I have learned how to set my own boundaries.
Even when I first discovered this document and downloaded it for safe keeping, for fear it would disappear, I did not read it straight through, only bits and parts of it. However, I did join a group online that was breaking it down, summarizing, and sending weekly emails. They made it much easier and quicker to understand, plus it didn't overwhelm me emotionally. Super easy, how they had it set up, "What this or that means in your state" and you clicked and read.
That was well before the election, I discontinued that newsletter after Trumpet won. I have moved onto to more passive/aggressive actions, warning my husband that if I get caught, it will cost us, but to me it's well worth it. I got a thumbs up!
I'm putting stickers on 'things' all around town, at the gas station, at the grocery stores, on 'things' in parking lots. They have potent messages! I'm being vague on purpose. LOL Along with joining local protests and donating to other sources, keeping up with my favorite writers here and Medium, and having non profit immigration number on speed dial, for when I see ICE, that's all I can handle. Btw they swooped up and got someone in the parking lot yesterday at our local Mexican food store, all on video, so this is where I am now. I don't want to theorize anymore, I just want to participate and see action. Thanks for the conversation. Hugs, D~
i too, was proud of Rep. Al Green. he DID something. he also said he is prepared to take his punishment. he has also already prepared articles of impeachment against Krasnov, AKA felon47, for 47's suggestion that the United States take over the Gaza Strip.
I have been trying to find out who the 10 ratfucker Democrats who voted to censure Al Green today, but I cannot currently locate this info. Anybody have a link? Marjorie Taylor Green, Bobert and many other fascists have disrupted official events in Congress in recent years but Al Green is censured for speaking out against GOP baloney?! Democrats who vote with the party of Traitors will be hearing from me. Anybody else? We are literally at war NOW and collaborators should be looking over their traitorous shoulders.
Yes. This is exactly our problem. If we had 10 GOP politicians ready to do the right thing, we could save our country tomorrow. Instead, we have 10 centrist Democrats who cozy up to the fascists. It's very upsetting.
I am so mad at this woman, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA) when I found out that one was from my state. I made a plan after discussing it with my hubby, since we don't live in her district, we will absolutely donate towards whoever is her running mate. Assuming she doesn't run uncontested. Plus, I'm making a phone call complaining about her behavior. Very upsetting indeed. Hugs, D~
0 Democrats who voted with Republicans to censure Al Green:
Ami Bera (CA)
Ed Case (HI)
Jim Costa (CA)
Laura Gillen (NY)
Jim Himes (CT)
Chrissy Houlahan (PA) Marcy Kaptur (OH)
Jared Moskowitz (FL) Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA)
Tom Suozzi (NY)
I don’t know what’s going on with Moskowitz. Sometimes I wonder if he’s the House’s version of Fetterman.
See my comment below
Walter, my favorite quotes from this piece!
“Show some strength. Show some resistance. Show that we're not going to give up our country without a fight!
To have somebody actually do that and then have people who claim to be allies immediately start to criticize him for it is infuriating!”
It's easy to say, “That isn't going to work.”
It's a lot harder to put yourself out there and suggest something that actually will.”
Agree 100%. I'm so disappointed with the lackluster performance of the Democrats. Milquetoasts, all of them.
I originally had the word Milquetoast in this article, but I thought I took it out. :)
When the news broke, I thought they were talking about Al Green the soul music singer. And actually "Let's Stay Together", "I'm Still In Love With You" and "You Ought To Be With Me" could be reworked into progressive political battle hymns...
Yes, the singer came up when I was doing some research for this.
My brother is a disabled veteran with a classified silver star from the first gulf war. He got screwed the first time Trump was in office as Orange Julius signed an exectuive order that resinded military veterans from receiving disability benefits from the VA and from social security as well. is income went from almost 4,000 dollars a month to less than 2,000 overnight. I told him and his veteran friends the weekend of the first executive orders this time and the mass firings that started that they need about two million veterans to start protesting. one million should hit the nation's capital and the other million should disperse out to capitals in red states and in congressional red districts. Tell them to "play" fair or let them know that you would like to be "thanked" for your service another way. The other item is for the Democratic party to hold the line and refuse to provide any vote to help raise the debt ceiling or do anything pass a budget. You have to stand firm for the game to tip back to non-zero sum then. These seem like daunting taks, but waiting for the courts to do what they are supposed to do can take a while. That is the nature of hhow our system is designed. Once John Adams and Thomas Jefferson had beef, parties got formed and we have had the chance of this lunacy we now have to arrive.
The Republicans have pushed us so far that our backs are against the wall. They are stripping people of their ability to live. They're just looking at numbers on a piece of paper but these are real people's lives. I think your advice is spot on.
I'm sorry for how your brother and the other vets have been treated. They deserve our greatest gratitude. Trump wouldn't even have a country to "f" up if it weren't for the brave service men and women who were willing to put their very lives on the line for this country. They don't deserve to be abandoned by this gov't. And yet, Trump EXPECTS to use our military to fulfill his every political whim? And after cutting of the head of three branches of military? The gall.
Be well!
Christy 🇺🇲❤️🕊
Oh hell yes! One of my seven degrees is a Master's in Decision Sciences. My concentration is in Game Theory. Our political system is what is called a "winner take all" system. That is what the Republicans are playing and they also have made it zero sum as well. The only way this does not end up as a catastrophy is to strike back as hard and play winner take all and zero sm hard enough for them to abandon zero sum. Once it gets to non-zero sum, then you can negotiate. Don't do it and you lose.
That's fascinating. This is the "tit for tat" game strategy right? Let me know if you want to write some articles about that. The academic angle relating to game strategy is something Medium would likely boost. Thanks for the thoughtful comment!
Man, Vincent, I'm intrigued. I'm not sure I understand what a non-zero sum situation would look like or what that would involve. But IF you could take all of the "moves in play" right now in the Executuve Branch and determine how they could be countered or neutralized by the Federal Courts, Dems and U.S. citizens to create an even playing field, or leave the Exec. Branch with no moves, to the benefit of all, I think you shd write that ultimate world-health program and get it to the Dems in D.C. ASAP to give them some moves toward that mutually beneficial end.
(OR create a game that shows them how)! ;)
Be well!
Christy 🇺🇲❤️🕊
Jim Himes
You are SO RIGHT! We should be saying MORE MORE MORE of this kind of challenging action!!! Hooray for Al Green!
I love this entry of yours! Bravo!
You make so many good points with which I happen to agree. (And btw, it really makes me mad when whenever I try to type in the word "happen" and auto-correct changes it to Hakeem, perhaps as in Jeffries. 🤔 God bless the man. I'm sure he means well, but there are street fighters and then there are cerebral antagonists and then there's a hybrid of both, the last one being for which this moment calls. We need to have that innate sense of right and wrong, an indignance toward what's wrong and an impassioned drive to stop at nothing to make it right. But, I digress.)
We all have different tolerance levels for injustice. Al Green met his long before that recent Trump address. No doubt, he's been studying injustice for a very long time and doesn't need anyone to interpret for him when he sees it. He was talking about the impeachment of Trump weeks ago. He's biding his time, building a case.
There was a time in life when we could spot a BSer a mile away and everyone knew it, but we kind of tolerated that person, politely looking the other way, or have him a slight wave of of the hand or maybe even got a kick out of him. However, these are not those times. There's too much at stake.
Surprisingly, frustratingly, it's gotten harder and harder, even in these days of sophisticated search engines (I'm avoiding THAT name on purpose) and AI to know when something should be a true concern for us or if it's just more political theatre. Maybe they were counting on us getting so dizzy and confused with the onslaught of the 24-hour fake news cycle that we would just choose to numb out on social media sites and streaming instead. I suppose having the need to do "fact checks" online alone could strangely enough justify the need for the internet. Hmmm. 🤔. If there were not such blatant, widespread untruths would we really need it? Sure, we like it, but do we really need it? If not for having gotten so far removed from face-to-face interactions with our friends and family where we learn the nuances of communication like vocal inflections, tone or facial expressions we might be more capable of confidently calling a spade a spade, and not need to rely on a computer to tell us. And science has shown us and our children have become accustomed to a hit of dopamine about every 6 seconds due to the use of sites like Instagram and Snapchat where they communicate largely with pictures and very few words. The problem then arises for parents when it's family time is that if we take longer than 6 seconds to get to the point of our story we've lost their attention. They haven't gotten that dopamine hit and they're looking for it so they're of and running. On top of that, science also shows that the rewards center in our brains doesn't get lit up by texts, for instance. The brain likes facial expressions, inflections and intonations. These facts make me question why Bill Gates has announced he's going to be stopping Skype in May of this year when so many people derive comfort from seeing their college student's face when away at school or distant grandparents getting to talk to their grandkids. That's when you know the services are not really there just to enhance our lives, lest we ever thought that. It's about a company's bottom line. Of course, it's nice when we can do both.
There used to be a majority of the country who seemed to believe in choosing political leaders who had built-in moral compasses as we see corporate leaders upholding ethical standards and that everything seemed to be centered around "the common good." I feel very strongly we need to get back to that. And the ones leading the charge are those who can recall the old ways of civility, of propriety and human decency, true patriotism, which to me means the movement deep in one's gut to fight for what's right and good in this country - liberty and justice for all. I believe Al Green has that gut instinct right in his very bones. You can't buy it and you can't trade it. I suppose if Trump could tariff it he would. But whether or not people approved or disapproved of Rep. Green being a civil disruptor you can be sure that Al Green is on the mind of Donald Trump. (Btw, why isn't AI abbreviated as Ai?🙄) We all need to be receptive to the idea of acting when our time comes. Look for your openings.
It's hard to know when that moment will come for each of us when the churning in our guts turns into a swift kick to the stomach that can no longer be ignored, but I DO pray we all arrive at this point, together, divinely orchestrated by God himself, to join in the fight as one to protect the freedoms we all hold dear, whether in a small or large ways.
Something as small and as easy as canceling one's Prime Video account can not only SAVE YOU, at least, $14.99/mo., but it will COST Jeff Bezos of Amazon $2,998,000,000/mo.(B as in billion), or $35,976,000,000/yr., and we wonder how they got so rich (numbers based on a conservative 200,000,000 subscribers worldwide). He became so wealthy he purchased one of the ways we are fed our information - via the Washington Post. And freedom of speech is one area where our rights are being attacked right now. What we see in print we tend to believe and what we do not see in print we may never know. So beware and do those fact checks.
We fattened the billionaire's bank accounts with our hard-earned dollars as they, in turn, fattened us on the sofa streaming, at times, mindlessly, as a means of unwinding from our days or tuning out the chaos to dulling our critcal thinking OR fattened our heads driving around sleek-looking EV cars under the guise they're ecological, when ONE Tesla Model 3 battery can release between 2.4 and 16 metric tons of CO2, primarily from the mining stage. Isn't that the opposite of why we should move away from gas-powered vehicles? To reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere? Where are our regulations?
If there's one "ACT" we can do that's easy enough to do it's "tuning out" the Prime streaming so we can "tune into" our power as citizens and a consumers. Save ourselves some money while sending a huge message to the big corporate profiteers, while also maybe creating more opportunities to deepen our personal connections with whom those we live and love. When was the last time you discussed with your family not only how their days were, but how unions were formed and what it cost to get those paid work breaks and guaranteed overtime pay that most people more take for granted? Or about the protests against the Viet Nam war? and what we didn't accomplish over there at the cost of so many human lives? Just some thoughts.
Be well!
Christy 🇺🇲❤️🕊
The 10 are: Ami Bera, Ed Case, Jared Moskowitz, Jim Costa, Laura Gilles, Jim Himrs, Chrissy Houlahan, Tom Suozzi, Marie Perez
Bingo!
Another good piece, one that I whole-heartedly agree with. (I, too, applauded.)
We need to be active on opposing websites like x YouTube etc.flood the information websites with facts not the alternate reality that is currently flooding them from trumps 200billion website propagandists that WE are paying for use throwaway accounts created just for this purpose because you WILL be censored, doxxed,and attempted to be canceled But this is how we need to fight back to the point that we outnumber the felon in cheifs billion dollar 35 person social media group