Why Did We Show Up?

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For at least a week leading up to October 18th  Republicans desperately tried to rebrand the NO KING’S RALLIES as a hate America, Soros funded, Antifa organized, Hamas allied, insurrection oriented, events. In the end, their rally rebranding efforts failed as spectacularly as their attempts to paint Portland as violent while ICE officers pointed guns at blow-up frogs. So what was the Republican response? The president posted a video of himself flying a bomber jet labeled KING TRUMP, wearing a crown with an incorrectly positioned oxygen mask, and dumping brown liquid on protesters. His goal was to humiliate, and embarrass his opposition. But the bomber plane backfired. In a big beautiful visual the president of the United States told the world exactly what he thinks of Americans. There’s no defending it: this would-be Emperor has no clothes no matter how desperately the Republicans in Washington try to cover him up.

Honestly–none of us should be surprised.

On October 18th an estimated 7 million people let the president and his enablers know what we think: Americans have had enough! We’re sounding the alarm and we’re ready to fight! More and more of us have been impacted by the administration’s dangerous healthcare cuts and radical immigration policies, including sending military forces into US cities. Few, if any, of us ever believed giving more money to the already wealthy made any kind of sense. And, most of us are angry about all his illegal or extralegal activities–demolishing the East Wing of The White House; bombing boats in the Caribbean AKA murdering 27 people in international waters without producing a shred of evidence of their wrong-doing; extracting bribes from colleges and universities, media outlets and corporate entities, as well as foreign countries; weaponizing the DOJ for personal political gain, and playing chicken with the economy by yo-yoing tariffs, deregulating financial protection agencies, and bailing out Argentina–to the tune of $40 billion dollars.

For the Democrats in Congress the Republican’s healthcare cuts were a bridge too far. They finally stood up. The message was clear: ALL Americans deserve accessible, affordable healthcare. The government shutdown. Republican’s continue to try and blame Schumer and Jeffries and democrats in general. BUT THE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND: Republicans have control. Republicans voted to take healthcare away. Republicans refuse to negotiate! Republicans shutdown the government. And the president and his minions are dismantling Democracy as fast as they can!

That’s why THE PEOPLE SHOWED UP!

And from here on out, if change is going to happen in the mid-terms, Democrats nation wide need to continue to show up. Each and every candidate must connect their talking points to what average Americans are experiencing. And every talking point must also have an action point! Americans are not only tired of a wannabe king they’re sick of a Do-nothing Congress.

  • The president’s illegal tariffs destabilize our economy. Investors become nervous and job creation slows down. Congress MUST take back its role of the purse.
  • Hardened criminals and drug lords don’t work at Home Depot or the local pizzeria. Stop targeting hard working immigrants. We must build realistic pathways to citizenship and go after criminals.
  • Tax cuts for the wealth don’t lower the price of coffee and bacon. They line the pockets of the already rich. It’s time for the wealthy to pay out of their abundance and share the wealth.
  • A cap on Social Security unduly burdens the middle class. Remove the cap.
  • Frivolous law suits against the president’s enemy list are a waste of taxpayer dollars and a distraction from our actual problems. Return the DOJ’s political independence.
  • Federal troops are NOT trained law enforcement and do not belong on American streets. Their presence suppresses every day activity, creates an atmosphere of fear, and costs taxpayer billions. Recall the National guard.
  • Warrantless ICE raids go against the Constitution, threaten every American’s, and terrorize entire communities. ICE must follow regular police procedures.

The ideals expressed in our Declaration of Independence and US Constitution–free speech, the right to assemble, personal autonomy, and judicial accountability–are worth the fight. To reach these ideals, we must acknowledge the tension between where we have stood and where we should be. We will progress toward these ideals by learning from the past and refusing to stand still. And we will win our fight by joining together. 7 million protestors showed up to sound the alarm. Millions more stand in the wings. According to these patriots–fascism cannot have the United States of America without a fight, even when the enemy of our ideals comes at us from within. “We should not have to protect Democracy from a wannabe king”–but we will!

Who Foots the Bill?

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The Federal Government has shut down. Without a doubt the most vulnerable–the poor, the infirm, those without homes, those on fixed incomes, veterans, children, and the elderly–will bear the brunt of the closure. But here’s the rub–their suffering was already in the works. This administration and the GOP enablers in Congress have already shown us–they don’t care about the vulnerable among us. In fact, they seem pretty determined to make even more people vulnerable. Republicans decided, with their BIG BILL to keep their president happy by threatening the healthcare of Americans, by give tax breaks to the wealthy, and by completely over fund the brutality of an unaccountable ICE agency. These priorities mattered to them more than their constituents.

The reason Democrats could not, in the end, vote for the CR to keep the government open is because they were never included in the budget discussions. Republicans simply refused to negotiate. They wouldn’t even consider extending the ACA subsidies or reversing cuts to Medicaid. Their decision, if left unchallenged, would leave hundreds of thousands of Americans without insurance and millions with considerably higher premiums. So, Dems picked one issue–out of the many they could chose from–to focus the country’s attention on: Healthcare.

With the country watching, Dems have one chance to communicate to the American people just how damaged our country is under the current administration. Republicans are counting on their ability to lie and point fingers (AKA blame undocumented migrants even though it is impossible for them to qualify for any of the services Dems are talking about) to keep their constituents in line. After all, lying and blaming is a strategy that’s worked for the GOP in the past, why not try it again?! 

Of the 31 states that receive more money from the federal government than they send to the federal government 18 are considered Red states. If fully enacted, the Republican budget bill will strip those states of federal healthcare dollars. Rural hospitals will close (if they haven’t begun to do so already), and healthcare premiums will sky rocket, some by as much as 300%. 

Blue states typically send more money to the federal government than they receive from the federal government. Red states do just the opposite. (There is at least a 7% differential). In a recent announcement from this administration, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, is impounding already approved federal funds for projects in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington. (The states in bold are among those that send more money to the federal government than they receive). Not only is this action illegal, it is a calculated attempt by the Federal Government to inflict pain on US citizens in Blue states. 

Given this administration’s desire to weaponize the federal government against Blue State, in combination with their preferred tactic of shoving the financial burden for all kinds of programs onto the states, it sure would be nice if Blue States could refuse to pay federal taxes and instead just decide to take care of their own. When federal dollars began to dry up completely, especially for the 18 Red states that depend on it, I bet we would see at least a few of those Red states turning Blue. It is a crime, however, to refuse to pay our taxes.

Still, taxation without representation was enough to cause a revolution when this nation was birthed. Will it be enough to cause the people to rise up in protest today? To support the Democrats who are willing to take a stand? Can we amass the famed 3.5% of the people needed to topple an authoritarian regime? Are we willing to foot the bill for legitimate representation in Congress and for the health and welfare of our families, our friends, and our communities? We will soon find out. In the meantime, get ready to meet the needs around you. If you have–give. If you have not–join together. We are better together.

Who Will Stand Up? 

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The current administration is breaking the law. It is stripping Americans of healthcare. It is taxing all of us via tariffs. It is militarizing our streets, and has physically assaulted peaceful protesters and bystanders. It is murdering people in international waters. And, it is turning the Department of Justice into the president’s personal vendetta machine.

Meanwhile Democratic leaders have been wringing their hand, unsure about what they should do and how they should talk about it. The pundits and political commentators have gone on talkshows and podcasts and debated the pros and cons of a government shutdown. Is this a fight Dems can win? What do they do if it goes more than a couple days? How do they explain their position to the voters when the Republicans lie and blame the whole thing on them? They’re really bad communicators, you know. And, what about the midterms?

Democracy, the rule of law, the freedom of speech, the freedom to assemble, and the freedom of the press are more than at risk. These foundational principles of a functioning FREE and civil society are being destroyed. Right. Before. Our F#@%ING. Eyes! I know it’s not popular to be WOKE, but for God’s sake people: Wake Up!

Did some unknown voices say some inappropriate things about Charlie Kirk’s death? Absolutely. But while every Democratic leader, from former presidents to current talking heads, spoke out strongly condemning political violence, the president, vice president, members of his cabinet, the speaker of the house, Fox News, and others blamed, threatened, and turned up the heat. People in and outside of government, educators, and media personalities have been fired or suspended because of their comments, not because they’ve broken the law but rather, because they were critical of Kirk, made light of Charlie’s death, or horror of horrors, criticized the president. US citizens can’t be on the streets in certain areas of the country for fear unidentified ICE agents will grab them or assault them. Yet, the president just issued an EO that could make the mere “calling for ICE agents to be unmasked” the equivalent of doxing which is prosecutable as a federal crime.

Do Dems really need talking points for why the government should be shut down? How about: WE WON’T BE COMPLICIT IN THE ILLEGAL ACTIVITY OF THIS ADMINISTRATION! Or maybe: Until this administration and the Republican Congress decide the needs of the average American outweigh those of the Billionaire class and actually come to the negotiating table in earnest, Dems will call out their bullsh!#.

The president’s doublespeak is straight out of Orwell’s 1984 and the general public is just as disengaged as Orwell’s society. For the love of God, folks, the president is calling the left terrorists while holding our country hostage. He promised to end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine but has done nothing to hold the aggressors accountable. He promised to bring down inflation yet his on again off again on again tariffs (on everyone but Russia) have destabilized economies across the world and kept prices high in America. He’s manipulated mass media to “see things his way” through bogus, personal, lawsuits they have willingly settled and by threatening (via the US government) their FCC licenses. He has accepted bribes from foreign countries in the form of planes and a gold plaque not to mention investments in his families crypto currency, while blocking all US foreign aid that had already been promised. And then there’s the fact that he’s paying (with our tax dollars) countries, like El Salvador, to imprison unprocessed deportees from America. The criminality of all his behavior is in plain sight but he wants the Epstein files kept under lock and key.

My rant is not hyperbole. The damage, the immorality, the criminality, is right out in the open. And the Democratic leadership acts as if it’s business as usual–find a talking point that’s easy to communicate and all will be fine. WE ARE NOT FINE! NONE OF THIS IS FINE!

I personally doubt the current Democratic leadership has the backbone for this fight. I hope they surprise me but I’m not holding my breath. So, if we are going to turn the tide, if this is the moment the pursuits of self determination, freedom from oppression, and justice for all renew their hold on the American psyche, it will be up to the people to make it happen. I believe standing against a corrupt wannabe king (He’s changing the name of everything else, why not change the name of the president.) is a fight worth the risk. I hope others do as well.

That said, I must admit less privileged Americans than I will suffer more greatly than I should the shutdown, like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, last indefinitely. The administration thinks a shutdown will make their goals–firing everyone who is not absolutely loyal to them and rebuilding the government in their own image–easier. We must prove them wrong.

We can feel overwhelmed or we can fight back. People will be hurt either way. Those of us who have, must help those who lack. Like many faith communities–early day Christians, the Jews in the holocaust, and Muslims during the occupation of Sarajevo–we must be ready to band together, to meet one another’s needs, and to stay in it for the long haul. The midterms aren’t the end goal; they’re merely one sign post on a very long journey.

A Man Is Dead

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Many woke up this morning in shock, outraged, saddened, and numb. One of their heroes was assassinated moments after making a flippant remark about the number of transgender mass shooters there have been in the US. THIS was not a mass shooting event, though a mass shooting did occur one state over, in Colorado. No, in this instance, a lone gunman, with a high powered rifle, murdered Mr. Kirk. As of this writing the perpetrator has not been apprehended, though authorities believe they located the weapon and questioned two people of interest before releasing them later in the day.

Unsurprisingly, Charlie Kirk’s death is already being politicized. (And no, it is not a “distraction” from the Epstein mess; most can hold more than one issue in tension at a time). The president, took the lead, ordered flags to be flown at half mast, and ironically pointed an angry finger at the left while decrying violence predicate by political outrage. Many Democratic figures, including: Biden, Obama, AOC, Newsom, Clinton, Gov. Pritzker, Schumer, and Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman, who himself was a victim of a politically motivated shooting–spoke out against such violence as an answer to our problems. Speaker Johnson called for a moment of silence on the House floor but a bitter shouting match ensued instead. And, talk shows, podcast, and influencers across the country all seem to have a finger to point, a point to be made, a reason, an excuse, some kind of analysis to add. But the fact remains–a man is dead.

Charlie Kirk could be my son but it isn’t just age that separates us. I don’t think I share a single political or religious philosophy with Kirk, though I, too, would call myself a Christian and a patriot. So, how is it that two people who self identify in the same way could be, in all the ways they walk out those identities, so far a part? We are blind, grabbing the “elephant” in front of us, and declaring to the world what an elephant is, despite the fact we are only using one part of an elephant–the trunk, the tail, the tusk–to inform our declarations.

A man is dead. His wife and children will need to navigate the rest of their lives without him. No one in his life woke up yesterday (9.10.25) morning thinking that by end of day he would be gone and their lives would be forever changed. From the looks of it, most Americans will not allow Charlie Kirk’s death to cause them a moment of self reflection. Many have already begun spinning it to advance their own agendas. In truth, most, if not all, who are at this moment talking about the tragedy are doing just that.

I am.

I hope, in writing this blog, I inspire a moment of engagement on the part of any who read it. I hope readers will stop their busy thoughts and ask themselves: How can I change the trajectory of our country with regard to violent solutions to our problems? How do we get off the merry-go-round of blaming and villainizing and fear mongering and land on solid ground from which we can grow in our understanding of the bigger picture and all the players?

Charlie Kirk is dead. I am not among his mourners. Yet, I pity the person who cannot see this event as a tragedy or take a moment to ask–In what piece of this did I play a part?

 

I Could Live to be 100 and Still…

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I could live to be 100 and won’t ever understand how the Church I grew up in–spent most of my adult life serving–and the Party my father–a man of moral integrity with a strong commitment to service and community–swore by, could end up so out of sync with every principle I was taught at home or in the pews. I cannot reconcile “a government of, by, and for the people” with the fascist oligarchy currently calling the shots, and the full-throated support from the religious Right. It is incomprehensible that self professed Christians have, not only allowed but actually support taking food from children, shuttering rural hospitals, lining the pockets of the Billionaire Class, and funding the caging of immigrants–without due process–in concentration camps surrounded by alligators.

But here we are.

98% of Republicans in the 119th Congress “identify” as Christians. Fewer than 1% rejected the Budget Bill signed by the president on the 4th of July. When I saw the results of the vote, I started shaking. I literally turned off my computer; it was so difficult to witness what America had done. Five Republicans–Rep. Thomas Massie (KY), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Sen. Paul Rand (KY), Sen. Susan Collins (ME), and Sen. Thom Tillis (NC)–joined every Democrat and Independent to vote NO. But it was not enough.

The result?

We can now look forward to millions of people losing their healthcare, hundreds of thousands spent on additional medicaid administrative costs rather than real services, and the closure of countless rural clinics and hospitals. Over a quarter million elderly, children, and veterans will lose their SNAP benefits (food assistance) due to new burdensome reporting requirements. Once this assistance is cut it can take three year to get it back.  Additionally, public education will see more and more funding diverted to private schools through vouchers. Taxpayers who “donate” to a school voucher programs can get a 100% tax credit. But remember: private schools aren’t subject to public school curriculum requirements. They aren’t required to enroll every child who applies regardless of gender, race, or religious affiliation. Nor are they required to accommodate disabilities or learning differences. Many children will be left behind.

Finally (though it isn’t the last concerning element in this legislation, just the last I’ll mention now), Americans can expect to see more militarized ICE agents in more cities throughout the country. Why? Because in the new budget Homeland security (a tiny sliver of America’s military) gets over $100 billion dollars a year, the majority of which is labeled “discretionary” spending. In other words, they can do with it what they want. Only three countries in the world spend more than $100 billion on their country’s entire military, and one of those is the United States. The budget for ICE alone increased five fold from $8 billion dollars to $45 billion. How many concentration camps can you build with that kind of money? And who in the hell do we plan to put in them? With 48 million immigrants in the US today, 75% of whom are documented, the new budget allocates over $9 million dollars per immigrant. When ICE has finished rounding up, detaining, and deporting all the brown skinned people they can find, other perceived “enemies” will undoubtedly follow. Already the fear-mongering rhetoric from this administration has targeted members of LGBTQ+ communities, muslim Americans, and anyone–including the media–who expresses a view contrary to their own.

When the public understands what’s in this bill, they hate it. The problem is, our electorate is uninformed and disengaged, Dems have a trust problem, and figuring out how to inform voters before the next election will be tricky. Republicans don’t want their constituents to feel the punch before they’re re-elected thus several of the cuts to services the poor, disabled, and elderly rely on are slated to take place AFTER the mid-terms. This fact will make it more difficult for Dems to raise awareness among voters because the voters won’t yet feel the pinch. Additionally, Republicans added a few benefits for the working class, like no taxes on tips and a standard deduction for seniors. They will undoubtedly champion these in the run up to the midterms. But surprise, surprise, those benefits are scheduled to expire in 2028. The tax cuts for the wealthy, on the other hand, are permanent.

Democracies turn into authoritarian regimes when privilege allows us to disengage. The combination of misinformation and fear-mongering sets the stage for the loss of individual rights. First to be separated out are the smaller slivers of the population that can be painted as less than or dangerous, groups few others have a connection to, like immigrants and trans athletes. Next, the allies of those already under attack are targeted. When the bullying is successful the fearful are silenced and those not yet impacted intentionally look away. Eventually, the disengagement opens the door to bolder and more serious assertions of power and losses of freedom. This is the stage we’re in on our trek toward totalitarianism.

Given the Republican’s assault on voting rights, their legislative efforts to restrict access to the ballot, and their insistence that every election that doesn’t go their way is fraudulent, I fear civic minded Americans may only have one relatively free and fair election in our future–the 2026 mid terms. What is alarming is that over a third of eligible adults didn’t bother to vote in the last election. Americans have done impossible things in the past, like coming back from the attack on Pearl Harbor. But, we’ve never had to fight our own government before. SCOTUS and Congress have never before aligned with (or capitulated to) a white nationalist dictator intent on suppressing all opposition, lining his own pocket, and treating everything he does like a transaction with a winner–Himself–and a loser–everyone else. Democrats, Progressives, and Independents, who understand what is at stake, will need to work harder than they have ever had to work before in order to revive our Republic the easy way. Our nation is hemorrhaging its life blood–freedom, justice, equality, diversity, self-determination, and opportunity. What will you do to stop the bleeding?

 

Is It Any Wonder

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The question Why did Dems lose in 2025 has been bandied about–a lot.  In fact, I just finished listened to Jake Tapper’s and Alex Thompson’s book, Original Sin, which addresses that question in a less than subtle fashion. While there are probably as many reasons Dems lost in 2024 as there are people who didn’t vote, a few have gained big enough microphones to be heard.  Many point their finger at Biden. Original Sin puts forth some compelling evidence to support that claim. Others blame the Right-wing propaganda machine and a feckless, fact-less media. A few suggest the replacement candidate–a black, woman–was the problem. Does anyone doubt that racism and sexism still get fed in this country?

But why this particular man? He’s a felon, a habitual liar, a bully, and a narcissist. A man more interested in looking big and strong than doing anything that resembles governing. He’s lazy and disinterested in everything that isn’t about him, winning.

Frankly those attributes explain a lot. Multiple factors came together to form the perfect 2025 election storm. First, years of chipping away at truth in media and blurring the lines between entertainment and news laid the groundwork for mis and dis-information to thrive. Secondly, an authoritarian white Christian Nationalist mind set mixed with wealth and power was given permission to come out from hiding. Sexism, Racism, xenophobia, and homophobia are real and the right fanned the flames. They spent a shit-ton of money finding “others” to blame for the real, but generally exaggerated problems, working class Americans faced. AND the President’s machismo tapped into the subtextual attitude of white male privilege that begs for someone else to do the mundane, to meet their needs, to fix the problems. And finally, years of not being seen or heard built both a complacent, ill-informed, and disillusioned electorate, 36% of whom failed to vote for either candidate, and an angry, frustrated, and fearful electorate 32% of whom voted for the president.

We can debate all day long whether or not our founding fathers would be shocked or pleased that people other than white, male landowners got the vote. The fact is, our Constitution made room for evolution and we evolved. But in the last 40 years we have also gotten lax. Liberals failed to preserve the progress we made in ways that maintains the pressure to stay the course. The comfort and collective affluence of the middle allowed us to ease up and take a break. Because, for a while, there were fewer voices to keep pushing forward (NOTE: I didn’t say upward).

Tuesday June 24, 2025, in what some talking heads have labeled a key indicator for the 2026 midterms, Zohran Mamdani a young progressive underdog WON the Democratic primary for the mayoral race in New York City. Despite establishment Dems, like Bill Clinton, endorsing and filling the coffers of his most significant opposition, former Governor Andrew Cuomo, the voters picked Mamdani. In fact, up until a few weeks ago pundits had basically given Cuomo the win, even while they bemoaned his “baggage”–particularly a sex scandal that made him resign his governorship. (Establishment Dems really couldn’t find a better option? Wow).

So, what message should “establishment Dems” receive from this “upset” (even though it’s only a primary)? How about: the Blue Party is out of touch. Or maybe: take your PAC money and stuff it! Or even: turn up your hearing aids, Boomers!! Young voters are trying to tell you something. The most relevant message Tapper’s and Thompson’s book, Original Sin, had for Dems has been echoed by the NYC mayoral primary–We the people deserve to be heard. Not placated or mollified. Not tossed a few table scraps. Not strung along with sound bite that never get translated into actual policy or law but make traditional Dems think they’re nice people.

Yes! Horrific things are happening to marginalized and maligned groups of people. (Americans ought to be angry). The GOP has lost its moral compass. (The old guard needs to do something). And, Democracy does matter. (To every single one of us–wake up)! But–and this is the main point–the people will no longer be bought off with the lesser of two evils politics. We have to start speaking the truth and working for the greater good, rather than the success of some at a cost to others. Listening that translates to messaging may sound different in Montana than it does in LA. But the values we all share–love of family, safe communities, a sustainable planet, personal autonomy, a living wage–must be universally understood in the actions we take to repair our broken parts. If the Democratic Party does not reorient itself as the authentic voice of the people, it deserves to suffer the same fate as the GOP. our journey would undoubtedly be a longer, treacherous, and more costly one but the voices of humanity cannot be silenced forever. It is time to self reflect and regain our self respect.

Unconscionable

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A pastor who has published anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ view assassinated one Minnesota State house leader and her husband and attempted to assassinate another Minnesota Congressman and his wife. Both representatives were Democrats. In the assassin’s vehicle the police found a list of targets–democrats and non-profit leaders, including those he killed and attempted to kill.  Several people on the far Right, including Senator Mike Lee, immediately began to paint the assassin as a Left-wing Marxist.  Instead of being called out by every other member of Congress their lies and obfuscation were repeated, excused, or ignored. The news cycle passed and we moved on to the next unconscionable act by this administration.

Sen. Alex Padilla interrupted Kristi Noam’s press conference. He clearly identified himself. Nevertheless, he was ushered out by armed agents, wrestled to the floor, and handcuffed. The Right immediately claimed he rushed the stage and threatened Noam. Video evidence contradicts their claims. New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested while escorting a defendant to immigration court. He asked ICE to present a judicial warrant and their response was to illegally arrest him instead. Video taken by his wife corroborates his position. Rep. LaMonica McIver was providing Congressional oversight at a detention facility in NJ when she was arrested and charged with interfering with an ICE agent. Those with her state she clearly did not obstruct or imped ICE operations. Each of these are incidents of ICE attempting to intimidate their opposition by making illegal arrests and violating the Constitution. But instead of causing Congressional investigations, the news cycle simply passed and we moved on to the next unconscionable act by this administration.

On Friday, June 13, 2025, against our president’s wishes, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyhu bombed Iran. Our President posted on Truth Social the next day that the US had “nothing to do with the attack.”  However, as reports began to flow in about Israel’s success, the President began to soften. On Tuesday, June 17, 2025, the president threatened Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, if Iran did not, “unconditionally surrender.” Iran’s leader responded by warning that US intervention would lead to “irreparable damage”. Then this Saturday, June 21, 2025, the President, against the wishes of Congress, against the wishes of the American people, and WITHOUT PROVOCATION, bombed Iran.

Sane analysts warned us, “in a second term we will be riding without guardrails.” Americans voted for him anyway. And then the horror show began. On again off again tariffs destabilized the economy. Politically motivated firings gutted oversight. Yes men in the Republican party pushing through a debt increasing, healthcare slashing, safety net cutting, billionaire funding budget. ICE is terrorizing work places, schools, courtrooms, and neighborhoods; is refusing to identify themselves, is unwilling to show warrants, is failing to provide due process. These actions have not been done to protect Americans from criminals but rather in order to fill Stephen Miller’s deportation quotas. Frankly, this administrations behavior has moved so far astray that I’ve run out of adjectives to describe it. Illegal–yes. Immoral–yes. Cruel–yes, self-serving, fascist, unconstitutional–yes, yes, and yes! But none of that has mattered.

Will the threat of war finally break through???

 

I Hit a Wall

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When You Hit a Writing Wall: Break Through Writer's Block - B2B Technology Copywriting - Kellé Campbell PR WriterI could feel it coming so didn’t exactly slam into it. Even so, knowing it was coming, sensing it getting closer and closer,  didn’t stop me from hitting it. When I hit, I quit. I stopped listening to my daily podcasts. I deleted Substacks from my e-mail without opening them. I stopped doom scrolling on FB. After one, maybe two posts I simply closed the tab. My own posting slowed to a crawl.

To fill the void (for lack of better word), I listened to fiction on audible. I played Wordle, and Connections, and Strands. I did the MINI NYT crossword. In the morning, I took my dogs for a walk. In the afternoon, I went out to my garden. I started digging up aberrant raspberry vines, and grass, and weeds–things I could kill. I planted veggies, flowers, grapes, and blackberries–things I could nurture. I built a compost bin and reworked a drip watering system. I got hot and sweaty and physically tired (which didn’t take particularly long).

It felt good.

As I worked in my yard, I thought about my son; Caleb passed away last August. His birthday was May 28th and I miss him terribly. He would be heartbroken by what is happening to this country, by the targeting of his community as well as others. Of course, he understood we weren’t in the best place even if Harris won, but this,…Not having to witness this, is the only good thing about Caleb not being here. Like me, I believe he would have had difficulty accepting that we chose this; that freedom loving, independent minded, Americans actually decided a convicted criminal; a habitual liar; a crude, petulant, narcissist; an authoritarian with no interest in the vast majority of American citizens, was our best option.

I still can’t wrap my head around the idea that most voters are either so racist, homophobic, sexist, and xenophobic themselves –OR–are so lazy, privileged, and ignorant that they willing turned the country over to a once failed president and his fascist cadre of “advisors” and sycophants. Yes, yes, yes, yes, 1000 times yes–Democrats are flawed. Both parties have a long history of giving financial influencers far too much power to set policy, to insist that the “common good” was best served when their interests were protected. Without question, unfettered power in the hands of the wealthy IS the single greatest reason we are now standing at the abyss.

But for the love of God people–WE ARE STANDING AT THE ABYSS! And it’s a hell of a long way down. WHAT are we going to do?

People have been, ARE BEING, kidnapped off our streets, out of their work places, from their homes, and schools, and places of worship. Masked men, without warrants or badges or IDs have grabbed US CITIZENS, legal immigrants, CHILDREN, and tossed them in unmarked vehicles in order to carry them away to God knows where. NO due process. NO contact with family. NO legal counsel. Some have been shipped out of state others out of the country. Yet the nightly news acts as if a dip in the stock market is more important. NEWS ALERT–without due process “being disappeared” can happen to YOU. This is the abyss.

Judges have been, ARE BEING, harassed, vilified and even arrested. Court orders ARE BEING ignored, including orders from the Supreme Court. Some Judges feel they must hire their own security because they can’t trust the US Marshall Service to protect them. The built in checks to unfettered power ARE BEING intimidated and the Republican controlled Congress–which is supposed to be the other form of checks and balances–has done almost nothing to stop the administration’s bullying. This is the abyss.

The president is overtly engaged in corruption. He’s broken the emollients clause in the Constitution by accepting and soliciting gifts from foreign governments. He allowed an unelected, unvetted billionaire with a major conflict of interest, to decimate government agencies, fire government employees, shut down investigations of his companies after spending over $270 million dollars to re-elect the president and other key republicans, and have access to our private information. The President is selling access to himself (and therefore the government) with million dollar a plate dinners at Mar-a-Lago. His yo-yo tariffs have allowed insiders to sell high and buy low as the stock market reacts. And while it’s not officially “corruption” the One Big Beautiful Bill, if passed, will put an additional $460,000 dollars into the pockets of the richest Americans while costing the lowest earners up to $1000 a year.  Plus, it adds trillions to the national debt. This is the abyss.

How can we just go about our lives like normal. Things are not normal. You might not be feeling the impact at this very moment but the tsunami is coming.

I wish I had an answer, a magic word to wake everyone up. I personally feel stuck and tired and helpless. The barriers we face (ignorance, apathy, fear) to reclaim our democracy, to re-establish a balance of power, and to fix what’s been broken in such a short time seems overwhelming. I look around, and while some others are also sounding the alarm, no one seems to have a plan. Who knows the way out of this surreal hell-scape called the American political system? I’ll rally. I’ll protest. I’ll keep speaking truth to power. But it’s going to take more than a 66 year old blogger but honestly, that’s all I have to offer.

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Thank you William Barber III, AOC, Bernie Sanders, Tim Miller, Heather Cox Richardson,…

 

 

 

The More I Learn

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Cardinal Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV, first US pontiff | Club of Mozambique Who Is Set to Attend Pope Francis' Funeral? What to Know

The more I learn about Pope Francis the bigger the loss feels. Good men, for the masses, are felt in their absence. Ruthless men, like the American president, are felt in real time. As I say that, I must admit, I don’t actually know a lot about the former Pope. His reputation is that he championed the poor, and took a vow of poverty for himself–living without the opulent trapping available to the office he held. He wore simpler garments than those who came before him, opted to live outside the Vatican, and forfeited his salary, donating it, instead, to charity. The man who will replace him–Pope Leo XIV–is said to be like him in many ways.

I have little understanding of how the Pope is selected, the proceedings are done behind closed doors and the voting Cardinals are sworn to secrecy. Back in the 13th Century it took nearly three years to select Pope Gregory X. In 1922 (the longest conclave in Modern history) Pope Pius XI was elected in 5 days time. So, Pope Leo XIV’s selection in just two day may indicate that the Cardinals were fairly unified in their thinking. In the end, two thirds had to agree. And their choice was the first Pope ever from America.

In the past, logistical issues, like the Cardinal’s distance from Rome, kept the options for Pope a little closer to home. More recently, the reason given for avoiding an American was the fear of having so much power–church and state–concentrated in one country.

While Pope Leo XIV is the first to have been born in America, that fact hasn’t help the MAGA crowd endorse him. Quite the opposite, actually. His critique of the American president and vice president–their immigration policy, treatment of the marginalized, and interpretation of scripture gives us a hint both as to the kind of leader Pope Leo XIV will be and what separates him from America’s present leadership.

I don’t completely understand what has captured my attention about Pope Francis’ passing and the selection of Pope Leo XIV except that the contrast of their humanity and altruism with that of America’s current leader is extreme. Our president is literally expelling brown people from our country and championing white Afrikaners immigrants. He’s slashing as many government safety nets as he can–as fast as he can–and giving tax breaks to millionaires. He’s been gifted a $400 million dollar jet–a glaring violation of the emollients clause in the Constitution–from Qatar, a country that supports Hamas and where the president, his family, and Musk have multiple private business dealings–and he is upending the economy with an irrational tariff policy. Finally, he’s cozying up to dictators and tyrants, like Vladimir Putin, while ostracized most of our allies, including Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Nothing this president has done has been for the common good or to support stability in the world. None of his executive orders have bettered the lives of average Americans. None of his foreign policies have promoted peace. These gut wrenching realities have me looking for hope in unusual places–places like the election of the first American Pope.

I believe good people still exist and that it is not too late for our democracy. But I also believe our nation is at a crossroads and the people must make a stand. I recently read that several members of the cast of Les Miserable (scheduled to perform in front of the president at the Kennedy Center on June 11th) plan to boycott that particular performance. I literally cheered. And as I’ve been writing this, the lyrics to Do You Hear the People Sing? have been streaming through my head. Most people haven’t been following the politics of the last 100 days. And, life hasn’t changed too drastically for them, yet.

But the point of no return, of a peaceful retreat from the abyss is approaching, if it hasn’t already arrived. Protests are mounting and must continue. If Congress members won’t take your calls it’s time to take to the streets. No Kings rallies are being organized for June 14–the day of the president’s ridiculous birthday parade. But our activism cannot stop with rallies. Voters must put an end to the hostile dismantling of our government.  In the mid terms, we must elect men and women who are willing to hold this president accountable for the instability and chaos he has unleashed, people who will expose the lies he has told and the laws he and his administration are breaking every day. Please don’t turn away from what is happening, even if it hasn’t directly impacted you yet.

Engagement is needed–but voting is essential! We need you, each and every one of you, to invest in our democracy.

Holy Week

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It’s Maundy Thursday. Though they didn’t know it at the time it would be their last supper with Jesus; the disciples simply thought they were getting ready for Passover. What are we in the Christian Church getting ready for this Easter? Does anyone wonder anymore, as they watch the news of the day unfold, what would Jesus do?

Last Sunday congregations across the country waved palms in the air and hailed Him King of kings and Lord of lords. Today, as a member of the body, I’m expected grieve. After they ate, He took them to pray. As He was finishing the soldiers came. Peter raised a sword but Jesus stopped them. The soldiers took Him from the garden, jail him, torture him, ignore his advocates, parade him through the streets, and then murder him in the name of the State for the crime of being God’s Son?

On Thursday we mourn but by Sunday we are rejoicing. This is Holy Week for the Church. And yet, how can we, who are called by His name, not make parallels as we look out into our world? An innocent man is grabbed off the streets. He’s jailed on trumped up charges but receives no trial. He’s sent to a foreign prison. His fate unknown. Is he dead? Possibly. His crime? Being brown in MAGA America. And there are others–hundreds of others. And there will be more–many more.

Full disclosure–I walked away from building based Christianity several years ago. And only recently have been heartened by a few Church leaders who have dared to speak out. Still, it is difficult for me to think about the Church in America. The seeds it has sewn are rooted in despair. Most of my pleas most of the time are greeted with silence. And those who shout the loudest, use arrogant platitudes that take the name of God in vain, as they justify and make excuses for that which cannot be excused.

So Church, tell me–how should I believe in your God when His teachings are ignored by you? His compassion for the least of these is ridiculed by your leader? And you, His people, remain silent? When your witness stamps a seal of approval on injustice, lawlessness, and cruelty in who can I believe? Where do I anchor my hope? In what can I rejoice?