If your news diet consists mostly of domestic politics and scandals bedeviling both political parties – albeit one party more than the other – it’s easy to settle into an “all is lost” or “it will never get better” attitude. Our political news is depressing. The challenges we face as a country that is divided against itself can seem overwhelming.
This is the pep talk that we need! The maniacs who think they are going to rule over us have another thing coming. We will fight back as we already are and not fall for their knee-on-the-neck rhetoric. The one thing that is different from what happened in Germany is that we have social media wheee we communicate on real time. In Germany and Poland, they relied on Morse code, radio, pigeon, to deliver messages, and resistance fighters who delivered messages and ammo. Love it or hate it, social media broadcasts all over the world. X is owned by Musk, who is a fascist and racist. We don’t rely on his platform as there is Threads and Bluesky which can be utilized. We will WIN and they will LOSE!
There are a lot of terrified people who are in leadership and politics all the way from "journalists" to office holders who are really scared to death this time. Fear is contagious and the bleakness of it all is very very wearing. The last few days I've noticed how extremely short my temper now is and how ready I am to bite. Which also means a lot of us don't want anything to do with some of the members of our own families, friends we've had for decades. It's almost intolerable to be around them if they're Trumpers. They come in already with a neon blinking forehead sign flashing "Libs and Dems are Evil." When 99% of the time, the awfulness is projecting from them in their accusations of someone else. I had one dimwit on Facebook this morning asking me to elaborate on abortion because my first attempt was "it's too elementary." My God, if he can't understand the elementary part, I dare not go to more syllables because I'll lose him three words in.
I sympathize. I'm thinking that the point behind "it's too elementary" that your Facebook acquaintance was not able to independently infer is "Women are entitled to full autonomy in making decisions about their own bodies."
"Those who regularly consume the steady diet of that man and his puppets in Congress and in red states dominated by that party live in a universe of bottomless depression and anxiety."
Many, many thanks! I felt as this article was directed at me. Anger/depression were my most prevalent emotions. This was the “deep breathing exercise” I needed. I will keep a boookmark on your Salon article, so it is always there when I need it.
I hope so and we can only hope for the best for the jury outcome! I am nervous! I would definitely need to see the jury instructions as I am very eye minded.
The interesting thing is the serious people who've attended the trial and report back from our side say they have no clue what this jury is conveying. They are completely stone-faced. The one good observation that several gave is they seem very bonded to the judge. If they are, and we shall hope with all our might that that's true, they will be as offended by the defense and its wretched antics as the judge is. It's nerve-racking at its very least.
Yesterday was the first day I've felt encouragement instead of despair in a long, long time. I took the long weekend off of politics and have since read several moving columns by Heather Cox Richardson (HCR), Jay Kuo, Joyce Vance White, Robert B Hubbell, the indefatigable Jeff Tiedrich, Scott Dworkin, and of course Lucien's columns that have really been knocking it out of the park.
I also attended a virtual fundraiser last night put on by All in For NC with HCR, and other Dem candidates running for state office. It was great to see and hear from them. It cost me $10.
For those that don't know, NC is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation and is now known as a voter suppression state though this is one of the last states in the south where women can control their reproductive choices. There's been no real representation in western NC in decades. My gerrymandered district has sent the worst of the worst to DC such as Charles Taylor, Mark Meadows, and Madison Cawthorne. Ugh! So it was great to know that Dems have really picked up the fight in NC and the nation is paying attention to us. Biden-Harris campaign has opened 10 new field offices here. No one is giving up!
Don't despair! Act! There were so many opportunities for action presented last night that voters can use to break the lock gerrymandering has on our state and others, work to reelect President Biden and VP Harris, and other down ticket Dems.
Take time off once in a while. This is a marathon not a sprint. We can't burn ourselves out over trump, a rogue SCOTUS, and the GQP enabling corporate media.
Here are some columns that I've found either humorous, uplifting, and moving:
***Ken Burn's 2024 Commencement Speech at Brandeis University***
thank you LT I surely appreciate your words of encouragement. I worry constantly. Tonite I am going to an event to support a prosecutor who was elected by the voters and then wrongfully removed by the Florida governor We are in a big fight in our country
Exactly what you said! Check out Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org). It's 501(c)3 that was founded shortly after the 2016 election by three people, with exactly the goal you express. They host tons of trainings, meetups both in person and online, and other events. See my comment a couple spots above yours. I just joined last week. Attending my first events online tomorrow eve and this Saturday.
Thank you for this uplifting and inspiring column, Lucian. Boy do I need help fighting the despair that looms every time I think about The Bleeping Former Guy, all the ways he has mentally, emotionally, politically, and morally assaulted our country, and then contemplate the fact that he still has a shocking amount of support and beating him in November is--horrifyingly-- not a sure thing.
I just joined Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org/), which was founded shortly after the 2016 election by three people who thought there has to be a better way. This is the organization whose mission is to fight our extreme national political polarization and demonization by training people to have collaborative conversations and build relationships across the political divide. It's a non-partisan 501(c)3 entity.
Note that I have been, to this day, contemptuous of and baffled and terrified by anyone who believes in, admires (or worships) and supports tRump. But I also believe that my contempt and othering of Trump supporters isn't doing anything to help our current political catastrophe. So I want to learn how to talk with them and listen to them. Wish me luck.
* How to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer”
* How to be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population
* Strategies for intervening constructively in social conversations with like-minded peers when these conversations veer into contempt and ridicule for people who hold other political views.
Workshop Format: The 3-hour workshop is offered online over Zoom.
Who can come? Anyone interested in examining their own inner polarization and learning strategies to disagree without condemning or ridiculing others.
I had that same thought this morning when my news opened to that loveless trying-to-look-threatening stare. I didn't have to see through his eyes at all. His view is narrow--- only threat and anger, not seeing any good.
Being this extreme, he's more a mythical character. The world usually, eventually, transforms them in some way.
Your Memorial Day article on your grandfather helped to reframe my attitude. His generosity of spirit was uplifting at a time I personally needed it.
Thanks, Lucian, good reminder. I fight despair daily and sometimes I win. ;-)
I am sorry that's happening to you and then I'm also glad I am not the only one suffering with this. I am mad and depressed most of the time now.
Anyone not fighting despair is either drunk on MAGA Kool-aid or not paying attention.
This is the pep talk that we need! The maniacs who think they are going to rule over us have another thing coming. We will fight back as we already are and not fall for their knee-on-the-neck rhetoric. The one thing that is different from what happened in Germany is that we have social media wheee we communicate on real time. In Germany and Poland, they relied on Morse code, radio, pigeon, to deliver messages, and resistance fighters who delivered messages and ammo. Love it or hate it, social media broadcasts all over the world. X is owned by Musk, who is a fascist and racist. We don’t rely on his platform as there is Threads and Bluesky which can be utilized. We will WIN and they will LOSE!
*not wheee* where!
Glorious, uplifting, wonderful thoughts. A million thanks. We needed that.
There are a lot of terrified people who are in leadership and politics all the way from "journalists" to office holders who are really scared to death this time. Fear is contagious and the bleakness of it all is very very wearing. The last few days I've noticed how extremely short my temper now is and how ready I am to bite. Which also means a lot of us don't want anything to do with some of the members of our own families, friends we've had for decades. It's almost intolerable to be around them if they're Trumpers. They come in already with a neon blinking forehead sign flashing "Libs and Dems are Evil." When 99% of the time, the awfulness is projecting from them in their accusations of someone else. I had one dimwit on Facebook this morning asking me to elaborate on abortion because my first attempt was "it's too elementary." My God, if he can't understand the elementary part, I dare not go to more syllables because I'll lose him three words in.
What does our “neon blinking forehead sign” say?
What would you like yours to say, Gary?
“Let’s talk.”
See the fun thing is we're liberals and Democrats and Independents so we won't have one message. LOL.
I sympathize. I'm thinking that the point behind "it's too elementary" that your Facebook acquaintance was not able to independently infer is "Women are entitled to full autonomy in making decisions about their own bodies."
My thoughts as well.
"Those who regularly consume the steady diet of that man and his puppets in Congress and in red states dominated by that party live in a universe of bottomless depression and anxiety."
Well, you are what you eat, eh?
Many, many thanks! I felt as this article was directed at me. Anger/depression were my most prevalent emotions. This was the “deep breathing exercise” I needed. I will keep a boookmark on your Salon article, so it is always there when I need it.
I hope so and we can only hope for the best for the jury outcome! I am nervous! I would definitely need to see the jury instructions as I am very eye minded.
The interesting thing is the serious people who've attended the trial and report back from our side say they have no clue what this jury is conveying. They are completely stone-faced. The one good observation that several gave is they seem very bonded to the judge. If they are, and we shall hope with all our might that that's true, they will be as offended by the defense and its wretched antics as the judge is. It's nerve-racking at its very least.
Yesterday was the first day I've felt encouragement instead of despair in a long, long time. I took the long weekend off of politics and have since read several moving columns by Heather Cox Richardson (HCR), Jay Kuo, Joyce Vance White, Robert B Hubbell, the indefatigable Jeff Tiedrich, Scott Dworkin, and of course Lucien's columns that have really been knocking it out of the park.
I also attended a virtual fundraiser last night put on by All in For NC with HCR, and other Dem candidates running for state office. It was great to see and hear from them. It cost me $10.
For those that don't know, NC is one of the most gerrymandered states in the nation and is now known as a voter suppression state though this is one of the last states in the south where women can control their reproductive choices. There's been no real representation in western NC in decades. My gerrymandered district has sent the worst of the worst to DC such as Charles Taylor, Mark Meadows, and Madison Cawthorne. Ugh! So it was great to know that Dems have really picked up the fight in NC and the nation is paying attention to us. Biden-Harris campaign has opened 10 new field offices here. No one is giving up!
Don't despair! Act! There were so many opportunities for action presented last night that voters can use to break the lock gerrymandering has on our state and others, work to reelect President Biden and VP Harris, and other down ticket Dems.
Take time off once in a while. This is a marathon not a sprint. We can't burn ourselves out over trump, a rogue SCOTUS, and the GQP enabling corporate media.
Here are some columns that I've found either humorous, uplifting, and moving:
***Ken Burn's 2024 Commencement Speech at Brandeis University***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9n1OqPzIKH4
President Biden's 2024 Commencement Speech at West Point (Please read Lucien's columns on this.): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNKvPujKvqQ&t=61s
Jeff Tiedrich's column on trump booed and heckled at the Libertarian Convention
https://substack.com/inbox/post/144982902
Scott Dworkin's column on Robert De Niro and the Jan 6 Heroes outside the court house at the chump trial: https://substack.com/inbox/post/145070302
As Joyce Vance White always writes, "We're in this together."
thank you LT I surely appreciate your words of encouragement. I worry constantly. Tonite I am going to an event to support a prosecutor who was elected by the voters and then wrongfully removed by the Florida governor We are in a big fight in our country
We, as a country, need to connect and communicate with each other and focus on keeping our democracy!
paul hess you are so right!
Exactly what you said! Check out Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org). It's 501(c)3 that was founded shortly after the 2016 election by three people, with exactly the goal you express. They host tons of trainings, meetups both in person and online, and other events. See my comment a couple spots above yours. I just joined last week. Attending my first events online tomorrow eve and this Saturday.
Thank you for this uplifting and inspiring column, Lucian. Boy do I need help fighting the despair that looms every time I think about The Bleeping Former Guy, all the ways he has mentally, emotionally, politically, and morally assaulted our country, and then contemplate the fact that he still has a shocking amount of support and beating him in November is--horrifyingly-- not a sure thing.
I just joined Braver Angels (https://braverangels.org/), which was founded shortly after the 2016 election by three people who thought there has to be a better way. This is the organization whose mission is to fight our extreme national political polarization and demonization by training people to have collaborative conversations and build relationships across the political divide. It's a non-partisan 501(c)3 entity.
Note that I have been, to this day, contemptuous of and baffled and terrified by anyone who believes in, admires (or worships) and supports tRump. But I also believe that my contempt and othering of Trump supporters isn't doing anything to help our current political catastrophe. So I want to learn how to talk with them and listen to them. Wish me luck.
I'm attending these two events this week:
National Debate 8pm EDT tomorrow evening, on Zoom, on "Do we trust American elections?" (https://braverangels.org/event/national-online-debate-u-s-elections/) which is open to the public as listeners, and to members as debaters. I'll just listen.
Depolarizing Within, 2-5pm EDT Sat. June 1--Online workshop, (https://braverangels.org/event/depolarizing-within-53/) The workshop blurb says:
"This free, three-hour workshop teaches participants:
* How to be more aware of their own “inner polarizer”
* How to be critical without demonizing, dismissing or stereotyping large swaths of the population
* Strategies for intervening constructively in social conversations with like-minded peers when these conversations veer into contempt and ridicule for people who hold other political views.
Workshop Format: The 3-hour workshop is offered online over Zoom.
Who can come? Anyone interested in examining their own inner polarization and learning strategies to disagree without condemning or ridiculing others.
More info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braver_Angels
I
Greatly enjoyed this article Lucian, hope you & yours are all well & happy. Peace in our time!
Corky in KC
I had that same thought this morning when my news opened to that loveless trying-to-look-threatening stare. I didn't have to see through his eyes at all. His view is narrow--- only threat and anger, not seeing any good.
Being this extreme, he's more a mythical character. The world usually, eventually, transforms them in some way.
The thing Regan and Clinton did was to reassure people and make them feel better about themselves.
Life expectancy in the US is down, however. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-life-expectancy-in-the-us-is-falling-202210202835