In the wake of the November election, I can’t count the number of friends and family members who have declared a moratorium on political news–who have taken a “time out” in order to protect their equilibrium/sanity and avoid descending into depression.
I will admit that I have dialed back my usual immersion in the news, for the same reason. It really has been an act of self-preservation to take a vacation from the evidence that so many Americans have dismissed the ideals of our founding, and are willing to close their eyes to threats posed to the principles that truly did make America great.
But a vacation is not a departure, and it’s time to determine how each of us can contribute to a massive uprising of people who may have different political affiliations and/or policy goals, but who agree on the importance of protecting civil liberties and participatory democracy in the face of the grifters, autocrats and racists–elected and otherwise– who are preparing to assume control of the government.
If those of you reading this are like me, your inbox has been filling up with notices from political and nonprofit organizations, both local and national, outlining their preparations for sustained activism in the face of those threats. One example–Democracy 2025–lists 280+ member organizations, and over 800 Lawyers, advocates, and experts already engaged in the work.
Despite claims, no President or their allies can just snap their fingers to implement an anti-democratic vision. Our laws and Constitution provide real protections and tools through the courts and in our communities to stop abuses of power and harms to people. Still, these threats are real, so we’re prepared to confront them.
Learn more about the threats we’ve identified, and check back often as we release additional analysis, tracking, and tools to respond.
I’ve received dozens of other, similar announcements, although none with as extensive a list of participants.
Local organizations–including numerous bipartisan and nonpartisan ones– are also gearing up to defend fundamental constitutional values, recognizing that what we are facing is not a partisan political confrontation, but a civic, social and indisputably moral conflict. We can go back to arguing about politics and policy when we have restored the rule of law and respect for time-honored democratic norms.
As Mark Twain once wrote: Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.
A group of local organizations that define patriotism as Twain did is planning a rally at University Park, in downtown Indianapolis, on January 20th–the same day as the Inauguration and also, coincidentally, Martin Luther King, Jr. day. The rally is intended to reaffirm attendees’ commitment to King’s vision and opposition to the restoration of White Nationalism and patriarchy. There will be uplifting music, readings that remind us of America’s historical aspirations, and messages from clergy of different faith traditions. (Yours truly will also participate in the program.)
We will pledge allegiance to the America we love and believe in–a generous and welcoming country devoted to liberty, inclusion and equal civic participation.
The rally– titled Reclaim, Rebuild and Resist– will begin at 10:00 a.m and end at noon. It is intended to demonstrate a firm and unyielding commitment to the principles of liberty and equality enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, and espoused by Dr. King—to reaffirm our support for the original American motto: e pluribus unum (out of the many, one), and our concerns for the threats posed by members of the incoming state and federal administrations to the values of inclusion, equality and the rule of law.
We will pledge to reclaim the visions of Dr. King and other social justice warriors, to help in efforts to rebuild and reinforce America’s democratic institutions, and resist attacks on foundational American values from any and all sources.
If you live in central Indiana, I hope you will attend. And bring your friends and families.
We’ve known plenty of the good times, but the bad are the price we pay for them.
We have four years to spread woke, but we must go against some nasty headwinds.
Steady as she goes.
I am just beginning to rally from my time-out; the scare of losing MSNBC and Fox News a possible/probable takeover as our only national news source spurred me to start turning on MSNBC when I am not watching my TV so it will be electronically counted as viewing.
I continue receiving the same E-mails from Democratic organizations and party members with surveys and “news” and always, always, always wanting my donations, declaring I haven’t responded to their messages. The past few years the DCCC and DSCC have claimed I am not a member because I do NOT donate on line; I have my current membership cards which I received by mailing my valid checks to maintain my memberships. It is still my right as an American to make this choice to pay by check which is becoming more and more difficult. My health care billing department has been hacked as his my 23andMe membership, my friend’s bank account was cleaned out and my son’s debit card was somehow used removing a large amount from his bank account. I do NOT and will NOT donate on the Internet; on December 30th the United States Treasury Department was hacked, infiltrated by China…why would any thinking person trust their information is safe when posted on line for those clever enough to hack the United States government repeatedly through recent years?
I’m trying to return to my once full trust in the Democratic party and the United States government; but we are facing a combination of Fascist and Mafia control of our lives by the criminal faction which had the money to buy this government; lock, stock and barrel. Trump has already sent out an edict to fly all flags at full staff for his inauguration as we continue to grieve his loss and honor President Jimmy Carter with flags flying as half staff.
We need to be reclaiming America back to the time before Trump slithered down that escalator announcing his campaign for the presidency in 2015. That was the beginning of the end of America.
I received my DNC membership renewal in the mail and have renewed the membership I have held since 2010. My vital blood pressure prescription cost has returned to the earlier rate before President Biden’s aid for Medicare and now doubled again. Republicans are following Trump’s orders and have been; more than a year ago they ended President Biden’s financial assistance for low-income Americans to maintain the Internet which was part of his Infrastructure Bill.
Who are we to trust and how are we to know they can be trusted when they abandoned President Joe Biden then blamed Vice President Kamala Harris for losing their last-minute replacement of her as their chosen candidate?
Pete, to me the term “woke” embodies so many of the good things in which I believe. So yes, we should spread woke.
If you are a constitutionalist, you might take comfort to know that the rule of law is being sent back to the states. The decentralization of our government keeps either side from changing and controlling too much, states have decided on ballot in many red states to bolster womens “ reproductive rights”. At the same time the woke community which is unfair to women wholly now more than ever has been rejected because many classical liberals pointed out that it went too far.
My problem is we are giving medlas of freedom to political proponents whether its Rush Limba ir George Soros.
George Soros has elected AGs that are letting criminals free and the laws that the citizenry have written is not being uoheld
“Our laws and Constitution provide real protections and tools through the courts and in our communities to stop abuses of power and harms to people.”
Trump and his gang, especially his appointed judges, have made an absolute mockery of the “rule of law.” He IS an abuse of power.
Have you considered watching any of the MeidasTouch Network channels on YouTube? I’ve never been a television watcher outside of PBS, let alone watching network news but during this run up to the election I watched them fairly exclusively on YouTube. They are the #1 most watched/subscribed to channel on YouTube at the moment, beating Fox News and the rest of the digital platforms. I’ve been impressed with their honest reporting of the facts, give them a try!
John S Soros has no position in our government.
Isn’t it convenient that the progressive side of our politics has only one billionaire to blame whenever a Democrat wins an office. Mr. Soros must be very busy controlling all of those people. It would be nice to see a list of billionaires supporting MAGATS. In addition to Charlie Koch, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Charles Schwab, and Doris Fisher there are too many to list here.
What is amazing to me is that Soros seems to support candidates who are functioning pretty well. How can I know that? Whining and crying coming from the other side is a pretty good indicator. They can’t accept that crime is way down, inflation is down, wages are up, and the only thing standing in the way of fixing the border crisis is Orange Jesus.
The “laws” in this country are for the working class and poor Americans. Those of wealth and political power have a different set of rules to follow. As I mentioned previously, our county justice system (police, sheriff, and judges) is as corrupt as it gets, and the Indiana Supreme Court has done nothing. The Indy branch of the FBI has done nothing. It’s all about using their position of power to enhance their wealth – ethics be damned.
JoAnn, I would save your money and mark their email requests as spam, which is what it is. The uni-party doesn’t deserve your money. Also, please don’t believe anything about China coming from our media or government. As Noam Chomsky would say, their role is to “manufacture consent” from the people for war against China. They’ve done the same thing against Russia/Ukraine and the genocide by Israel/Gaza. When the International Criminal Court did the right thing and held Israeli leadership accountable, the uni-party threatened the jurists and their families.
I’ve watched Elon’s social media platform X over the past six months go from a neutral site to far-right, pro-fascist today. Fascism will be normalized by the press, who sit in front of their TVs absorbing disinformation. Musk is worried about child molesters and rapists in the UK, but he gave $234 million to a child rapist running for POTUS. Not to mention all the sexual misconduct by Trump’s appointees. How in the world is Matt Gaetz not in prison?? And he almost became our Attorney General.
It’s not just the men, either. The corrupt judge in our county was a woman who quickly retired as I wrote about her part in the property foreclosures for the sheriff’s auctions.
If you want to read an incredible story that our entertainment media have flushed, check out Jane Mayer’s 2020 story about Kimberly Guilfoyle, Trump’s diplomat to Greece:
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-secret-history-of-kimberly-guilfoyles-departure-from-fox
That would end anybody’s career if it happened in your hometown. You’d be blackballed and probably live in poverty working at McDonald’s.
The uniparty sociopaths are prepared for an uprising by the people. If you haven’t done so, read about Peter Thiel and Palantir. He’s now proposing to Trump an invisible wall between the US and Mexico comprised of military drones, and with Trump wanting to declare Mexico’s drug cartels as international terrorists, it opens up the US military to invade Mexico. Thiel’s drones have been used in Ukraine and Gaza as testing grounds for what’s coming.
And I’m just scratching the surface…
I like the idea of a gathering to celebrate MLK and a commitment to my country and the rule of law on January 20. I will be there with my camera.
In terms of commitment to action, my priority is to preserve and protect what remains of our natural world, which will come under threat by this coming administration “like never before” at a time when we should be addressing the existential threat of climate change.
I suggest that people find the issue that is most important to them and let that be your focus. To do other is to be overwhelmed by the flood of bulls*it that will be unleashed by the MAGA/DOGE fascists that will be in charge of the US for the foreseeable future.
John, George Soros is dead, and has been for some while now!
He was a wealthy guy, and his favoring of liberal/woke causes was valuable and valued. On the other hand we have Musk, Trump, the Remaining Koch brother, the Heritage Foundation and its wealthy supporters, and ilk, who are much more dangerous, and pose a much greater threat to Democracy than anyone else. Also, on this topic, see Peggy’s note, above.
Inclusion is not ,at all, a threat to Democracy, and “ALL THRIVING IS MUTUAL.”
Thank you for the information about the rally; we hope to attend, and will be there in spirit if not in person. My focus now is local, and I plan to resume participation in groups like Women4Change. I want to do more with civic education, voting rights, and watching more closely the State legislature.
I will be protecting trans rights and gopher tortoises in Florida, the heavily endangered wild pets of my childhood. It’s what I can do.
For my small part of the resistance, I’ve been emailing at least one politician a day with my views on various issues. For example: “Kash Patel is unqualified to lead the FBI. His only apparent goal is to pursue retribution against Trump’s perceived enemies. I urge you to reject his nomination for head of the FBI.” Small, but imagine if everyone in the resistance would do the same.
Mitch, Soros is still with us, although he is 94.
Mitch, if George Soros is dead, why is he posting on X about the Medal of Freedom he just received from Biden?
I guess Hillary Clinton got one, too! LOL
#GenocideJoe is a JOKE!
Planning to attend on Jan. 20
Mitch D, George Soros is still productive after 94 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Soros?wprov=sfti1#
I have to admit I have been feeling angry; angry at the Democratic Party for low turnout percentages, angry at the constant messages trying to point out small victories (Yay!! Look we won this seat!), angry at the lack of acknowledgement that we failed to win. And now it will be much harder.
But I am over it now.
L4GG, (Lawyers for Good Government) is the organization that stepped up in 2020. They coordinated lawyers in airports across the US and the world after the Muslim travel ban. They filed lawsuits. They organized to provide legal support to asylum seekers at the border. I recommend them highly.
The Womens March organization has expanded and is offering training that matches the urgency of our time. Self defense lessons, and webinars such as one I attended led by an American man who protested in the Square in Beijing, was detained, tortured and deported. Training on being effective and also safe when protesting. Putting together community organizations prepared to take action.
I grew up in Indiana but live in swing state North Carolina. Our largest County, heavily Democratic, had money and resources. And achieved only 69% turnout, DOWN from 2020. If we had turned out those voters as well Republicans turned out theirs, we would have won in North Carolina.
So I was angry.
L4GG and the Womens March organization that is more than the January 18 MARCH (there must be a Jan 18 march in Indy!) are two organizations that take the Fascist threats seriously.
As we all consider next steps I salute anyone who chooses to resist. May your efforts be fruitful!
“Our laws and Constitution provide real protections and tools through the courts and in our communities to stop abuses of power and harms to people.” if this were even remotely true, 47 would not be sworn in on the 20th. Per Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, he is ineligible to serve.