Time for Change is here
So many people have vested interests in maintaining the status quo that change is difficult at best. Depending on the magnitude of the change, it can be nearly impossible. Take, for instance, America’s body politic before Trump.
Our government had, for all intents and purposes, ceased fulfilling its mission: the governing of its people. The interaction of its two warring factions had ground all progress to a halt. One side, in pursuit of equity and fairness, became mired in its own status quo and did not see what was happening. The threatening neoliberal economics, pursued by the other side, was intent on small government and less regulation.
A similar disfunction occurred in America during the 1920s, culminating with the stock market crash of 1929. The ensuing global economic ruin was so catastrophic, so completely shattering the status quo, its instability caused World War II. The election of FDR began 50 years of unprecedented progress of, by, and for the people of America. Rebuilding in the aftermath of WWII produced Europe today. Never, in the history of the world, has there been a time where the needs of the many outweighed the wants of a few.
The gridlock in our system has produced Trump, the epitome of unrestrained capitalism with utter disregard for wealth disparities. He is breaking our governmental status quo with a wrecking ball. Moneyed interests are crushing liberal ideals aimed at equality and inclusion. Momentous change, in America, is at hand.
Never let a crisis go to waste
No one knows exactly what lies before us. There is both hope and dread where we stand. In the 1900s, under the stress of egregious wealth, we economically wandered into disaster. This time great wealth is intentionally, knowingly, imploding the status quo while ignoring history’s tendency to repeat itself. We are heading toward economic catastrophe.
It took the forces of greed 5 decades to recover from their last debacle. The elections of Reagan and Thatcher started the neoliberal revolution culminating with Trump, Vought, and Project 2025.
The current wholesale destruction of the status quo may still avoid complete economic failure, if we manage to stop the Trump Regime in time. We prepare for the window of change and transformation that is at hand. If Trump is stopped before complete financial collapse, Europe will survive the destabilization emanating from us, and America can break away from the neoliberal economics that dominates us.
Unlike 100 years ago, we already possess monetary tools proven to work. These tools kept England from complete failure in WWI and provided the framework for governments in America and Europe that better meet the needs of the many. The successful economic policies of John Maynard Keynes can be summed up in one phrase: government must do what private enterprise will not.
Capitalism, by its nature, creates profitable ventures. It will not provide economic stability, will not stop inflation, will not stop boom and bust economic cycles, will not control market forces, will not provide equality of opportunity, will not deal with racism, will not care for those in need, will not employ everyone. Its single-minded focus on profit will not allow it.
This is what we must do
There is a singular solution for all the things capitalism will not do. FDR tried and failed to enact this. It has been successfully, but temporarily, tried by India and Argentina. It has been proposed as a solution many times, most recently by Pramila Jaypal in 2020. It is a solution that will beat back the forces of oligarchy and greed: A Federal Job Guarantee.
It is the road not taken like the one conceived by Robert Frost, published in August 1915.
It is time to embrace the ‘road not taken.’ It is time to make a difference. It is time for a Federal Job Guarantee.
Shining a Light on I.C.E. Raids: Empowering Communities
I have seen reports of detainees getting off planes in El Salvador and of Trump, et.al., discussing Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the person the Supreme Court has decreed must be returned. How is it that there were no reports of Garcia’s arrest and detention on the news or on social media?
What about all those detainees seen on TV getting off the planes in El Salvador? How did their round up not make the news?
Democracy thrives in sunlight, dies in darkness.
I saw my first ‘detention’ video on Bluesky.
This is happening in America! IN AMERICA!!
Why is the above post not on all social media and reposted repeatedly? Why haven’t I seen this on the mainstream news media?
The plan.
When the arrest and detention of people is invisible, I.C.E. agents can be more aggressive, do things they would not do if they were being watched. This is intentional. It maximizes the fear generated while reducing the response options by those being accosted.
The Americans conducting these raids need to be exposed to the public at large, to their neighbors and friends. If we shine a light on the process, much of the fear will dissipate. By making the process public, perhaps, we can make the jackboot mentality of these agents waver in the light of day.
What if we had flashmobs for I.C.E. raids?
For those of you who do not remember flashmobs: Groups of people would spontaneously show up at random public places, perform something they had been instructed to do, and then disperse quickly.
How it works.
Imagine you are walking out of a store and you see an ICE vehicle pulling up across the parking lot. You take out your phone, open an app, and tap the alert button. The people you alerted begin showing up as you walk toward the I.C.E. vehicle. Within minutes, there are 150 people surrounding the I.C.E. vehicle filming and posting what is happening on social media.
How differently would the video encounter in the link above turn out if the car were surrounded by 200 people with cell phones posting live on social media? 500 or a 1000 people?
Please help.
The app.
If there is an existing app that can be used, I have not found it. Someone reading this let me know if there is one. Otherwise, it will require one or more people to build one (I do not have those skills). Unless coders volunteer, this will cost money.
Making it available.
Then someone with experience needs to get it posted to be available free of charge at the various online stores for download.
Testing.
Besides coders, I need as many commitments as I can get to participate in persuading people to download the app to make sure it works, as intended.
Email me if you wish to participate. Install Signal on your phone if you have not already.
The Way Forward for Democrats
Introduction
The Democratic Party faces a critical juncture. The elected representatives are failing to uphold their oaths to “protect and defend the Constitution from enemies, foreign and domestic.” Their response to the current threats to democracy and the dismantling of government institutions has been underwhelming. If this situation is not addressed soon, America risks suffering the same fate as the Weimar Republic in Germany under Adolf Hitler.
Current Situation
Although Democrats do not currently control the White House, Supreme Court, House, or Senate, this does not mean we are powerless. Recent events provide clues to effective action.
Governors’ Actions:
- Janet Mills, Governor of Maine: She publicly refused to comply with Trump’s new discriminatory transgender athlete rules, leading Trump to declare that Maine would receive no federal funding.
- Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania: He successfully sued the administration over $2 billion in funding for his state, making it clear that he would withhold all payments to the IRS from Pennsylvania if the money were not provided.
Effective action
A governor has the power to redirect federal taxes collected in his/her state. Unless or until collective demands by the governors of the following states are met, all federal taxes collected by businesses and organizations will be redirected to each state treasury. These states collectively hold the power of the purse: Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Why this will work: This tactic worked in Pennsylvania because, for Trump, everything is transactional. The above-named states each pay out more in federal taxes than they get back, meaning, this will sharpen the pain felt by Republican states, all of which receive more from federal taxes than they pay in. This will erode their support for Trump. He will not let that happen.
Additional states: Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kentucky, and North Carolina may wish to join this effort because they each have Democrats in their State Houses. The more extensive the protest, the better chance it will succeed.
Details: Participating governors must be fully committed. They must have a spokes-governor, so they speak with one voice. Simultaneously, each participating state must call out the national guard for a State of Emergency just prior to contacting President Trump. This will ensure that the military in each state is under the control of the governor and cannot be called out against them.
No money withheld from the federal government will be replaced but, instead, it will be used by each state for its needs. All the states will then be able to fund programs typically covered by federal government commitments. Hawaii and California can start recovering from their devastating fires. When demands are met, federal tax money will again flow to the IRS. If demands are not met, federal tax money from these states will end entirely. The longer it takes, the more money will be withheld.
Your part
The only way we keep our democracy and institutions is through unity. This boycott by our governors must be supported. Call your governor today, tomorrow and every day, urging them to take action in defense of our democracy.
10 things that need to be done (my list of demands)
In actual dollars the U.S. government spends more than any other country in the world. On a per capita basis, we are 5th and yet our citizens receive far fewer benefits of that spending than our neighbor Canada (17th in per capita spending). Even I believe we spend too much money and, politically, I am somewhere to the left of Bernie Sanders. If you want a more responsible, efficient government, let me help.
- Stop withholding federal spending that has been approved and budgeted for.
- Stop Musk from cutting federal jobs
- Enlist the help of Democrat and Republican lawmakers to reorganize departments to find actual savings.
- No tax cuts for the wealthy and no tax increases for the bottom 20%
- Eliminate all subsidies for wealthy individuals and corporations. These corporate subsides alone account for more than $80 Billion in savings. There are plenty more.
- Ensure the Defense Department accounts for its spending (It has failed the last 7 audits). Any unaccounted spending from its 2025 audit, cut from their budget, a potential savings of $200 Billion annually.
- Break up the monopoly of Defense Contractors to prevent price gouging, which adds more than 25% to every contract.
- Rehire all IRS staff tasked with tracking down rich tax cheats and making them pay, which could account for more than $150 Billion annually.
- No cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits. Remove the salary cap on SSI and Medicare deductions to make them solvent for the next 75 years.
- Trump and Vance must sign letters of resignation that will take effect if, for any reason, free and fair elections do not take place in 2026 and 2028.
Conclusion
The Democratic Party stands at a pivotal moment in history. Our elected representatives must rise to the occasion and fulfill their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution. The actions of governors like Janet Mills and Josh Shapiro demonstrate that we are not powerless. By redirecting federal taxes and taking a unified stand, we can exert significant pressure and bring about meaningful change.
Unity is our strength. By supporting our governors and demanding action, we can preserve our democracy and ensure that our institutions remain intact. The proposed measures, from stopping indiscriminate federal job cuts to ensuring accountability in defense spending, are essential steps towards a more responsible and efficient government.
Together, we can make a difference. Call your governor today and every day, urging them to act in defense of our democracy. Our collective efforts will pave the way for a brighter future for all Americans.
Addressing The Problem of Visibility
Things are very scary out there in America. In a text from AOC, she claimed that what we are experiencing a 5-alarm fire. That is a mild depiction. I think what the Trump Administration is doing, i.e., gutting federal agencies, ignoring the constitution, the law, and the courts, is more than a simple conflagration.
A more apt description can be found in the movie “Live Free or Die Hard.” The situation in the film is eerily like today’s America. Justin Long explains to Bruce Willis what is happening like this, “It’s a Fire Sale. You know, everything must go!” We are amid a wholesale destruction of the federal infrastructure that overlays the Constitution, the foundation of our democracy. You can get my more complete appraisal in my last blog post: “Into the Storm.”
As I have said in multiple previous posts, we, on the left, have a problem. We are invisible. Now more than ever, we need to be seen. To that purpose, I have designed four new shirts that allow the wearers to shout how they feel without saying a word. The more of these on the streets, the louder the voice. Great for protests and marches.
Currently these shirts are only available in long sleeve, 100% cotton, unisex fit that runs one size small.
What The F**k?
While Jo Anne and I were having wine with some friends, one of them expressed the idea for this shirt. It defines my sentiment each/every day since January 20th. I designed different versions of this shirt: WTF? shirt for women and WTF? shirt for men. I have Asian and African American versions in the works. If you would like one of those, let me know and I will make the one you want available.
Where Your Tax Dollars Go
Here is a glimpse of validation: In the last decade alone, Elon Musk has received $15 Billion in federal subsidies (our taxes). 25% of your taxes go to Billionaires. This is the first image I attempted on Designer. It took me 24 iterations to get the image I used for the shirt. I added “MY SHARE” on the side of the wheelbarrow to cover “U.S. Treasury” misspelled by AI. After I had the image, I could not find the right wording to make it work. In the meantime, I created the other two designs.
Stamp Out Organized Crime
Unless you are not paying attention, you are aware that what the billionaire class is doing to us is, by design, to keep us in our place and at one another’s throats. Stamp out organized crime Jail Billionaires. For this image, no matter how I changed the description, I could not get three rich looking men in a cell without at least one of them sticking through the bars or standing outside the cell. I had to make two separate images for the room and the men then layer them to get what you see.
Help me continue doing this and make all of us more visible. Get your shirt today! Follow the double underlined links above to order the shirt you like. I wear one every day.
Disclaimer: I created the images for these shirts with Microsoft Designer AI. The message on all four shirts was constructed by me in Microsoft Publisher and added to the images. AI is not particularly good yet in organizing or spelling words.
Into the Storm
Trump lies.
The first tragedy occurred less than two weeks into his second term. On the heels of firing 400 FAA senior officials, the TSA head, and 3,000 air traffic controllers, 67 innocent people died in the worst midair collision in 16 years. Trump knowingly murdered these people because of his greed and incompetence. He will lie about his guilt and complicity.
He lied about fixing inflated food prices. No cuts to Medicare and Social Security he said. Cuts to every social program including Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security are on the table, another lie. He has ordered tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China (our three largest trading partners). This will send prices soaring. There are executive orders to end constitutional birthright citizenship, kill clean energy, double down on climate changing fossil fuels, end job protections for civil servants, sign Transgender people out of existence, withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords and the World Health Organization and much more. Project 2025, which he denied knowing anything about, is coming to every neighborhood in America.
Pete Hegseth, a drunken abusive philanderer, who merits advancement solely because he is a white Christian male Fox News celebrity, now heads the Department of Defense. Others, who choose Trump over the Constitution, run the Justice Department, CIA, and Department of Homeland Security. Elected Democrats helped confirm these clearly unqualified appointees.
Registered Democrats across this nation will watch as an unqualified psychopath bent on revenge is confirmed as Director of the FBI, a Russian asset/agent as the head of National Intelligence, and a brain worm addled anti-vax, conspiracist will lead the health department… with votes from apathetic Democrat Senators. Members of the 1932 Reichstag snickered and joked about Hitler’s unqualified nominees.
Politically we are careening headlong into tornado alley.
Incarcerated January 6 offenders, Red Hats (Hitler’s Brown Shirts), were freed with a blanket pardon. It was ‘too hard and time consuming’ to separate out the violent offenders. This same mindset consumes immigration raids. Legal, illegal, and citizen alike are being collected and deported. No one ‘has time’ to check documentation.
What happens when they start rounding up LGBTQ+ people, Muslims, atheists? Then anyone who dares speak out? How long before foreign countries stop accepting plane loads of people not from their nation? Before concentration camps spring up? And extermination facilities appear in those camps? Remember, lurking around out of sight, unelected, is Stephen Miller who has the same amiable sensibilities as Hitler’s henchmen: Josef Mengele and Adolph Eichman.
Elected Democrats will be powerless to stop a national abortion and contraception ban. Red capes and white bonnets will follow as pregnant women are forced out of the workplace. Cancellation of the minimum wage, 40-hour work week, overtime pay, vacations, sick leave, and the right to Unionize will soon follow. Then Americans will find themselves forced to fill the jobs of deported immigrants at any wage under any conditions.
Who will stop this madness? The courts? A drooling syphilitic half-wit can see how ineffective the courts have been at containing pre- and post-inaugural Trump and his agenda.
The truth about what he wants.
I believed him when he told followers at a campaign rally, “You won’t have to vote anymore.” We have had the last free election in America. The appearance of Constitutional adherence will continue only until loyalists are in place deep into each government agency and at the head of each branch of the military. Then the charade will be over. Trump and Vance will be free to shanghai the rest of America into Project 2025 using police, military, and the courts as weapons. They will not stop until America is returned to a mythical version of the 1950s, a walled-off white Christian Theocracy.
WAKE UP! This nightmare you are experiencing is real.
Stop pretending that we still live in a democracy. Our elected representation has no power. The struggle for our rights, our liberties, our very lives has begun. It is playing out in our cities right now. Soon there will be battle lines down the middle of every street in America.
“When in the course of human events…”
I am more afraid than I have ever been, but there is no going back. Our only hope is to move forward and Into the Storm. To quote Benjamin Franklin, “We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately.” I will not fire the first shot in the coming conflict, but once fired upon, may the gates of hell open and swallow them whole.
To our freedom, to this democracy, I pledge my life, my fortune, and my sacred honor.
Thomas Crown
An Open Letter to Civil Servants working for America
Dear Federal Civil Servants,
I want to thank you for being about the American people’s business. You are unsung heroes. Without you this great edifice of democracy that we continue to build would crumble and die. That is why I am writing you this letter.
If you have been paying attention to the news, you are aware of the coming administration’s intention to reverse the Pendleton Act that keeps you from being replaced by patronage shills swearing allegiance to the President rather than the Constitution.
If we allow this to happen, the entire wealth and power of our American democracy will be for sale to the highest bidder. Although you did not sign up for this, you are now on the front lines of the fight to preserve our democracy.
I keep hearing rumors that, following Inauguration Day, January 20, there will be a mass exodus of federal employees from the halls of government. I implore you, “Do not quit your job!” You, who found your place of service through meritocracy, are our last line of defense against this corruption.
You will face discrimination and abuse. Refuse to obey any order that forswears your oath to the Constitution. If they transfer you to some subbasement in some forgotten government building to silence you, speak up and continue to speak out.
Make them fire you. Contest your wrongful termination in the courts.
As they pursue their intent to dismantle the agencies that keep this democracy alive, force them to fight and pay for every inch they take toward that end.
In doing so, if you find yourself jobless, homeless, without a safety net, please, reach out. A legion of people is ready to take you in, give you aid and sustenance so the struggle to preserve our Republic will continue. We have your backs.
I thank you in advance for your service.
Standing back and standing by,
Thomas Crown
Please take this pledge with me to support completely American Civil Servants who take a stand, get fired, and take it to the courts. Leave me a message if you are in.
What are you going to do if Trump wins?
I have been working on four different Op-eds but cannot finish any. None of them are gelling. I have been unable to stay on subject, find an ending, make a coherent point. What I can write and finish, is this.
What are you going to do if Trump wins?
There is little point in discussing Trump’s course of action if reelected. Simply read the 900-page manifesto, Project 2025. It gives detailed descriptions of what to expect. If you are reading this and have no idea what is in Project 2025, I have two more questions for you: ‘What abandoned coal mine have you been living in?’ and ‘Is there room for me and my wife?’
If your first reaction to ‘What if Trump wins?’ is, “I’m leaving the country,” consider this: If you do not already have plans locked in, a specific destination reserved, a valid passport, and half your luggage packed, it is doubtful you are going anywhere.
Besides, where would you go? Trump has already expressed the desire to invade Mexico ‘to stop the drug cartels.’ How long after that before he and General Flynn turn their attention toward Canada?
Further away? Say, Europe? One of Trump’s first executive actions will be to ‘end the war in Ukraine’ by cutting weapons support. He and Vlad are, after all, ‘friends.’ In the ‘interest of world harmony,’ he will next withdraw from NATO because none of those people like him. The ‘all clear, having been sounded,’ Putin will advance westward, pausing only to admire himself in the mirror, on his way to Cabo da Roca, Portugal.
Even further away, perhaps? How about somewhere in Asia? In the breath after abandoning Ukraine, Trump will, ‘in the spirit of global peace,’ gift Taiwan to Xi, another ‘friend,’ opening the door for massive Chinese expansion… in all directions. Say goodbye to any friends you may have in Australia, New Zealand, or Japan. India will react by gobbling up as many neighbors as possible. This is my feeble attempt to keep it light WITHOUT mentioning WWIII. Oops! Said it anyway.
So, what are you going to do?
Go back to business as usual and hope no one notices… like a sizeable percentage of German citizens did when Hitler became Chancellor in 1933? It takes little research to reveal how badly that turned out.
Jon Stewart has his answer. If you have not noticed, he is a mess. He is beside himself at the prospect that Donald will once again be ensconced in the White House. Stewart is a man who has the resources to disappear into the mist. Instead, he will remain at the Daily Show. He renewed his contract through 2025 to continue speaking truth to power until they drag him out of his chair on set in front of a live audience. Jon and hundreds of comedians will among the first relocations to internment camps. At the behest of Stephen Miller, they will be joined by outspoken journalists and politicians.
Now, look in a mirror and ask yourself, seriously: What are you going to do if Trump wins? Be honest. Do not lie to or kid yourself. Your answer will tell you how firm your commitment to American democracy is whether Harris wins or loses. Have your answer by election day, November 5.
We will, then, have until January 20, 2025, to prepare for whatever is next.
Me? I’m with Jon.
To new beginnings.
Good luck!
God’s speed.
New Items to support Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
Everywhere you look, there are Trump signs, t-shirts, hats, flags, and other visible signs of the election intentions of Republicans. How many signs do you see for Democrats?
Is it any wonder MAGA thinks they are the actual voting majority in America?
Visibility counts!
We are now in the last throes of the 2024 election cycle. If you have been afraid to boldly show where you stand, now is the time to stand up, stand out.
What better way to shout “Kamala and Tim” than with these unique, incredibly attractive ways to promote then for President and Vice President of the United States.
Be Bold!
Stand out in a crowd. Wear this magnificent 100% cotton unisex fit T-shirt to the park or mall. It is available, of course, in Red, or White, or Blue plus Light Blue and Pink. Let everyone know which side you are on for our November 5th election. Not a T-shirt kind of person? There are many other ways to express yourself in this critical election where the survival of our democracy is on the ballot.
Stand up!
You could fearlessly show those around you what you think is important at the supermarket, on the street, in the elevator by carrying this attractive 16” x16” 100% polyester tote bag with three different handle colors while wearing your favorite T-shirt to show why you support Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
Stand out!
A more dauntless way to show your support is to display this handsome 5” x 6” magnet on your car so all you ‘followers’ (in traffic, I mean) can see where your heart lies. I chose to have magnets manufactured so there is no need to worry about the paint on your car. After the election move the magnet from your car to your refrigerator as a reminder that we beat that wannabe dictator Donald Trump.
Be a beacon in your neighborhood!
Looking to be more adventurous? Look at this unique 18” x 24” corrugated plastic yard sign with a galvanized support bracket. Imagine what it would look like at your house! The one featured here is in my front yard. No yard? Put your sign in a window facing the street.
I, for one, am looking toward a Democrat landslide victory on November 5th. If we all pitch in a little, we will have Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in Washington ready to work with a Democrat majority in the House and the Senate! Good luck to us all!
Dear Black America
I did not comment on Black History month this year. I celebrated instead by reading “The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story” created by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Practically none of what I read was taught in several high schools and the few colleges I attended culminating in a degree from The College of William and Mary. All that education varied little from the Nikki Haley version of an American Civil War not caused by slavery.
Apologies
I am a 76-year-old white man born and raised in Kentucky, the last state to ratify the 14th amendment… in 1976. At age 36 having been married and divorced, served in the Navy, and gotten a degree from the second oldest institution of higher education in America without looking back, I sold my meager possessions, climbed into my friend’s 1961 Chevelle with him, his brother, and his brother’s girlfriend headed to California. I was moving out of the South for the first time in my life. Everything I owned was in that car.
Unbeknownst to me the trunk, the invisible cartop carrier, and every crevice of our metallic pickle colored conveyance was filled to overflowing with racial baggage, mine and theirs. Since then, I have worked to unpack and jettison the contents of those invisible bags. Along the way, just when I thought I had finally rid myself of my last valise of bigotry, I would whiff that familiar musty rancor of intolerance my family, without knowing it, so lovingly passed along to me. Again, it would be time to disconnect those prejudicial feelings from the reality where I lived. I would like to apologize to African Americans everywhere for not making more progress in erasing my bigotry.
Thank you for your service!
It has become a fashionable way to acknowledge people like me who have been in the military. My belated response to Black History month 2024, then, is to thank Black America for their service to this country and to the lofty ideals I was taught in every American history class I attended.
To our country
I learned Crispus Attucks, a Black man, was the first to die in the American Revolution. Many more African Americans would die before Independence was won. You have served in every armed conflict in American history. You even served in five major American wars before being declared citizens by the 14th Amendment ratification in 1868. You have taken up arms and died in every campaign since then even when white military personnel on the same side refused to serve with you.
To our ideals
When white soldiers, sailors, marines, and aviators returned to their families after warfare, they came home to a peacetime America filled with promise. You returned to a different America where some of you were murdered by white Americans for daring to wear our uniform.
In slavery, you were denied ‘humanity,’ then, in freedom, citizenship and the right to vote. The First and Second Amendments did not apply to you in the presence of white America. Yet you continued to believe in the promise.
When African Americans were better educated and more qualified than any white person in the room, the only jobs available to you were cleaning homes, washing clothes, and mopping floors. You were redlined into ghetto neighborhoods with inadequate schools and denied credit to make improvements on those conditions. Still, you pressed toward the freedom and equality touted in our founding documents.
You were mistreated, marginalized, and suppressed. Your homes were destroyed. Your communities and churches were bombed. You have been beaten, mutilated, dismembered, and burned alive. You, African Americans, have been lynched and left hanging from anything that could, conceivably, hold your weight. Yet, you marched on in pursuit of what our founders proclaimed for its citizens.
Without your constant striving, there would be no Constitutional Amendments 13, 14, or 15, no Civil Rights Acts of 1964, ‘72, ‘87, or ‘91. Your efforts have driven America forward toward all our ideals. Without you, the soaring words of Jefferson and Madison would be little more than propaganda for rich white men like them. By standing in lines at too few polling stations, by navigating myriad voter restriction laws, by wielding your right to vote you kept a wannabe dictator from being reelected in 2020. Amid Women’s History Month, let me be specifically clear. It was Black Women voters that preserved democracy in 2020 and it is they who will save it again in November 2024.
You, Black America, are the primary reason the world sees us as the beacon of democracy, freedom, and equality. For enduring the brutality of our past, for your present sacrifice and ongoing anguish and distress in this righteous quest, for the freedoms I enjoy today, tomorrow, and beyond, I, and all Americans, owe you a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. Please accept my deep felt thank you for your service.
Let us celebrate with action!
White America, it is time to stand up, shoulder-to-shoulder, arm-in-arm with Black America to demand financial Reparations for the horrific crime of slavery and the appalling treatment unto this day. Let us narrow and close the discriminatory wealth gap between us, ferret out and demolish all remnants of systemic racism pervading our daily lives.
We must secure commitments from those who represent us locally and nationally to act on our behalf rectifying these injustices for all time. We must return President Biden to the White House in November and elect Democrat majorities at local, state, and national levels so we all have the power and control needed to dispatch the sins of our past, to proudly declare, “Promises delivered at last!”
Dear Democratic leadership: Do you want to win in November?
The 2024 campaign has begun. Joe Biden, despite his accomplishments, is flagging in the polls. We Democrats have 20 Senate seats up for re-election and the Republicans in charge of the House holding the nation hostage over the budget and trying to impeach this entire administration. It would not surprise me if they started hearings to remove Commander, the president’s dog. But you already know this.
Do you want to win in November?
When I ask if you want to win in November, I do not mean simply keep Biden/Harris in the executive branch. Nor do I mean keep a one seat majority in the Senate and pick up a few House seats. I mean clean sweep WINNING: A Biden/Harris blow out re-election win, a comfortable majority in the House, and half-dozen more seats in the Senate?
Fundraising that will yield enormous results in November.
Asking me 4 or 5 times a day whether I am voting for Biden, not Trump, will not help us win. Do you know how many of those emails/texts I have opened? Two! The hundreds more you sent I deleted unopened. What a waste of campaign effort?
How many more campaign dollars could you collect if every email/text you sent was opened? A simple modification will achieve those results while, at the same time, finding out what we, on the streets, suburbs, and in the countryside, really support. Instead of obsessively incessantly offering us a Biden poll, ask “Do you favor taxing the rich?” In the next email ask, “Is healthcare a right?” Then, “Should abortion be legal everywhere?” “Do you support unionization?” “Raise the minimum wage?” “LGBTQ+ rights?” “Should America remain a democracy?” “Is our economy working for you?” “Did the Infrastructure bill affect your community?” You have also not asked about gerrymandering, taking donations from corporations, trading stocks in Congress, Washington D.C. or Puerto Rican statehood, childcare, student loan forgiveness, or tuition free public college. This list is endless.
At your current fundraising pace send every Democrat and left leaning Independent at least two hundred differently titled emails/texts before a repeat. We will open all of them because, more than anything, we want you to know how to best represent us. Tallying the results will give you a real platform and effective talking points.
More than 40% of Americans are no longer registered Democrats or Republicans because both parties stopped listening to the people. We need you to hear us.
Speaking of talking points
While negotiating the budget, every hearing and budgetary press conference should feature these talking points.
1.The Republicans are not/cannot be serious about our debt/deficit if taxing the rich is not on the table.
2. If the Republicans want budget cuts, start by ending subsidies, tax loopholes, and tax credits for the wealthy and rich corporations.
Cuts to the IRS, CFPB, Medicare, or Social Security are not on the table. If they threaten to shut down the government, let them. Dare them to do so.
I have been a Democrat for more than 50 years. I know you Democrats in charge are shuffling around staring at your feet, running your fingers through your hair, mumbling, “What if we make a mistake? What if we lose?” There is no time for that nonsense.
Stop it.
The Republican Party is already doing everything in their power to hand us an election landslide by threatening to shut down the government, banning books (including the dictionary), arresting women for having miscarriages, balking at support for Ukraine… the list is extensive.
There are two issues that certainly garner more than 50% support among voters: legalized abortion and democracy in America. Spend more of our campaign war chest making sure the abortion question is on the ballot in all 34 Senate races, especially the toss-up states. Meanwhile, run TV and social media ads that embrace, “Voting for any Republican is voting for a national abortion ban.” and “A vote for any Republican, is a vote to end democracy in America.” If you cannot bring yourselves to adopt this ‘take no prisoners’ attitude, fix that by hiring those who have and do. Embrace the unthinkable: invite the Lincoln Project to craft your messaging.
Address immigration with action.
I do not agree with Governors Abbot and DeSantis sending migrants to cities run by Democrats. It has, however, brought attention to the crisis at our southern border. Unless we can magically end all global conflicts and human rights abuses, people arriving at the border will continue. All these negotiations and press conferences should include the labor shortage in America and what Republicans support: putting children to work and keeping all immigrants out. Citizenship for DACA should be in every negotiation. Do you want to blunt Republican immigration talking points? Publicly encourage every Democrat run city in America to take in as many immigrants as they can while negotiating for funds to make that possible.
We can have a substantial victory this November! We will have a substantial victory in November… if you stop worrying and start daring to act!
I sent this letter via snail mail to Sen. Chuck Schumer, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, Jaime Harrison, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Henry Munoz III, Rep. Cedrick Richmond, Ken Martin, Virginia McGregor, Chris Korge, and Hillary Clinton. If you wish to send any a letter here is the address:
430 South Capitol Stret, Southeast
Washington, DC 20003
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Election 2024 is at hand
Last November I posted “The Visibility Initiative Project” that pointed out Hitler’s rise to power in Germany as the result of good people being silent and invisible. Since then, Donald Trump has threatened to corral immigrants in concentration camps like vermin and promised to be dictator on day one of a second term while denying he had read Mein Kampf, the source of these talking points.
As Trump supporters go about their daily lives, everywhere they look, they see only MAGA hats and shirts and yard signs. To them this confirms what they saw today on Fox News: They are the voting majority in the United States and election 2020 was stolen.
They are visible! Meanwhile, resistance to the rise of Hitlerian fascism in America remains invisible outside the media.
Democracy is on the Ballot…
A vote for any Republican is a vote for a Trump fascist government, a national abortion ban, and an end to progress on Climate Change. There will not be a box to select that says “democracy.” There will only be names of candidates and ballot initiatives. Choose wisely.
Being visible is a key part of not allowing us to slip into that authoritarian government. My site, BlueWavePolitcs, is one of a multitude of sites that can provide you with apparel and kitsch so you can be seen. Stand up. Stand out. Be visible.
New designs on my site can help you speak volumes without saying a word. In your everyday comings and goings people will notice and say they like your sweatshirt or tote bag. That idea will be planted. It will germinate and bear democratic fruit for the coming election!
Here are innovative designs that scream “democracy” now available on sweatshirts and tote bags:
There is a slim possibility that Democrats will make a clean sweep in November capturing both the Senate and House of Representatives… but not if we remain invisible!
If you have ideas for designs or would like to help with this project, contact me.
Visibility Initiative Project
People like us, living in a vibrant liberal democracy, remained quiet, in the shadows. They, in their silence, in their invisibility, allowed Adolph Hitler to rise to power in pre-WWII Germany. Hitler came to this position after being imprisoned for attempting to overthrow the government of Bavaria. He accomplished this feat by manipulating the narrative about political and economic issues confronting Germany, and riding on the voiceless timidity of the citizenry.
Sound familiar?
Perhaps they didn’t want to have a brick through their window or to be yelled at on the subway or to be threatened or bullied at work. As a result, 6 million jews were slaughtered, all of Europe became a conflagration, then the entire world caught fire.
Here we are again.
A man, who by election 2024 will have been convicted of attempting to overthrow our government, could once again be elevated to our highest office. Are we going to remain silent? In the shadows? If we do, abortion will be completely banned, the LGBTQ+ community will be marginalized and imprisoned, trans people will continue to be murdered in the shadows, the rich will own America. Democracy here will vanish.
Please join the Visibility Initiative Project. As with my continuing bumper magnet project, I believe that when enough of us stand out in a crowd, voter turnout goes up. Democracy survives.
Go to my store front, Blue Wave Politics, (or a similar one) and become conspicuous. Pick an issue you support and suit up for the coming battle. Give these outstanding items to friends, family, and neighbors who share your vision for a better America. You may get your car keyed. You may get yelled at or confronted, even shunned by some, but the only way to deal with MAGA bullies is to stand up prominently. As the holiday season approaches, overtly commit to continuing democracy beyond the next holiday season.
The holidays are a great time to give gifts that distinguish. Be bold!!
Support the Visibility Initiative Project.
I have added many more ways to express how you feel. More items will appear. Additional designs for other critical issues are on their way.
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