@impassionate I am glad you let us know how you feel. I hear in you a cry for help. I know you care deeply about our country and those who will suffer from a Trump presidency. You are a deep feeling caring person and bearing those feelings are so hard.
You are not alone in those feelings. I expect that nearly everyone in this sensitive community has felt anger about what is happening to our country. Anger can temporarily spur us to action, but we need light to see a way forward, and we need heart strength to move forward.
Perhaps you are really just telling us that you don't want to be complacent. Perhaps you are telling us you don't want this community to be complacent. I am with you on that.
Perhaps ask what can you do to help this situation? @autistic_anthony asked how he could help the democratic party up and down the ticket.
Ask what we can do to help this situation?
Whatever you do, be kind to yourself. And be kind to people in this community who are in your same shoes, who are as passionate as you are about this situation; and are doing their best to stay grounded and bring light to this situation.
That is what we are doing here. We are looking for light so we can see a way forward.
There are answers and there is a way forward. And often it takes calm and selfcare to find a way forward.
@jeanne-mayell A good explanation of how the Electoral College works.
https://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/how-hillary-won-the-vote-but-lost-the-election/
You are not alone in those feelings. I expect that nearly everyone in this sensitive community has felt anger about what is happening to our country. Anger can temporarily spur us to action, but we need light to see a way forward, and we need heart strength to move forward.
Or, as in my case, it can lead to carbs. Yesterday I sat all day (having the day off) watching a K-drama and eating carbs-ramen cup noodles for lunch, mac & cheese for dinner, and I won't admit how many ounces of chocolate chips from the baking cabinet. Today I resisted buying flowers in the box store garden department where I went to get a new pool vacuum head, but ended up with a bag of Flipz. Sigh....
For those who don't know where to turn their anger or what to do with it, go out into nature. Sit and be silent, or yell if you're alone, if it will make you feel better. If you're not good in conversations with others, write your congressperson or email them from their contact page. You can vent there and let them know you want SCOTUS reform, you want Roe codified, EPA restored, voter's rights restored, etc. without having to talk to anyone directly. You can be heard without confrontation. This link gives you a list of all congress members. Find yours, click on their name to get to their web page, where most have a contact submission form, or use the office number if you want to call. Same for your senators which can be found here. The senate have a democratic majority, ask them to start having some SCOTUS oversight hearings now.
The SCOTUS doesn't have a comment line or contact us form. Cowards. Flood them with letters showing your discontent at the following address. I've included phone numbers, but I don't know that you'll get anywhere by phone.
Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20543
Telephone: 202-479-3000
TTY: 202-479-3472
(Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)
There's no need to eat your anger (taking notes for myself ...), let it out. Our current president said very clearly last night that he neither needs or wants additional powers or immunity. Tell them that no other president in history has asked for such immunity, and they've functioned without the hypothetical threat scenario that they've invented so they can act as political agents instead of justices. No need to swear, but no need to deny what you think of them and their decisions either. It only costs you some time, a little paper, printer ink, envelope and a stamp. Let them deal with the overflowing mail rooms and get it off your chest.
Roberts on Roe, presidents being above the law at his confirmation hearing: NY Times, Twitter video
Kavanaugh on presidents being above the law at his confirmation hearing: Twitter video
Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, Barrett on Roe at their confirmation hearings: factcheck.org
Gorsuch confirmation hearing about president being above the law: CNN, AP
Barrett on presidents being above the law at conformation hearings: NPR
For some, if it is too much, step away. No social media, no news, etc. Recenter yourselves. The fight will still be here when you're ready to resume. You can still do little things as I noted before, like sending light, prayers, asking for guidance, and being still. Listen to music that puts you in a good mood. Watch movies or shows that do likewise-lift your mood or take you away so you can escape for brief periods.
In the meantime, watch as things progress, and rejoice in small steps of progress. Epstein's documents were released yesterday, and Abby's phone number is on plenty of phone messages. Rudy got disbarred today in NY. Bannon went to jail.
Bear in mind that you are dealing with folks who are gaslighting and trying to indoctrinate the public. The debate was not a debate, it was propaganda. What we are dealing with are literally assaults from those who have intentions of overthrowing convention. Realize this and then know that this is not politics as usual, it will take a different approach to deal. Find the approach (or the best way to deflect the noise) that works for you. These aren't normal times, so it's not you.
@cindy Yes.
Thank you. Others have pulled quotes so I don't need to do so. I had my "Spirit says YES" shivers throughout your post as well as throughout a post from @lovendures a little earlier this morning. That post, about our three brilliant, strong "Lighthouses" who are unyieldingly, lovingly, powerfully multiplying the guiding Light, was glorious---the metaphor so brilliantly (pun intended) shared.
I was wondering yesterday why I was merely angry not scared, and musing over why the "dread" we empaths here often feel didn't seem to be noted in posts. The two of you wrote the "why," eloquently. Light wins.
The underbelly of darkness, silly fools, are now SEEN and can be vanquished and dissolved, where for decades they slunk in the dark and made tiny chages here and there, unnoticed while building to this attempt at overthrow. Devious. Silent. Creeping. Now those machinations are exposed. The Light pierces their murky mucky manipulations. They are SEEN and in being seen, they lose the very power they sought to grab.
I feel t's dementia will be even more clearly and publically on display, well before November. The "min" (I prefer lowercase for dark bots) will be overturned themselves, and vilified down history's lane.
I give thanks because Joe Biden is re-elected (by our VOTES!!!) and thus dems BLUE, which just happens (!) to be Archangel Michael's Ray of Will, sustains democracy. Battles may have been lost, the Light, never.
Frodo: I can't do this, Sam.
Sam: I know. It's all wrong. By rights we shouldn't even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered…Full of darkness, and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why.
But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn't. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?
Sam: That there's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo...and it's worth fighting for.
Frodo: “I wish it need not have happened in my time.”
Gandalf: “So do I, and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
I was wondering yesterday why I was merely angry not scared, and musing over why the "dread" we empaths here often feel didn't seem to be noted in posts. The two of you wrote the "why," eloquently. Light wins.
I've been thinking a lot more about my role when it comes to ushering in the light. I realize Jeanne mentioned working with one's local Dem Party HQ, but I live in a very rural district...so the overall impact I'd be making, when combined with my social phobias/handicaps, would be minimal.
I feel that, at least at the moment, the most effective thing I can do is write advocacy letters to public figures who are involved in politics. I've done this before, in relation to an agricultural sustainability campaign I used to work on. I know that it works, because I've had public figures (to whom I've written letters) literally phone me, in person, to acknowledge my work.
I'm hoping some of you here can help me brainstorm more key points and messages on which our public figures should consider focusing. Here's what I have, so far -- and I haven't placed any of it into my form letter yet (that's what I plan to do, this week)...
1.) A lot of the people who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 didn't think he was serious about having absolute control over everything during his presidency...many of them chalked it up to hyperbole so he could win support on the campaign trail. Now that we have the July 1st U.S. Supreme Court ruling, we should be able to pull over a chunk of those votes who now realize that, yes, indeed, Trump is dead-serious about becoming a dictator.
2.) If we consider how few of the Clinton and Biden voters from 2016 and 2020 are actually going to flip over to Trump, this time around...we should also keep in mind how many groups and organizations a lot of them are involved with. Everything ranging from campaigns on reproductive rights, labor protections, environmentalism, racial justice, LGBT+ equality, public education, health care reform, voting rights, et. al. -- if each person who is really active within these types of groups could turn out 2-3 new voters, each...think of how much that could increase Democratic turnout, cumulatively.
3.) For those who aren't aware of it, read Simon Rosenberg's Hopium blog on Substack (I'm unsure if I'm allowed to insert the URL/link here in this post)...he offers some phenomenal takes on how Democrats can carve out a winning path.
These are just some preliminary points I plan to hit upon, in my letters. I also intend to acknowledge and emphasize to them how I realize I'm not a professional campaign operative or a political scientist...but I am a centrist in Middle America who lives in an extremely divided district, so my intent isn't to be presumptuous or bossy, but rather, to offer up insight on talking-points, messages, and strategies that might resonate in places that Democrats have traditionally been unable to reach.
If anyone is willing to add to my list, please share your ideas for messaging or other considerations that the Democratic campaigns might not readily be taking into account. There could be a lot of elements of which I'm unaware or glossing over...and I'm hoping to keep sending out these advocacy letters up through the end of the campaign season.
The electoral college was created to keep slaves, slaves. An antiquated system designed to keep rural areas in power. Should have been abolished after the civil war. Plus there should be way more congress people then there are now, congress representation hasn't caught up with population. There should be 13 members on the supreme court for the 13 districts. The filibuster another antiquated system has held everything back.
My new motto:
VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO!
*as long as you vet them first to make sure they're not a Republican who's pretending to be a Democrat just to get into office and then screw over the people who voted for them (like has happened several times in the last two years)*
Hi everyone,
I lurk on here often but never post. This SCOTUS decision inspired me to post here. First, I want to say, this is the worst Supreme Court decision in US history. It is worse than Dredd Scott, Citizen's United, Roe v. Wade being overturned, and Chevron being overturned. I am not saying this to be negative but because it is true.
Since the debate, I have felt the energy of the collective. People are feeling anxious. That anxiety was very high yesterday. I think the last time I felt this level of anxiety in the collective was the 2020 election. While anxiety is never fun, I also sense people realizing they need to do something. For many people this will mean donating money including those who have never donated before. I see a lot of money pouring into this election. I also see people who would normally sit back, do what they can. Not everyone has the time or energy for this, but this will be the most mobilized election we've ever had.
Finally, I was picking up on Biden and Jack Smith. I saw both of them tearing up the Constitution. I have two opinions on what this can mean. On one end, they may see this as SCOTUS tearing apart the Constitution (and honestly they just did). On another end, this may mean that Biden and/or Smith will take some action that under any other circumstances would not be taken. Remember, SCOTUS literally gave Biden almost unlimited power. While Biden is a good person, I would not be surprised if we some sort of Presidential "official act" taken. I don't think anything serious like Seal Team Six, but I wouldn't be surprised if for instance he did student loan forgiveness, enforced it, and then told SCOTUS to eat bricks, I have all the power and this is an "official act." I am not saying he will forgive student debt, that was an example.
Anyway, if this ruling is what it takes to mobilize people then that's what it takes. The stakes of this election couldn't be more clear. As others have said, this November we are voting for either a Democracy or Dictatorship.
He'll only play their patsy role until it differs from what he wants for himself.
Or until those who are using him no longer have any use for him.
Two justices should have recused (and were advised to do so by others)
And were in fact required to by law, but since the law apparently no longer applies to those who don't like it, I guess that explains it.
(sorry for the snark...it's not directed at you, I promise! 🤗 I just tend to get reaaaallllly sarcastic when I get mad. ;-) )
I was wondering yesterday why I was merely angry not scared,
Yes, this. I was so angry I was shaking, and I could have chewed nails and spit bullets. I am more calm today, but not by much. I will say that I am still certain that Biden/Harris will win, and the moves by the R's over the last week or so have only solidified my certitude that these people have now signed the death warrants of the R party specifically and the right wing in general. I also suspect that there are at least two justices who will be facing impeachment after the D's take over next year.