Democracy Out Loud #416: go time

Dear friends,

Things will not change for most of us right away, but clearly our country is facing a test, and each of us will rise to the occasion. Seems to me that now is the time to clear our inboxes, news subscriptions, and social media of the deluge of noise that does not serve us, and to invest in things that bring us information and/or inspiration. It is time to strengthen our connection with people and organizations we respect and trust, and deepen our faith in sources of joy, love, and freedom.

We can’t know exactly how a second Trump presidency is going to play out, but already the signs are sinister and the lies and losses are breathtaking. The coming years are going to require that all of us bring our best, trust ourselves and each other, and know unmistakably that we are part of a massive pro-democracy movement that cannot fail.

The inauguration of Trump represents the giving of power to the billionaires whose only interest is to expand their obscene wealth, and they have no concern for the suffering this will continue to cause. Pete Hegseth’s hearing was terrifying not only because he pulled it off so smoothly with the support of the legacy media but also because it is very clear that the reason he was nominated for Secretary of Defense is that he will be willing to carry out illegal orders to turn the deadly force of the US military on civilians. See also The Bulwark, “Pete Hegseth wants to wage war - against the left: the defense nominee is targeting liberals, not our foreign enemies.” (Thanks, Cliff, for this and for the take of one of our most brilliant comedians, Sarah Cooper.). And see Ruth Ben-Ghiat on this.

See also Joyce Vance on the Pam Biondi (Attorney General) hearing.

Massive calls to Congress are important. Letters to the editor about Kash Patel and other dangerous nominees are important.

Here in North Carolina, public pressure is making a difference in the fight against the GOP’s attempt to steal a NC Supreme Court seat. We know that because it is finally getting national attention (see Heather Cox Richardson and The New York Times). Even more important, a few (but not enough) Republicans are now taking a stand. We need to pressure those who are silent, especially Destin Hall, newly elected Speaker of the NC General Assembly.

Common Cause is doing great work on this; they are sponsoring a town hall on Thursday January 23 at 6:30 pm; sign up at this link. They also set up this page to keep us updated about what is happening and what we can do. Please share it widely. You can donate to this effort at this link. Also the cost to the NC Democratic Party to fight for the certification of the election which Riggs clearly won is estimated at 3 million dollars. You can donate to at this link.

Thank you to Gann and Vicki and others who read names or attended the marathon protest at the NC Supreme Court this week; you can read about it in NC Newsline and Democracy Docket.

It will surprise no one that Democrats are nearly five times as likely to be on the list of voters targeted by Griffin and the NCGOP.

Sign up here if you can help pack the gallery during the arguments before the Fourth Circuit federal court in Richmond, VA.

We have been pressuring Democrats to fight harder for us despite overwhelming odds. Sydney Batch, the newly-elected Minority Leader of the NC Senate, published this opinion piece in the N&O (copied here for those who will hit a paywall).

The US Congress passed a bill this week banning trans women from playing sports; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez spoke against it eloquently. Its passage in the Senate is uncertain.

The Laken-Riley bill, which opens the door to mass deportations, also passed the US House. It has not passed the Senate but it is under consideration, and we need to understand what is at stake here.

Indivisible has taught us that we can be most powerful when we contact our own legislators. Make sure you know who represents you on the state and federal level and be in regular contact with them. We need to contact legislators from both parties. Find out how they are voting, in the NC General Assembly and US Congress and offer support or feedback.

People from throughout North Carolina read this newsletter or attend our meetings on Tuesday, and some of us will be planning to meet with our legislators. Can you please look at this spreadsheet of NC Representatives and add your name next to the person who represents you? (thanks, Mark)

The Fearrington Democratic Club is sponsoring a town hall on zoom with their NC Senator, Natalie Murdoch, and Representative, Minority Leader Robert Reives, on January 28 at 7 pm. Register at this link before 5 pm on the day of the event.

Very important: Siembre has written a 40-page document, the “Defend and Recruit Playbook.” It tells us how to employ multiple strategies to defend our undocumented neighbors, and much more. You can download it once you create an account and sign in.

Choose Democracy has created a 10-page document called “Resistance Guidebook: Some ideas to stop authoritarianism” which is excellent. If you are tired of reading, check out their impressive collection of new videos on YouTube.

Democracy Docket explains the four cases which will be before the US Supreme Court that may significantly impact voting rights.

You can read Jack Smith’s report documenting Trump’s attempts to subvert the 2020 election at this link.

A new important alternative news source is The Contrarian, started by Jennifer Rubin who just left The Washington Post. Gann sent today’s letter, “The Playground Taunt: Aspirational Autocrats return to tactics gleaned from schoolyard squabbles” in which this news source pledges “to tell you which claims have evidence to support them and which are the smoke and mirrors of autocracy.”

Indivisible is sponsoring Help of Hate events this weekend; you can register for Bull City Indivisible’s event on Saturday at this link.

We have a lot of choices about things to do on Martin Luther King Jr Day, which is also Inauguration Day. Bishop Barber will be online from 7 to 9 pm and is inviting us to prophetic listening, which we will do on our own (but not alone; invite friends) at noon; you can get more information at this link.

There will be a celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr at John Chavis Memorial Park in Raleigh from 1-3 pm, an evening of remembrance at the Plant in Pittsboro from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. In Durham, meet at Mutual Tower (411 West Chapel Hill St) at 10 am to join the annual march with St Phillips Episcopal Church. From 10:30 to noon also in Durham, meet in Durham Central Park for “Hope is a Song,” a community gathering celebrating Black and LGBTQIA+ elders and dreaming together for a better future. In Southern Pines, there will be a march from the park at 10 am ending at 1250 West New York Ave, where the Moore County NAACP Youth Council will present an inspiring program at 11 am.

There is also a fascinating online event with Starhawk and others, an all-day festival of resistance and resilience, an “anti-inauguration celebration” which is an Earth Activist Training. You can get more information and register at this link (scroll down).

Our book club meets on January 22 at 3 pm; email Marci atdemocracyoutloud@gmail.com if you are interested in joining.

We continue to meet every Tuesday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm and everyone is also invited to our guided meditation every Thursday at 10 am. If you need the zoom link, email Jewel at democracyoutloud@gmail.com.

It is so clear that we are the cavalry. No one is coming to save us except us. I am noticing in myself that having been a loner most of my life with difficulty feeling like I belong, and difficulty trusting the “we,” I have to learn to have that trust. Thank you for helping me understand how little each of us can do alone, and how much we can do together. I am noticing that people around me are stepping up, digging in, each in their own way, and while not all of it is discernible, it gives me faith that we will eventually prevail.

with love and gratitude, Karen

“Even if Greenland and Canada were controlled by America, in some dark imperial world, the resources American imperialists want are only becoming accessible because global warming is melting ice. The people who want to profit from them are imagining themselves getting very wealthy in a world in which America is flooded on the coasts and on fire everywhere else, in which a very large portion of the American population is living through Asheville or Los Angeles every day. The aspiration to control these assets amounts to a politics of catastrophe, a plan to burn the world for the profits of the few. And this is the logic in which we take Trump at his word.” -Timothy Snyder, “Why Greenland?” January 15, 2015

“Hungary’s key lesson is you don’t protect democracy by talking about democracy — you protect democracy by protecting people. Only a democracy that works for the people is sustainable.” - Gabor Sheiring, Politico, “I watched Urban destroy Hungary. Here’s my Advice for the Trump Era.”