Democracy Out Loud #417:Choosing life
Dear friends,
The best metaphor I heard this week about the inauguration was that it was like vomit. Sometimes you don’t know you are sick until you throw up, and after you throw up you can heal, because your body has eliminated toxins. We are a country which has been largely unaware of the sickness caused by economic disparity, white supremacy, and other systems of violence. At the inauguration it was all sickeningly on display.
When we see the videos of the billionaires and Musk’s very deliberate Nazi salutes at the inauguration and hear about Trump’s executive orders, it helps to see it as vomit. That is exactly how ugly it is. Maybe this sickness is going to have to keep coming out until enough of us see it for what it is. This has to happen so the country can be healed of its systems of violence.
Instead of watching the inauguration, many of us chose to attend the celebrations of Martin Luther King, like the one led by Rev. William Barber in Atlanta, or the one led by NAACP of Moore County. We were deeply inspired. Likewise the zoom with Rebecca Solnit and various other movement gatherings. Coming together, we felt the power of who we truly are as human beings and what is possible for our country. It is important to remember that the sickness and the healing are both happening simultaneously. What we choose to focus on and where and how we choose to spend our time matters.
Our friend Sam Scarborough, a UNC student, was quoted in the NC Newsline article about the protest in Raleigh. “Trump is not an individual. Trumpism, MAGA, is a movement, and the only way to stop a movement is with a counter-movement. If we do not come together collectively and form that counter-movement, this country’s is going to continue shifting rightward and we are going to see fascism, unabridged, more and more in the coming days.”
The opposition movement comes in many forms. Most powerful for me this week was the way Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington DC, directly addressed President Trump in her sermon in the National Cathedral. She showed us all how to speak truth to power without becoming the very thing we are resisting.
In the depressingly white inauguration crowd, a few notable Senators did not stand up for Trump with everyone else. Do yourself a favor and watch Bernie Sanders’ comments about the inauguration.
Some of the most inspiring examples of an opposition movement continue to happen in statehouses all over the country, like Texas state Representative James Talarco. Notice how grounded he is as he directly speaks truth to power.
We are closely following challenges to the election of NC Supreme Court Justice Alison Riggs, which Marc Elias characterizes as a “five alarm fire” for democracy. What the GOP is doing is attempting to overturn an election, and if they succeed here they will try it elsewhere including, once again, the 2028 Presidential election. Many of us will attend the zoom town hall today at 6:30 pm and/or the packing of the court in Richmond, VA on Monday.
If you haven’t already done so, look up who represents you in Washington and Raleigh and put these people on speed dial. This is the most important thing you can do.
Once you find out who represents you in the NCGA House of Representatives, please add your name to this spreadsheet. Mark is curating this, so if you have any trouble or just don’t do spreadsheets, email him at mswal2846@aol.com. We must organize ourselves so that we can pressure our elected officials to represent our interests.
The NC General Assembly begins its session at noon on Wednesday January 29. NC Democrats are leading an effort to pack the gallery. You can sign up at this link and while we are there we can visit the offices of those who represent us and say hello. Linda did this spreadsheet to help us find their offices and know the names of their legislative assistants.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have released a summary of the financial priorities of Republicans as they approach the budget. All of these will hurt people who are already struggling financially and (surprise!) benefit the very wealthy.
Bishop William Barber will participate in an online forum on today, Thursday January 23 at 4:30 pm at Yale Center for Public Theology and Public Policy. You can get more information and view it at this link.
Jeff and Andy have curated our crowd-sourced list of alternative news sources. For additions and comments, email Jeff at democracyoutloud@gmail.com.
Democracy Out Loud continues to meet every Tuesday from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, and we have a guided meditation every Thursday at 10 am. If you need the zoom link, email Jewel at democracyoutloud@gmail.com. Everyone is welcome.
Our choice now is to immerse ourselves in a consciousness and perception which is directly opposed to systems of violence. It is unwavering and clear. Don’t waste time worrying too much about what Trump is doing; instead pay attention to the people who are building communities of resilience and care, and join them. We are in for a tough time, and together we will prevail.
with love and gratitude, Karen
“The resistance to the second Trump term isn’t so much a ‘take to the streets’ approach than it is a more thoughtful and organized opposition using legal means to fight back. There’s a network of pro-democracy organizations that spent years preparing for this moment and are challenging Trump’s flurry of executive orders in the courts almost as soon as they’re signed. That’s huge.” -Marc Elias, Democracy Docket, January 22, 2025
“No matter how many executive orders and no matter how many absurd statements he makes, our goal remains the same. We’ve got to educate, we’ve got to organize, we’ve got to put pressure on Congress to do the right thing. And by the way, with Republicans only holding a 3 or 4-seat advantage in the House, we can stop them time and time again if we are organized. Finally my friends, we’ve got to fight to create an America based on economic, social, racial, and environmental justice. That’s what we’ve got to work on. Let’s do it.” - Bernie Sanders, “I attended Trump’s inauguration yesterday. Here are my thoughts” YouTube, January 21, 2025