We can all agree with your comments but we need to know HOW to do what we need to do to stop this. We are frustrated, frightened and sickened by what we are seeing.
Speak out! This is the most effective way of countering this right now. Learn everything you can about the truth and expose the lies on every social media outlet to which you have access. Support other like-minded individuals and groups. A good way to begin is sharing John's posts and prepare to stand strong when the detractors post rebuttals. Start planning for the 2026 mid-term elections. Do what you can to support like-minded candidates (up and down the ticket). It's not too soon to start. Campaigns will start this fall.
Ugh. Here we are again, awake in the wee hours because there is a madman destroying our country. Thank you, John, for fighting the good fight. It's just so exhausting.
I'm all in! But, I also feel that people in general are looking for directions on exactly what we can do to make a difference. Yes, there are the state primaries to support...making donations...calling our members of Congress. But what else? Is this enough? I would like to ask a favor though...could you find other images besides Agent Orange for your postings? Seeing him makes me physically ill. Thank you John for all you do. I follow several on Substack for my news, but you are my favorite and I look forward to each and every update.
I wish every Democratic congressional member would read this. It’s exactly what they should be doing instead of wasting time trying to work with his sycophants. Their one and only job is to resist in every way possible and call out the lies and hypocrisy. And I can’t sleep either!
John, I am 100% with you. Unfortunately, many of our elected officials are pretending it is the good old days of pols schmoozing with each other to get things done. There seems to be very little will in Congress (aside from a few standouts like AOC and several women senators) to be loud and visibly angry. The pretense of normalcy is what is going to kill us.
To be in, but only on the side lines as a cheerleader, is not being in. To be in, but only grousing about how horrible things are, but not doing anything, is not being in. Being in is finding a way to make a difference. Are you a singer-songwriter? The protest songs of the 60s brought about change. Find what you can do, and start doing it. Sidelined people watched as 1930s Germany crumbled as the US is today. Don't be a sidelined person. Tap into your gifts and abilities, and use them to affect change.
I read an article today about the difference between Resistance and Opposition. Resistance is reactionary-they do bad, we complain and push back--but they're making the first move. Opposition is pro-active. Every one of us has something we can do to oppose. We can't wait for the next metastasis--we have to radiate it with the rays of Truth, and excise it whenever and however we have the power to do so.
Carole, I'd love to come up with lyrics for a song. My wife and I are a performing duo. She plays guitar and vocals, I play a wind instrument. We're "Wind & Strings." If I had the lyrics, my wife would put it to music.
Right now, we're going over our repertoire for songs that are apropos for the time. Last night we went over, "The Highwomen," "There But for Fortune," "Blowin in the Wind," "I Shall be Released," "Streets of London" & "Deportee." As you can see, all covers.
We're going to go through the songbooks of Dylan, Seeger, Guthrie, Springsteen and others for more songs for these times.
I took Woody Guthrie’s “Worried Man Blues” and began writing lyrics to the tune. An example:
Woke up Wednesday morning, Donald Trump had won; Couldn’t believe my eyes, Donald Trump had won; Woke up Wednesday morning, Donald Trump had won; Whadda we do now that Election Day is done?
A more involved set of verses:
Trump deported all the field hands; sent them far away to the south
Now the farmers have nobody, to harvest any crops.
There's so little coming to the stores, fit to put on our tabletops,
We pay top dollar, 'cause he sent in all those cops.
***
Trump thinks you can't get sick from viruses attacking birds.
Hasn't figured out that cattle die from touching on birds' turds.
He has no flaming clue, eggs have to come from birds
That we must kill, to protect our precious herds.
***
So gather round ye hungry folks and listen to my song
About an administration that gets so many things wrong
Our groceries are dependent on workers and healthy stock;
If you're paying more now! Just wait til spring has sprung.
I have been posting them on Blue Sky as “Worried Girl Blues” with the remark that they are free for anyone to use as they wish. As Woody said, “I steal from everybody.”
Excellent, Woody! Especially on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day: Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp @ Auschwitz in 1945. We should all be able to post something on social media regarding that. We must be pro-active & TEACH TRUTH to maintain peace.
Send a postcard, not a letter, not an email & not a phone call to every senator & congressman in your paryt as well as the "good ones" in the "other" party stating what you want to see done, happen or not happen. Supposedly the post cards are the most likely to make it into their hands & actually read.
I’m in but I feel hopeless right now. I feel like we need a big movement of like minded people coming together. I feel there are smaller groups forming but we need one big massive movement. We need a strong leader for this. Who will it be?
To the folks who say, “Yes. But what should we DO?” I will explain what I have done and am doing:
1. I stopped making excuses for the MAGAts in my life. I left my old church and rejoined the Episcopalians (before Bishop Budde stood up to That Person) who are feeding, clothing, showering, and advocating for those who need it. And praying. We believe in God.
2. I am learning Spanish.
3. I am reading about the decades long War on Science. I am a mathematician who teaches. I will teach.
I’m with you. But what can we do? My mind keeps going back to the Greensboro Four. Four black youths sparked the end of Jim Crow laws by simply sitting at a Woolworth lunch counter after being refused service. Others joined in quickly and laws changed. Where is our lunch counter?
I am!! I guess I am one of those referred to in the (great!) statement in this essay, "We the Pissed Off People"...because I am (pissed off, that is!)! And proud to feel that way too!
We have to stand up, not stand down. We cannot let history repeat itself while looking the other way. This is not about one party vs another but rather We the People who have to stand together for what is good and right. Thank you John for your encouragement.
But HOW?!? I live on an isolated island in Alaska. Most people on my social media are like-minded, I’m only preaching to the choir. Words are fine but what are we DOING besides complain and commiserating with each other?!? Frankly, I think letter writing & phone calls are fine but ultimately useless. If they were effective, they would be working and they aren’t. Nothing changed in the 60’s until people took to the streets and disrupted things. Fill the Capitol rotunda and gallery daily with disrupters… fill the streets with protestors disrupting business, traffic, airports, disrupt red state houses across the country with sit-ins, protests. I don’t have the skills for organizing on that scale but I’d gladly be there and lend my voice.
We can all agree with your comments but we need to know HOW to do what we need to do to stop this. We are frustrated, frightened and sickened by what we are seeing.
Speak out! This is the most effective way of countering this right now. Learn everything you can about the truth and expose the lies on every social media outlet to which you have access. Support other like-minded individuals and groups. A good way to begin is sharing John's posts and prepare to stand strong when the detractors post rebuttals. Start planning for the 2026 mid-term elections. Do what you can to support like-minded candidates (up and down the ticket). It's not too soon to start. Campaigns will start this fall.
Here is one immediate and very specific thing you can do. Trump appointments are resulting in several special elections for vacated house seats. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-appointments-set-off-special-elections-to-fill-house-seats-what-to-know/ar-AA1vbmQN
Give generously to the challengers in these races and help flip some seats. Every seat counts.
Ugh. Here we are again, awake in the wee hours because there is a madman destroying our country. Thank you, John, for fighting the good fight. It's just so exhausting.
And we’re just at the beginning.
I'm all in! But, I also feel that people in general are looking for directions on exactly what we can do to make a difference. Yes, there are the state primaries to support...making donations...calling our members of Congress. But what else? Is this enough? I would like to ask a favor though...could you find other images besides Agent Orange for your postings? Seeing him makes me physically ill. Thank you John for all you do. I follow several on Substack for my news, but you are my favorite and I look forward to each and every update.
Me, too - I don't want to see his face and I absolutely cannot listen to his voice. Some smarmy, clingy energy comes out of his pie hole.
And stupidity - stupidity flies out his mouth like water over Niagara Falls.
He'll be looking to divert that flow too. It's all downhill from up north, after all.
Same here about his awful image. Wanted to share one of John’s recent articles but that face makes me angry and repulsed and I won’t post it anywhere.
SO agree!
I wish every Democratic congressional member would read this. It’s exactly what they should be doing instead of wasting time trying to work with his sycophants. Their one and only job is to resist in every way possible and call out the lies and hypocrisy. And I can’t sleep either!
There's only one word for Democratic politicians who work with Trump: collaborators.
John, I am 100% with you. Unfortunately, many of our elected officials are pretending it is the good old days of pols schmoozing with each other to get things done. There seems to be very little will in Congress (aside from a few standouts like AOC and several women senators) to be loud and visibly angry. The pretense of normalcy is what is going to kill us.
How could we not be in?? What a wonderful statement, John -- thank you.
The way Trump is trying to change or destroy civic institutions etc may be immoral, but
Trump himself is amoral - totally, unequivocally, obviously amoral.
To be in, but only on the side lines as a cheerleader, is not being in. To be in, but only grousing about how horrible things are, but not doing anything, is not being in. Being in is finding a way to make a difference. Are you a singer-songwriter? The protest songs of the 60s brought about change. Find what you can do, and start doing it. Sidelined people watched as 1930s Germany crumbled as the US is today. Don't be a sidelined person. Tap into your gifts and abilities, and use them to affect change.
I read an article today about the difference between Resistance and Opposition. Resistance is reactionary-they do bad, we complain and push back--but they're making the first move. Opposition is pro-active. Every one of us has something we can do to oppose. We can't wait for the next metastasis--we have to radiate it with the rays of Truth, and excise it whenever and however we have the power to do so.
Woody,
Do you by chance have an idea for a text? I am a song-writer -
Carole, I'd love to come up with lyrics for a song. My wife and I are a performing duo. She plays guitar and vocals, I play a wind instrument. We're "Wind & Strings." If I had the lyrics, my wife would put it to music.
Right now, we're going over our repertoire for songs that are apropos for the time. Last night we went over, "The Highwomen," "There But for Fortune," "Blowin in the Wind," "I Shall be Released," "Streets of London" & "Deportee." As you can see, all covers.
We're going to go through the songbooks of Dylan, Seeger, Guthrie, Springsteen and others for more songs for these times.
Thanks, Woody😊
All great ideas. Thanks for your comments.
I’ll watch, listen, and wait for a text.
Sending love and good wishes to you and your wife.
I took Woody Guthrie’s “Worried Man Blues” and began writing lyrics to the tune. An example:
Woke up Wednesday morning, Donald Trump had won; Couldn’t believe my eyes, Donald Trump had won; Woke up Wednesday morning, Donald Trump had won; Whadda we do now that Election Day is done?
A more involved set of verses:
Trump deported all the field hands; sent them far away to the south
Now the farmers have nobody, to harvest any crops.
There's so little coming to the stores, fit to put on our tabletops,
We pay top dollar, 'cause he sent in all those cops.
***
Trump thinks you can't get sick from viruses attacking birds.
Hasn't figured out that cattle die from touching on birds' turds.
He has no flaming clue, eggs have to come from birds
That we must kill, to protect our precious herds.
***
So gather round ye hungry folks and listen to my song
About an administration that gets so many things wrong
Our groceries are dependent on workers and healthy stock;
If you're paying more now! Just wait til spring has sprung.
I have been posting them on Blue Sky as “Worried Girl Blues” with the remark that they are free for anyone to use as they wish. As Woody said, “I steal from everybody.”
Excellent, Woody! Especially on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day: Tomorrow marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp @ Auschwitz in 1945. We should all be able to post something on social media regarding that. We must be pro-active & TEACH TRUTH to maintain peace.
Send a postcard, not a letter, not an email & not a phone call to every senator & congressman in your paryt as well as the "good ones" in the "other" party stating what you want to see done, happen or not happen. Supposedly the post cards are the most likely to make it into their hands & actually read.
I agree completely, John. We are in an existential battle for the soul of our Nation. I’m in with you!
Fitting analogy and beautifully written… As always. I’m in!
I’m in. Now let’s make a cohesive plan and turn this debacle around in 2026. Thanks John for your devotion to all of Gods children.
I’m in but I feel hopeless right now. I feel like we need a big movement of like minded people coming together. I feel there are smaller groups forming but we need one big massive movement. We need a strong leader for this. Who will it be?
Maybe Bishop Budde will rally the opposition in the National Catherdral?
To the folks who say, “Yes. But what should we DO?” I will explain what I have done and am doing:
1. I stopped making excuses for the MAGAts in my life. I left my old church and rejoined the Episcopalians (before Bishop Budde stood up to That Person) who are feeding, clothing, showering, and advocating for those who need it. And praying. We believe in God.
2. I am learning Spanish.
3. I am reading about the decades long War on Science. I am a mathematician who teaches. I will teach.
Thank you for what you are doing, everything helps. 😊
I’m with you. But what can we do? My mind keeps going back to the Greensboro Four. Four black youths sparked the end of Jim Crow laws by simply sitting at a Woolworth lunch counter after being refused service. Others joined in quickly and laws changed. Where is our lunch counter?
I am!! I guess I am one of those referred to in the (great!) statement in this essay, "We the Pissed Off People"...because I am (pissed off, that is!)! And proud to feel that way too!
I am pissed off too - you are not alone
We have to stand up, not stand down. We cannot let history repeat itself while looking the other way. This is not about one party vs another but rather We the People who have to stand together for what is good and right. Thank you John for your encouragement.
But HOW?!? I live on an isolated island in Alaska. Most people on my social media are like-minded, I’m only preaching to the choir. Words are fine but what are we DOING besides complain and commiserating with each other?!? Frankly, I think letter writing & phone calls are fine but ultimately useless. If they were effective, they would be working and they aren’t. Nothing changed in the 60’s until people took to the streets and disrupted things. Fill the Capitol rotunda and gallery daily with disrupters… fill the streets with protestors disrupting business, traffic, airports, disrupt red state houses across the country with sit-ins, protests. I don’t have the skills for organizing on that scale but I’d gladly be there and lend my voice.