I remember the day that Joe Biden took the oath of office, after 4 years of trump’s chaos and cruelty, after trump’s mishandling of the COVID response, after election denial and January 6. I remember opening my eyes that morning, before the inauguration, and breathing a great sigh of relief that we survived Trump.
I don’t believe we will survive Trump this time. There are too many sycophants, too many angry maga red-hats. Too many who think Charlie Kirk is Jesus.
I dream of waking up in Canada, or Ireland, or Portugal. I dream that my grandchildren will be with me, more safe there than they are here.
I am not trying to quash your dream. Yes, Canada is managing, so far, to remain more united. But the same influences that have taken root in the U.S. are working hand in hand with like minded conservatives here and by the same playbook. Fascism spreads like a bad rash. Eventually every democracy loving individual around the globe will have to find their way to push back hard to win it back. My hopes are with you all every single day.
As our daughter just announced her second pregnancy yesterday, my initial internal reaction was "what kind of world will that child be born into?". Of course, we are excited, but I felt so demoralized that the first thought was sadness and not exhilaration.
You are not alone. Every day there is a heaviness that I can't shake. Even with prayerful lament it hangs on. My daughter lives in France and it's very tempting to bail. But something in me doesn't want to give up. Everyday there is one more nail in the coffin. I write and call my congressional representatives. My Senators are wise, my Rep is clinging to Trump's vision...he gets an earful. His replies are always the same line of bull. It's hard. Hard to hope, but I do. Lord, help me to keep hoping and praying and standing and speaking against this dictatorial path.
Living in southern NJ, I could have written that comment, except for the part about a daughter in France. Thank you for expressing so well what I’m feeling.
Oops! I hit the command key instead of the option key. Here's another try: I would add a note of optimism to today's letter. I'm with you on waking up somewhere else; Portugal and New Zealand are looking better and better. I keep hoping that there will be a loophole in England's immigration laws, and that they will let us migrate there. Love me some England! In the meantime, I'll remember this year's inauguration day, when I was as happy and proud as I will ever be to be an Episcopalian. Bishop Budde spoke directly to the incoming president and asked him to be sensitive to the minorities who were living in fear of the new administration's possible policies. He and his family did not look happy, and it does not appear that this administration has responded positively to Bishop Budde's requests and advice. I doubt that this is the only denomination that has not "bent the knee." I could name a prominent one that has, but I'd rather not go there right now. Many denominations and faith traditions still stand for and preach and teach love, kindness, justice, and mercy, for which I'm grateful. May God bless all who follow such teaching and all who stand up to everyone who stands for the opposite. May God turn the minds and hearts of the latter to "love God, love people."
I wish we could emigrate somewhere, but we have kids and grandkids. They're going to need us if this keeps up. I question if any nation would let us, plus I'm not so sure anywhere is safe anymore.
Yep, every day. I’m exhausted that the change to end this nightmare has to come from us everyday folks rather than those in power. I am also frustrated by the fact that so many of my fellow Americans either think this is ok or want to pretend it isn’t happening.
My 103-year-old, witty, and wise mother recently wrote a letter to Supreme Court Justice Roberts. She said the Court has been Trumpified and gave him her opinion of the terrible decisions that gave Trump unlimited power. She signed her letter "Mary Lou" (not her name). "I didn't want ICE to get me."
So many people are going about their day to day lives, unaware of the evil that is taking over our country. I think the Jimmy Kimmel suspension may awaken alarm in their minds, and lead them to see the overreach of the felon and his sycophants. I hope and pray that those who have not been paying attention will have their eyes opened and their minds alerted to the criminal felon and his flunkies.
I was commiserating with a friend the other day about the state of our country. We are two folks in deep red states living in or near blue cities.
I said to my friend, "I'm just trying to keep my few little corners of the world neat and tidy even if the rest of the world falls apart."
That's the only thing keeping us from giving in to despair right now.
I have an emergency bag packed in case I need to flee to a blue state, or worse, another country. My heart is heavy knowing my friend doesn't have the same resources to do the same if SHTF.
I don't want to, but I will if circumstances force my hand.
As much as I’m flooded with despair on any given day, I know that giving up means they win. That’s the goal…to drive the non-MAGA lovers to give up and give in. Our country has stood the many tests of time and threats to our democracy. This may be the hardest test, but I believe we can and will come together to defeat the wanna be kings and authoritarians. At least one can hope and pray without ceasing. 🙏🏻
I have always loved our imperfect country but love our entire world just as much. I taught civics to high school seniors for 20 years. I had a particular art/civics project that combined their creative brains with the preamble to the constitution. One year, a Native American student in my class (a small rural town) drew a picture of the Statute of Liberty on fire. I never taught civics quite the same way and showed her exemplary artwork to all students until I retired. She is now an activist. I am an optimist and have faith in our young people and more faith in Jesus that we as a country will survive and come out better for it.
I, too, have "dreamt" of these things. But, I love my physical place here in my somewhat rural home with all of my animals. THEY, the 4 legged are what keep me going! Thanks John for saying out loud what I have been feeling for quite a while !!!!
I read the post and felt tears in my eyes too. Somehow, we must continue to hope. I question the sanity...the moral intelligence of those who hate so freely or pretend the horrific things happening in our country will go away. I am 78. My husband is 81. Of necessity we have become activists. To stand for those who cannot.
many months ago when i first read this poem by Warsan Shire, my country was thought of as a refuge.. a relatively safe place to come for those fleeing terror.
now .. her poem 'Home' is about my country too -
———————-
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it's not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats unto your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in airport toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you would not be going back.
you have to understand,
that no one would put their children in a boat
unless the sea is safer than the land
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than the journey.
no one crawls under fences
wants to be beaten
wants to be pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
no one could take it
could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
how do these words
the dirty looks
roll off your back
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child’s body
in pieces.
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hungry
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
no one leaves home unless home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now.
i don’t know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here.
.
.
.
deep gratitude, too, to heartist Kelly Latimore for his painting 'La Sagrada Familia' 🙏
[Not visible in this copy-and-paste reply.]
✨ When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as a native among you, and you shall love them as yourself. ✨
I’m encouraged by the fact that Kimmel’s monologue got millions more views than Kirk’s funeral (this is NOT a slam on Kirk). This IS a statement that there are more people who are concerned about our rights than freedoms than the display of whatever the hell that was celebrating Charlie’s life.
As Jimmy Kimmel said on his monologue he was touched by Kirk‘s wife, forgiving his murderer. I’m not sure 20 million people turning on the TV is the same as 250,000 making the time and effort to travel to a building and spend hours there.
I truly don’t think there is any hope for MAGAs to change or have a red line, they will happily go down with the ship. But I do believe that busy, hard working overwhelmed people, caught up in the daily struggle to parent, keep food and housing stable who haven’t really paid attention to the collapsing of our country are VERY reachable. We’ve had the luxury of decades of blissful ignorance and every new crisis is waking up citizens to this 5 alarm fire. It’s my flicker of hope these days.
Whenever I want to go elsewhere, I realize that the atrocities here will still be happening regardless of where I am. What I really want is for them to stop. Eventually they will, but in the meantime a lot of people will die and the lives of many others will be blighted and/or traumatized. Those of us who can and do speak up are a necessary countervailing force. Let’s keep fighting the good fight.
I remember the day that Joe Biden took the oath of office, after 4 years of trump’s chaos and cruelty, after trump’s mishandling of the COVID response, after election denial and January 6. I remember opening my eyes that morning, before the inauguration, and breathing a great sigh of relief that we survived Trump.
I don’t believe we will survive Trump this time. There are too many sycophants, too many angry maga red-hats. Too many who think Charlie Kirk is Jesus.
I dream of waking up in Canada, or Ireland, or Portugal. I dream that my grandchildren will be with me, more safe there than they are here.
It’s a dream, not reality.
I am not trying to quash your dream. Yes, Canada is managing, so far, to remain more united. But the same influences that have taken root in the U.S. are working hand in hand with like minded conservatives here and by the same playbook. Fascism spreads like a bad rash. Eventually every democracy loving individual around the globe will have to find their way to push back hard to win it back. My hopes are with you all every single day.
As our daughter just announced her second pregnancy yesterday, my initial internal reaction was "what kind of world will that child be born into?". Of course, we are excited, but I felt so demoralized that the first thought was sadness and not exhilaration.
You are not alone. Every day there is a heaviness that I can't shake. Even with prayerful lament it hangs on. My daughter lives in France and it's very tempting to bail. But something in me doesn't want to give up. Everyday there is one more nail in the coffin. I write and call my congressional representatives. My Senators are wise, my Rep is clinging to Trump's vision...he gets an earful. His replies are always the same line of bull. It's hard. Hard to hope, but I do. Lord, help me to keep hoping and praying and standing and speaking against this dictatorial path.
Living in southern NJ, I could have written that comment, except for the part about a daughter in France. Thank you for expressing so well what I’m feeling.
Oops! I hit the command key instead of the option key. Here's another try: I would add a note of optimism to today's letter. I'm with you on waking up somewhere else; Portugal and New Zealand are looking better and better. I keep hoping that there will be a loophole in England's immigration laws, and that they will let us migrate there. Love me some England! In the meantime, I'll remember this year's inauguration day, when I was as happy and proud as I will ever be to be an Episcopalian. Bishop Budde spoke directly to the incoming president and asked him to be sensitive to the minorities who were living in fear of the new administration's possible policies. He and his family did not look happy, and it does not appear that this administration has responded positively to Bishop Budde's requests and advice. I doubt that this is the only denomination that has not "bent the knee." I could name a prominent one that has, but I'd rather not go there right now. Many denominations and faith traditions still stand for and preach and teach love, kindness, justice, and mercy, for which I'm grateful. May God bless all who follow such teaching and all who stand up to everyone who stands for the opposite. May God turn the minds and hearts of the latter to "love God, love people."
I remember being thrilled by Bishop Budde’s homily. (I have a T-shirt with that quote) Hard to believe it’s only been nine months since then.
I wish we could emigrate somewhere, but we have kids and grandkids. They're going to need us if this keeps up. I question if any nation would let us, plus I'm not so sure anywhere is safe anymore.
Many of us are in the same position. Keep fighting!
Yes! Beautifully expressed.
Yep, every day. I’m exhausted that the change to end this nightmare has to come from us everyday folks rather than those in power. I am also frustrated by the fact that so many of my fellow Americans either think this is ok or want to pretend it isn’t happening.
My 103-year-old, witty, and wise mother recently wrote a letter to Supreme Court Justice Roberts. She said the Court has been Trumpified and gave him her opinion of the terrible decisions that gave Trump unlimited power. She signed her letter "Mary Lou" (not her name). "I didn't want ICE to get me."
Why would ICE come after your mother?
So many people are going about their day to day lives, unaware of the evil that is taking over our country. I think the Jimmy Kimmel suspension may awaken alarm in their minds, and lead them to see the overreach of the felon and his sycophants. I hope and pray that those who have not been paying attention will have their eyes opened and their minds alerted to the criminal felon and his flunkies.
I was commiserating with a friend the other day about the state of our country. We are two folks in deep red states living in or near blue cities.
I said to my friend, "I'm just trying to keep my few little corners of the world neat and tidy even if the rest of the world falls apart."
That's the only thing keeping us from giving in to despair right now.
I have an emergency bag packed in case I need to flee to a blue state, or worse, another country. My heart is heavy knowing my friend doesn't have the same resources to do the same if SHTF.
I don't want to, but I will if circumstances force my hand.
From a blue state resident, we welcome you if u need to bail.
As much as I’m flooded with despair on any given day, I know that giving up means they win. That’s the goal…to drive the non-MAGA lovers to give up and give in. Our country has stood the many tests of time and threats to our democracy. This may be the hardest test, but I believe we can and will come together to defeat the wanna be kings and authoritarians. At least one can hope and pray without ceasing. 🙏🏻
Amazingly, I don’t know how, but my son shares that he feels the same way about the left. What is the left ever done to the right?
What are his information sources?
Amen.
Some time last year-I don’t remember when-I wanted to flee!
Where to go? Holland, Canada??
I had nazis on the brain-my family hid from the Germans in WWII
I saw this coming and yet I decided to stay-this is my country!!!
I’m not leaving!!!!
I have always loved our imperfect country but love our entire world just as much. I taught civics to high school seniors for 20 years. I had a particular art/civics project that combined their creative brains with the preamble to the constitution. One year, a Native American student in my class (a small rural town) drew a picture of the Statute of Liberty on fire. I never taught civics quite the same way and showed her exemplary artwork to all students until I retired. She is now an activist. I am an optimist and have faith in our young people and more faith in Jesus that we as a country will survive and come out better for it.
Some of us in our twilight years will not be here to see it, but, yes, I believe you are right. Our country will survive this horror.
I, too, have "dreamt" of these things. But, I love my physical place here in my somewhat rural home with all of my animals. THEY, the 4 legged are what keep me going! Thanks John for saying out loud what I have been feeling for quite a while !!!!
We are fighting as hard as we can to make a better one, John. And if that isn't enough, our door is always open. I mean that.
One of my dear friends posted this. It made me cry. Can we ever become again a place of haven, hope and help?
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17GA64V236/?mibextid=wwXIfr
This poem is brilliant. Thank you.
I read the post and felt tears in my eyes too. Somehow, we must continue to hope. I question the sanity...the moral intelligence of those who hate so freely or pretend the horrific things happening in our country will go away. I am 78. My husband is 81. Of necessity we have become activists. To stand for those who cannot.
I can’t remember when I haven’t been an activist, although I’m an armchair one now, at 82 and ailing.
Hi Mim, I gave up on Xitter and FaceButt a long time ago. Are you able to post it here?
many months ago when i first read this poem by Warsan Shire, my country was thought of as a refuge.. a relatively safe place to come for those fleeing terror.
now .. her poem 'Home' is about my country too -
———————-
no one leaves home unless
home is the mouth of a shark
you only run for the border
when you see the whole city running as well
your neighbors running faster than you
breath bloody in their throats
you only leave home
when home won’t let you stay.
no one leaves home unless home chases you
fire under feet
hot blood in your belly
it's not something you ever thought of doing
until the blade burnt threats unto your neck
and even then you carried the anthem under
your breath
only tearing up your passport in airport toilets
sobbing as each mouthful of paper
made it clear that you would not be going back.
you have to understand,
that no one would put their children in a boat
unless the sea is safer than the land
no one burns their palms
under trains
beneath carriages
no one spends days and nights in the stomach of a truck
feeding on newspaper unless the miles travelled
means something more than the journey.
no one crawls under fences
wants to be beaten
wants to be pitied
no one chooses refugee camps
or strip searches where your
body is left aching
or prison,
because prison is safer
than a city of fire
no one could take it
could stomach it
no one skin would be tough enough
the
go home blacks
refugees
dirty immigrants
asylum seekers
sucking our country dry
how do these words
the dirty looks
roll off your back
maybe because the blow is softer
than a limb torn off
or the insults are easier
to swallow
than rubble
than bone
than your child’s body
in pieces.
i want to go home,
but home is the mouth of a shark
home is the barrel of the gun
and no one would leave home
unless home chased you to the shore
unless home told you
to quicken your legs
leave your clothes behind
crawl through the desert
wade through the oceans
drown
save
be hungry
beg
forget pride
your survival is more important
no one leaves home unless home is a sweaty voice in your ear
saying-
leave,
run away from me now.
i don’t know what i’ve become
but i know that anywhere
is safer than here.
.
.
.
deep gratitude, too, to heartist Kelly Latimore for his painting 'La Sagrada Familia' 🙏
[Not visible in this copy-and-paste reply.]
✨ When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do them wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as a native among you, and you shall love them as yourself. ✨
~ Leviticus 19, 33-34
.
.
.
Wow, That's powerful.
I’m encouraged by the fact that Kimmel’s monologue got millions more views than Kirk’s funeral (this is NOT a slam on Kirk). This IS a statement that there are more people who are concerned about our rights than freedoms than the display of whatever the hell that was celebrating Charlie’s life.
As Jimmy Kimmel said on his monologue he was touched by Kirk‘s wife, forgiving his murderer. I’m not sure 20 million people turning on the TV is the same as 250,000 making the time and effort to travel to a building and spend hours there.
I truly don’t think there is any hope for MAGAs to change or have a red line, they will happily go down with the ship. But I do believe that busy, hard working overwhelmed people, caught up in the daily struggle to parent, keep food and housing stable who haven’t really paid attention to the collapsing of our country are VERY reachable. We’ve had the luxury of decades of blissful ignorance and every new crisis is waking up citizens to this 5 alarm fire. It’s my flicker of hope these days.
I do t believe the people who voted for him this time are reachable. I believe the ‘good people’ just didn’t vote at all!
Whenever I want to go elsewhere, I realize that the atrocities here will still be happening regardless of where I am. What I really want is for them to stop. Eventually they will, but in the meantime a lot of people will die and the lives of many others will be blighted and/or traumatized. Those of us who can and do speak up are a necessary countervailing force. Let’s keep fighting the good fight.