Welcome 😄 to Friday’s Roundup of Good News!
When we are sitting in our homes, watching the worst of the worst on TV, or listening to accounts of horrible events, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by fear.
Of course, what is shown on TV is usually the worst of the worst. “If it bleeds, it leads,” is an old saying, and so the many good deeds, the peaceful protests, have trouble getting any air time.
I also felt bats in my tummy with some of the actions being taken. Bill Barr is much more competent than tRump, and his recent statement, “History is written by the winners,” gave me chills. What do they have planned? Apparently bringing the military into DC is what they have planned, and anywhere else they can manage. They’re physically trying to dig in.
Yet act after act on the enemy’s part — and tRump and his minions are the enemy — have been backfiring. None of the governors wanted military force in their states. The photo-ops in front of religious backdrops not only earned tRump the wrath ⚡️⚡️ ⚡️of the Catholic and the Episcopalian leaders in DC, it even stimulated a gentle scolding from Pat Robertson! Military leaders, both former and current, have been speaking out as well.
So, even when Barr starts saying barrfaced lies on TV, remember we have lots of allies. Many are fighting bravely and conspicuously, protesting, holding up signs, or even resigning from their jobs because they cannot take it anymore. Others are quietly working, part of the deep state, arresting white supremacists planning to do terrible things.
We will have to keep fighting, of course. Many on the right are terrified of losing, not just status, but money and freedom as well. So they will fight to the death (which I hope is figurative, not literal, but we may see some blood).
Come on in, my dear fellow Gnusies, and see what our friends and our allies — sometimes less-familiar allies — are doing.
Regular Scheduled Programming
No one here is naïve; we are aware of the very bad stuff that is happening. Some of us expected it: the cheating, the lying, the chaos, and yes, even the attempts to cling to power despite the clear will of the people. But we are here to read the efforts and the positive results of those (including us and our fellow gnus) who are working so hard to save our country from those very bad people. We are furious with them for what they are doing and we are letting them know. Remember:
💚 There are more of us than there are of them.
💛 They are terrified when we organize. THERE IS LOTS OF EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE TERRIFIED!
💔 They want us to be demoralized. We have to keep demoralizing them. Name, blame and shame! IT IS WORKING! WE HAVE EVIDENCE THAT THEY ARE DEMORALIZED!
💙 The best way to keep up your spirits is to fight. So, take the time to recharge your batteries, but find ways to contribute to the well-being of our country and our world.
💙 Toxic 🍄 Trump Matters 👎
You may have noticed the fence going up around the White House. I think this is evidence that we’re going to have trouble prying tRump loose when it’s time for him to go — and also evidence that tRump thinks that if you live in the White House, that makes you president. It’s the same sort of thinking that made him pursue Princess Diana (after she and Prince Charles divorced), because he wanted to become King of England. I think the fence just adds to the idea that tRump is a terrified coward.
What has been wonderful to see this week, is that tRump’s response — the violence and troops being used against peaceful Americans — has only increased the protests:
There’s widespread condemnation from religious leaders:
tRump condemned by Catholic Archbishop of DC Washington Post
President Trump triggered sharp condemnation from top religious leaders for the second time in two days on Tuesday, with Washington Archbishop Wilton Gregory slamming his visit to a D.C. shrine honoring Pope John Paul II.
On Monday, Trump’s appearance in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church across from the White House set off a controversy because it involved aggressively clearing peaceful protesters.
“I find it baffling and reprehensible that any Catholic facility would allow itself to be so egregiously misused and manipulated in a fashion that violates our religious principles, which call us to defend the rights of all people, even those with whom we might disagree,” Gregory said in a statement as Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Northeast Washington.
Even the Pope issued a statement Washington Post
In his first public remarks on the U.S. protests, Pope Francis urged people not to “tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form” and called for “national reconciliation and peace.”
“Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd,” he said in Italian during a live-streamed general audience Wednesday morning. “My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life.”
Wow, Pat Robertson!?! ?!?
Not even all elected Rs are happy.Talking Points Memo
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) rebuked President Donald Trump on Tuesday for having police clear peaceful protesters out Lafayette Square near the White House with teargas so that he could stage a photo-op in front of St. John’s Episcopal Church.
“There is no right to riot, no right to destroy others’ property, and no right to throw rocks at police,” Sasse said in a statement. “But there is a fundamental – a Constitutional – right to protest, and I’m against clearing out a peaceful protest for a photo-op that treats the Word of God as a political prop.”
Mitt Romney spoke up as well. Salt Lake Tribune
The Utah Republican, who has been one of a few Republicans in Congress willing to speak out against Trump, suggested that active duty military soldiers should not be used to quell protests, which should be left to police and National Guard soldiers.
The military are mostly not with tRump and his violation of the Constitution. Everyone has been talking about Mattis, who denounced tRump in a letter to the Atlantic.
“I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled,” Mattis writes. “The words ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding. It is a wholesome and unifying demand—one that all of us should be able to get behind. We must not be distracted by a small number of lawbreakers. The protests are defined by tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation.” He goes on, “We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution.” ✂️
“When I joined the military, some 50 years ago,” he writes, “I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution. Never did I dream that troops taking that same oath would be ordered under any circumstance to violate the Constitutional rights of their fellow citizens—much less to provide a bizarre photo op for the elected commander-in-chief, with military leadership standing alongside.”
He goes on to implicitly criticize the current secretary of defense, Mark Esper, and other senior officials as well. “We must reject any thinking of our cities as a ‘battlespace’ that our uniformed military is called upon to ‘dominate.’ At home, we should use our military only when requested to do so, on very rare occasions, by state governors. Militarizing our response, as we witnessed in Washington, D.C., sets up a conflict—a false conflict—between the military and civilian society.”
Mattis is retired. What about those who are still working under tRump? This from Jennifer Rubin at the Washington Post.
We do not yet know precisely why Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper publicly broke with President Trump on Wednesday, renouncing the use of the Insurrection Act as a means to deploy the military against civilian demonstrators. We can surmise, however, that Pentagon brass was finally fed up and prevailed upon Esper to speak out.
1. Every member of the U.S. military swears an oath to support and defend the Constitution and the values embedded within it. ... We in uniform — all branches, all components, and all ranks — remain committed to our national values and principles embedded in the Constitution.
2. During this current crisis, the National Guard is operating under the authority of state governors to protect lives and property, preserve peace, and ensure public safety.
3. As members of the Joint Force-comprised of all races, colors, and creeds — you embody the ideals of our Constitution. Please remind all of our troops and leaders that we will uphold the values of our nation, and operate consistent with national laws and our own high standards of conduct at all times.
James N. Miller, a former undersecretary of defense for policy, announced his resignation from the Science Defense Board in the pages of The Post and upbraided Esper:
As a concerned citizen, and as a former senior defense official who cares deeply about the military, I urge you to consider closely both your future actions and your future words. For example, some could interpret literally your suggestion to the nation’s governors Monday that they need to “dominate the battlespace.” I cannot believe that you see the United States as a “battlespace,” or that you believe our citizens must be “dominated.” Such language sends an extremely dangerous signal.
Several others spoke up, too.
And the cause has support. Thousands attended a protest for Black Lives Matter — in Boise, Idaho! Idaho Press
BOISE — On the steps of the Idaho Statehouse just before sunset Tuesday, Whitney Mestelle told the crowd of thousands of people gathered before her that the names she was about to read — of black people who had died by violence from police or otherwise — was by no means exhaustive.
Even so, it took her co-organizer of the Black Lives Matter Candlelight Vigil — Jessie Levin — over 20 minutes to read more than 60 names. After she read each name, the masses surrounding her and carpeting the capitol mall before her — almost all of whom wore face coverings to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus — would repeat the name with a solemn, reverent air.
Look at the pictures with the article. Many colors of people. And lots of young people.
We need more actions like the following:
In other news areas, sometimes you get help from unexpected places. Look what the Senate did:
Then there’s this from Grassley!
And now, Boris Johnson!
And there’s this:
I have to hand it to Ukraine, which is more honest these days than so many Rs, despite Russia being right next door.
💙 Democrats Are Great 🌊
Republicans 🐘 Got Nothing 👎
💙 The polls have shown Biden consistently ahead of tRump. You have certainly seen many of the numbers. (thanks hpg)
What has been especially wonderful is that we have been seeing, finally, some cracks in that core set of supporters that have been keeping tRump up, no matter what. From Jennifer Rubin, Maybe there is no floor to tRump’s support Washington Post
The media have declared so many times that President Trump never loses his base’s support, no matter what he does, that we have stopped questioning the premise. It’s a truism that the people who think he has handled the coronavirus and racial strife brilliantly would never abandon him. But that ignores the evidence that Trump’s polling gets worse when his conduct gets worse. And this is clearly happening as he threatens military force against Americans.
More than 55% of Americans said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of the protests, including 40% who “strongly” disapproved, while just one-third said they approved — lower than his overall job approval of 39%, the poll showed.
A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll found that [former vice president Joe] Biden’s lead over Trump among registered voters expanded to 10 percentage points — the biggest margin since the former vice president became his party’s presumptive nominee in early April.
Hmm. I suppose not all of his base is sticking with him. As with the coronavirus, his performance on the crisis of the moment seems to remind voters how bad he really is. (“Twice as many independent voters said they disapproved of Trump’s response to the unrest. Even among Republicans, only 67% said they approved of the way he had responded, significantly lower than the 82% who liked his overall job performance.”) By the way, 82 percent of GOP support is fairly low for a president who (falsely) insists 96 percent of Republicans support him.
💜 Here are some great tweets about and even from former tRump supporters:
💜Here’s a great thread:
💜Some more responses to the question
💜And another...
💜And another...
💜And this:
💜And if you need to comfort yourself with moving pictures, try going to rvat.org, Republican Voters Against Trump, who have even recorded the fact that they will not vote for the dick-tator wannabe installed by putin.
💜💜💜Then, there’s this great Daily Kos diary, where one of our members has observed horrible tRump signs at the house of some neighbors — and this week, the signs were taken down! 😄
💙 Another poll, explaining why we have seen so many tRump defections.
💛 Of course, some of tRump’s base is super loyal. Let’s read about them:
💛 tRump’s campaign against voting by mail may backfire for him Wonkette
It's probably too much to hope for that Republicans will continue shooting themselves in the foot on absentee balloting all the way through the general election. Sure, Donald Trump can shout lunatic shit on Twitter about FRAUD and CHEATING and DEMS STEALING ELECTIONS via mail-in ballots. But will his lemming followers jump off the low turnout cliff with him?
So far the answer appears to be yes. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Republicans made up just 29 percent of mail-in ballot requests for next week's primary, despite constituting 38 of registered voters in Pennsylvania. In this crucial swing state, which just adopted "no excuse" (i.e., no explanation needed) mail-in balloting, there were approximately 524,000 GOP requests, compared to 1.3 million for Democrats.
Indeed, some of those 524,000 voters may choose to go to the polls anyway during a pandemic, in deference to the Dear Leader. Lee Snover, chairwoman of the Northampton County GOP, reports that "more than one person" has told her that "Trump doesn't want us mailing in, [so] I'm not mailing it in."
Go with God, kids!
tRump is so awful, he sucks the air out of the room, but I want to say I’ve been seeing a lot to like in Joe Biden these days. And there’s much more to come:
BEYOND THE BELTWAY
Most of the governors feel this way.
😄 And here’s some good news:
🐍 Schadenfreude 🍎
📣🏅 Let’s Honor Truth 🏅☀️
This time I want to honor James Miller.
From the article:
You recited that same oath on July 23, 2019, when you were sworn in as Secretary of Defense. On Monday, June 1, 2020, I believe that you violated that oath. Law-abiding protesters just outside the White House were dispersed using tear gas and rubber bullets — not for the sake of safety, but to clear a path for a presidential photo op. You then accompanied President Trump in walking from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church for that photo.
President Trump’s actions Monday night violated his oath to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed,” as well as the First Amendment “right of the people peaceably to assemble.” You may not have been able to stop President Trump from directing this appalling use of force, but you could have chosen to oppose it. Instead, you visibly supported it.
Anyone who takes the oath of office must decide where he or she will draw the line: What are the things that they will refuse to do? Secretary Esper, you have served honorably for many years, in active and reserve military duty, as Secretary of the Army, and now as Secretary of Defense. You must have thought long and hard about where that line should be drawn. I must now ask: If last night’s blatant violations do not cross the line for you, what will?
🌹 Let’s Celebrate Love ❤️
and this
📎📎Odds & Ends 📎📎
People who test positive after recovering from COVID19 aren’t infectious Ecowatch
Around the world, there have been several cases of people recovering from COVID-19 only to later test positive again and appear to have another infection.
Such cases have had doctors and researchers puzzling over whether recovered people continue to be contagious, and if they could get a second infection.
Now, new research published by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that recovered COVID-19 patients who test positive again aren't infectious.
The study also found that most patients who recover have neutralizing antibodies — the type of antibody that confers immunity and protects people from getting sick again.
I do a lot of other writing, too. Recently out: Hunters of the Feather, a story about a thinker-linker crow who wants to save birdkind from extinction. (It’s really good! It’s really cheap! It’s got a connection to dinosaurs! Buy it!)
My less recent stories, completely different, some based on Jane Austen novels and others on Greek mythology, can be found here.
💙 What You Can Do to Rescue Democracy 💙
It turns out that participation in democracy is not just an every-four-years event but requires active participation, like, whenever you can find time. However, given that we have taken back the House, the tactics moving forward need to be different. Indivisible has ideas to share.
Indivisible 2.0
This Guide is for what comes next. The 2016 Indivisible Guide was about using constituent power to defend our values, our neighbors, and our democracy. This Guide is about using our constituent power to go on offense.
Offense is exciting, but it’s more complex than defense. We have the opportunity to use congressional oversight to hold Trump and his cronies accountable. We can set the legislative agenda with a bold progressive vision rooted in inclusion, fairness, and justice. But none of this is automatic — we have to demand it of Congress.
And some other ideas:
You can relax and recharge.
You can join protests and freeway blog.
You can help register new voters.
You can smile.
You can get out the vote for special elections.
You can reach out to upset Republicans. Remember, a lot of them crossed over in the midterms! Get them to feel good about being blue.
You can share your ideas below.
🌻
🍀 “My experience has been that work is almost
always the best way to pull oneself out of the depths.” 🍀
Eleanor Roosevelt
🔥 If you’re going through hell, keep going! 🔥
Winston Churchill
🌹 🌹 🌹
TRUTH MATTERS. LOVE MATTERS.