I promised myself not to spend any more time writing Daily Kos diaries until I finished writing my latest book, which is so close to being done. Then the shit hit the fan. A friend called saying someone hacked into my Facebook account and was using my photo pretending to be me. (My photo? Couldn’t they find someone good looking?) So, I went to Facebook to report the problem and clicked on a link called security settings. Suddenly my entire computer screen lit up like fireworks on the Fourth of July. Microsoft was warning me my computer had been hacked and I needed to call them immediately. Meanwhile the audible warnings were so loud I couldn’t think straight. I finally called the number on the screen.
If you’re thinking I was being set up for a scam—you’re right! But I didn’t realize that until about twenty-four hours later. Fortunately, I hung up just as soon as a recording, allegedly to my investment bank, asked for my credit card number. (I never gave them the number.) I then called Merril Lynch myself and spoke to my financial advisor I had known personally for years. He assured me it was a scam as they never ask for a credit card number over the phone.
To rectify the situation, and knowing the kind helpful, person from “Microsoft” had entered code into my computer, allegedly to eradicate the hackers; I decided to junk the old computer and buy a brand-new laptop. I had to pay to install Microsoft Word all over again. The next thing I knew, I did something wrong and the new program’s Editor function kicked in. Virtually my entire manuscript, over 400 pages, turned to red ink and included items I had previously deleted. I was writing a dictionary, and the Editor function didn’t like the way I deliberately formatted it. I tried everything but couldn’t get rid of it. I contacted Microsoft asking what to do. They never replied.
Monday night, the debate debacle caused me to abandon working on the Dictionary I was writing, although I had less than 120 words to go out of 3000. I was fed up with my computer and had too much to worry about to work on the book.
I didn’t think Biden should debate. I felt it was a risky gamble. As I watched the debate my phone kept dinging alerting me to text messages. It was my friend who is a progressive Democrat:
- “Wow, Biden is looking extremely weak.”
- “I can’t believe Biden is our choice”
- “Horrible”
- “Trump is looking so strong”
- “Trump just won”
- “He simply can’t respond to these lies. Trump knows exactly what he is doing. And the vegetable simply can’t handle anything at all.”
- “What a disaster. I knew it would be bad, but this is truly sickening. Biden can barely string his thoughts together. Gaping stupor.”
Debate over, the MSNBC pundits echoed that Biden blew it. I called my friend. Like so many other concerned Democrats, he voiced his opinion Biden should drop out.
“No!” I replied, anger rising within me. “He can’t drop out. He shouldn’t drop out. No one else at this point has a better chance of beating Trump than Biden. Biden blew it. I admit it. But the last thing we need to do is abandon Biden. He had a bad night; he had a bad debate; he has a stutter and a bad cold. Don’t throw Biden under the bus. Biden is mentally sharp and physically fit. Time will tell. Biden will sound stronger and more presidential later. Trump, who already has dementia, will come across weaker and crazier as time goes by.”
Nevertheless, I didn’t get much sleep that night.
The next night, none other than Lawrence O’Donnel, clearly explained why we need to overcome the hysteria and back Biden. (Go to www.msnbc.com/...) No one else, at this late date, can take his place. Even if there was someone, open conventions are a thing of the past, and there is no suitable mechanism for changing the candidate now. I strongly urge anyone who still has doubts about keeping Biden on top of the ticket to watch the video.
Then, on Monday, July 6th, the shit hit the fan again. The extreme right-wing Supreme Court ruled six to three against the separation of powers that has been the bedrock of our Democracy. Unlike Biden blundering through the debate, this ruling is indeed a great cause for concern as it seriously erodes the Constitution and declares the President is above the law.
Strangely, I slept well that night. Why? Because I was in denial. I didn’t fully realize how devastating, how completely off-the-rails, this horrible decision really was. All this came into focus the next day at our Tell Then Tuesday rally, where for seven straight years our group of anti-Trump protestors hold up signs on Main Street in Greenville, SC.
We had the largest crowd in weeks. Two protestors said they were so upset over the recent Supreme Court decision, they lost sleep and almost didn’t show up. Two people had made signs saying, “I Dissent!” Maybe it was my imagination, but it seemed like far more pedestrians passing by, and drivers of cars, vehemently yelled against us, and for Trump. They were emboldened.
Has our constitutional democracy already died? No, not yet, but it is in grave danger. Five things need to be done to save our democracy.
- First and foremost, we need to back Biden and re-win the White House. If Trump ascends to the presidency, it is game over for America, as our country will descend into authoritarian dictatorship with ruthless retribution against anyone who doesn’t Seig heil to Donald Trump. I don’t know about you, but if that happens, I’m leaving.
- Secondly, we need to win back the House of Representatives and hold onto our majority lead in the Senate.
- With the Executive and Legislative bodies in rational Democratic control, it will be time to eliminate the filibuster.
- Then we need Congress to pass a law to redeem the Supreme Court by expanding the number of Justices from nine to thirteen.
- After signing this legislation into law, Biden needs to appoint four new progressive members to the Supreme Court. Thirteen is a lucky number.
The Republicans will scream bloody murder. Let them scream. Let them wallow in triskaidekaphobia. Let them accuse Biden of “packing the court.” It doesn’t matter. The Republicans have been packing the Supreme court with extremist right-wing Republican judges for years, in spite of serious violations of sexual ethical behavior (Thomas and Kavanaugh), serious conflicts of interest, and immorally using their high office to acquire financial remuneration. Impeachment is an unrealistic option. Term limits will take years to go into effect. Biden won’t be “packing” the court, he will be redeeming the Court—restoring the role of a Supreme Court from one that took away the rights of the people to one that restores the rights of the people.
It will only be a matter of time before the Dobb’s Decision is overturned and women will regain the right to have autonomy over their own bodies. It will only be a matter of time before Citizens United will be overturned, making it more difficult for billionaires and corporations to buy elections. It will be only a matter of time before Gerrymandering will be ruled unconstitutional. It will only be a matter of time before all the insulting indignities of the current majority on the Supreme Court become rightfully insignificant as the right-wing extreme Justices become the minority on the Supreme Court.
Justice can still prevail in America, if Biden gets to appoint at least four new justices.
There, now I’ve figured out how to solve our country’s problems, maybe I can possibly figure out the baffling problem of how to get rid of the Editor function on my computer. I’ve heard it said, when you get knocked down, you get back up again.