25 Comments
Jan 15, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I often wake up in the middle of the night worrying about how we might right our foundering ship of state. What worries me is the Dems being unable to find compromise, a family with unruly teenagers, moderate grandparents, and parents who don't know how to handle the teens. As long as the Rs refuse to be legislators, preferring to be performative clowns, the Dems need to speak with one voice and get something done, small is better than nothing. Speaking for myself, I have always been a communicator with my representatives, local and federal; I have been to many protests, starting in 1967 most recently in 2017. But the forces of hate and greed are powerful. I wish I believed the line in the song, "God shed his grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood..." We've got a long way to go.

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Robert Kennedy talked about the "ripples of change." Everyone has to do their part. In order to make things 100% better, make 100 things 1% better. Or 100 people making things 1% better. It's collective will, but everyone (or at least a majority) has to be pulling in the same direction. Have we become the "Silent Majority"???

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Jan 15, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Good morning everybody. Today is Martin Luther Kings Birthday, even though we acknowledge the holiday on Monday. We made it a holiday because this man effected change through peaceful protest and I believe he is still working from the heavens where he has been joined by his long time friend and mentor John Lewis.

I have been calling Senators and using twitter and Facebook to spread the Senate switchboard # to encourage a carve out for a Federal reform of Manchins Freedom to Vote Act. I stay informed and read books. I’m on my third Woodward .. and I just finished Mary Trumps first book. I have no more time to write a 4th novel because I have been busy reading, being riveted to justice playing out, and praying. My prayers are being answered. With 11 charges for SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY, my heart is lighter. I pray for justice.

Lord smite the evildoer and bring good people to lead us. Amen

Thank you for the question and if you would indulge me... I’ll post the phone number to call any Senator! 202-224-3121. God bless the USA 🇺🇸

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Jan 15, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I write from London UK, there's a limit to what I can do except post on Twitter; the trump years were nothing like I have ever seen before, I was shocked and appalled at what I saw and was compelled to see everything, I just want him out, peferably locked up so Americans and the rest of the world can get back to some sort of normality ..

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I have felt for sometime that I must do something to effect change-both to address the climate crisis and voting equality but have no idea what that something can be short of writing my senators and representatives in Congress. But I live in Missouri and no matter how often I write I get the same response-generic and politically appeasing without ever addressing my concerns. I have worked the local elections for several years and make attempts to discuss these issues with my neighbors-the majority of which are ardent Republicans and Trump supporters. I feel overwhelmed and frightened-mostly for my children and grandchildren. Any concrete guidance would be appreciated.

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Jan 17, 2022·edited Jan 17, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

As a 57 year old white woman, I have challenged myself to get really uncomfortable with and to acknowledge my white privilege. I am talking about it to others in the hope they too will become uncomfortable with it, acknowledge it and understand that we cannot rest comfortably in our privilege and not speak out against the rampant racism in our country.

As MLK so beautifully said “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

On this MLK Day, I challenge us all to get uncomfortable and speak out. We must be part of the change!

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As an adjunct professor teaching an introduction to American Federal Government, one of the classes always focuses on being involved and the ability to effect change. But, over the last 20 years and more specifically the last ten years, I believe the type of change I want to see - voting rights, equity, and acknowledgment of our own wrong doing - will not come, no matter how hard I fight for it. The texts and emails from Democrats only reinforces how bad things are and that if we only put more money into the problem it will be fixed. I don't believe that either. Are the Democrats progressive and liberal? Yes. Is that the change I want? Yes. But the rules of the political game have changed substantially to the negative and that only makes the country worse.

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Jan 16, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

I have called, knocked on doors, sent emails, written letters, and given money. I am willing to do whatever is necessary to preserve our democracy.

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Jan 15, 2022Liked by Steven Beschloss

Yes, I can affect change here in my community in Boise, Idaho. I do not post much on Facebook (Hatebook) but I have a healthy following of locals on Twitter. I attend events, noodle about what we can do with friends, volunteer when my schedule allows. For the most part, I follow blogs such as yours and journalists to stay informed with points of views I had not thought of or was aware of. Making being informed is my priority.

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The problem is that many righteous Republicans are loud and rude. Democrats are maybe too polite.

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I grew up in the era of mass demonstrations: anti- Vietnam war peace marches, the massive million woman march in Chicago in support of the ERA, anti-nuclear marches, marched with Cesar Chavez and the UFW in San Francisco in the 70s, and so forth and so on. Social media and the 24/7 "news" cycle has diluted what we are mobilized to care about (because now EVERYTHING sparks impotent outrage!) to the extent that we rarely actually show up and put our bodies on the line anymore. But when we do, we can still shake the rafters -- this is what made the BLM demonstrations in the summer of 2020 so significant. Tweets and posts, emails and voicemails are easily ignored, or are easily and instantly swept aside under the tsunami of the next hour's outrage. It's time to hit the streets again in numbers too large to ignore. It's time to show up again, and again, and keep showing up. The fascists were able to take and hold power in Germany not because the German people were all fascists but because enough of them were apathetic until it was too late. Let us not make the same mistake.

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So long as the actions that people take to effect change are confined to clicking on social media to register support or lack of same for an issue, or buying an overpriced chocolate coin at Whole Foods ("a portion of the proceeds go to saving the whales!"), no. We're doomed.

It seems the thing that actually CAN effect change in our system - for better and for worse - is winning/losing elections. The Republicans have figured this out and have successfully infiltrated many lower and mid-level government stations and Secretaries of State positions, from which they'll be in a position to have a real influence on the machinery of effecting political change.

From an agnostic point of view such citizen involvement is great! From a left partisan point of view, and especially because the Right has become terminally afflicted with Trumpism and associated corruption, this is a nightmare scenario.

I'm of the belief that the 24/7 "news"-for-profit cycle is a threat to ordinary democracy. It batters viewers with a literally never-ending blizzard of information designed to spark outrage, which translates into engagement, which increases profits, and so on. I don't see how this changes because anyone who regulates it will be seen as partisan and untrustworthy by about 1/2 the country.

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Jan 15, 2022·edited Jan 15, 2022

Short answer: no. Manchin and Sinema have made it clear they care nothing for the will of the people. As long as Congress refuses to answer to us, we have no agency. And all the phone calls and emails and petitions in the world won't change this.

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Hello Steven and subscribers,

I must keep telling myself “yes, I can.”

I look to my mother - now passed - a middle class white woman raised in Eastern N.C. who never stopped fighting for racial justice, fair housing rights, and, later, women’s rights. Living in the land of Sen Jesse Helms, it was a daily uphill battle for her. She often said that supporting a candidate for office was the “kiss of death.” But it did not stop her for working on Shirley Chisholm’s presidential campaign and she lived to see Barack Obama elected.

So, for her, I phonebank for N.C. candidates up and down the ballot. I join organizations committed to truth telling, repairing past harms, and for racial justice. I’ve begun researching my ancestors finding not only justice seekers but enslavers and one who joyfully sang in the “White Supremacy Choir” in Kinston, NC.

I believe that the unvarnished truth, accountability, pushing institutions (in my case a small university) toward acknowledging the slave labor necessary for its founding and success and making reparations/restitution to enslaved people’s descendants will result in long term change and healing.

Finding kindred spirits and creating community- as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr called on us to do - will result in change.

Many of us finding and doing this work will be changed forever. I have been.

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Do I think I can effect change…

There are different types of change at play in the here and now, there is prevailing upon a person to get vaccinated to help mitigate COVID-19. Or prevailing upon a person that the “Big Lie” is actually the big lie, moving them in the direction of Democracy..This is change, however, ineffectual to the big picture..

“Actions speak loader than words.” As a kid it seemed like every time I said I would do something that is what I was told. If we are the coalition of critical thinking people fighting to protect Democracy, we need to take the actions necessary to realize that goal.

Back to my examples of change.

The real answer is no. I can’t effect change. I’ve been trying for 5 years…writing to my Reps in the House and Senate, supporting as I can candidates for office, likeminded PACs like The Lincoln Project, Meidas Touch etc, etc.

But like I said above, there must be action, the GOP are taking action, with a “We will do anything to win” mindset and you know what…they will…they will do or say anything to win…THEY DON’T CARE…And they are succeeding particularly at the local level.

Unless “Those fighting to protect Democracy and hold to account the perpetrators of 1/6 top to bottom” start taking REAL actions, this country is fucked!!

THERE MUST BE ACTION!

DESPERATE TIMES, DESPERATE MEASURES…I don’t see anyone deploying desperate measures…do you?

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Michael Moore had an interesting podcast last October. Don't we wish we had the guts to do what the January 6th mob did - except non-violently? Worth a read: https://www.michaelmoore.com/p/insurrectionist-envy

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I call my Iowa senators each week knowing they won’t change but at least they know I’m watching and working to support Democrats who have different beliefs than they do. I write letters for the Vote Forward project. They give you names of people to write to who are potential Democrat voters. You get a form letter and just add a reason you think it’s important to vote. I feel so much better doing that than worrying and complaining - which I also do. I am one of many who called Direct TV asking them to drop the OAN channel and it worked. We need to continue to put pressure on for them to drop Newsmax and Fox. They are spreading lies and misinformation. You can also report Facebook and Twitter posts that spread misinformation about

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Has been frustrating watching the Party of No get away with so many terrible things without any sort of censor or correction. I came of age in the 1960's and I remember some turbulent times. We were fighting the status quo, business as usual, many values we are still fighting. Back then it was the establishment which was responsible for what we saw needed fixing. Our youth, optimism and affluence gave us visibility. It would be great if the Democrats and all decent Americans would pull together to fight the scourge taking over our country. But that's not who we are. We support individualism, diversity, the spirit of American freedom, and so do those on the Right. Only they have decided that their vision is right for everybody because the country is being lost to minorities, immigrants, and atheists. How an unscrupulous mountebank became their leader is clear. He was saying what they have waited a long time to hear. He may not be perfect but he's put their interests at the forefront and nobody else had as forcefully and gotten so much attention. Social media removed all the filters that might have checked extremist views and let them find each other. Election2020 was a referendum. Losing was inconceivable. If TFG and other political leaders say the election was rigged believed them and ignore the lies in left media. All of this is to say it's pretty hard to pull so many diverse Democrats and supporters of conscience into a monolith. Oddly, the Right forgets that they are largely descendants of the penniless 19th and early 20th Century Western European immigrants--German, Italian, Irish, et al. looking for the Promised Land but were considered dangerous to American ideals. Public education became key to making good citizens. Good reason to believe the decline of the US education system over the past 50 years is a significant factor in the ignorance we are confronting. Not a solution just some observations.

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America likes to call itself a land of freedom and equality; it has always been a land of discrimination. People look down on others to feel good about themselves. It is a part of human nature that must, with work, be overcome. No land ownership, no vote, blacks mistreated for 400 years, Indians, then and now, Chinese when building our railroads. Add the Irish, Italians, Catholics, the poor-watch the reaction if an EBT card holder buys a steak or a bottle of pop- and on it goes.

When eyes are closed, we see no color. Blacks, when slaves, needed a Savior, and I think today, they are among the most ardent Christians. I love their services, their enthusiastic singing of praise. I love their legacy to the music world -jazz. Who cannot enjoy Herbie Hancock, Etta James, Buddy Guy, Ramsey Lewis? It's great that because men were always called boy, the musicians began calling each other man.

Asians were intelligent when Europeans were still ignorant. Dancing With Wolves showed the caring, organized Indian life. Danny Boy's eyes are always smiling. God, like the rose, is still God, no matter the name.

As for protests, I don't think people yelling through bull horns change many minds. People get killed, shot, run over, beat up, and looters, just there for a good grab, give the whole gathering, a bad name.

Better education is needed, and it has been proven that it isn't the amount of money spent but the teachers and the teaching that count. Yes, there are great, motivated teachers, but, having sat in many teacher lunchrooms, I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. Truthful text books are needed as are supportive parents. (Good luck with that these days.) Set a good example for children so haters don't begat haters.

As for the poor, there but for the grace of God go we. Stealing a loaf of bread at a 7/11 is not like Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Give a dollar to that skinny man holding a sign and a cup at the red light. Give to the Salvation Army.

Will discrimination ever end? I doubt it. I think it must be done singularly, one on one. Show compassion, understanding, empathy. Be kind. Say hello,help out, share, smile, complement. As the song says, You Gotta Have Heart. ( Sorry to be so long.)

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