Empathy. Their well has run dry. Time to fight back for each other.
Don’t expect Joanie and other republican senators to care about our neighbors. But we care.
This week
By Sabra Briere, editor
After the House passed the Big — Budget we all had time to see what it looked like. Many of us, no matter what our political position, didn’t much like what we saw. And that’s why, when Republican legislators were bold enough to hold Town Hall meetings recently, they didn’t find friendly, supportive audiences.
Of course, how they were received depended entirely on how they addressed their audience. Most smugly assumed that their audiences would agree that that the Orange Spray Tanned Man was good, and the Big — Bill was good. They were wrong.
I’ve seen the videos.
The challenge, of course, is to get those legislators to not just get the message, but act on it. Gossip says that some Republican Senators want to (checks notes) make the Big — Bill even worse for everyone but the filthy rich, while a few might be willing to soften it a little. The deal is that, if they change a word, it has to go back to the House.
Voting margins in the House and the Senate are exceedingly small. Shift a vote here and there, convince one or two Republicans that all this largesse for the uber-wealthy won’t really trickle down, while taking away food, shelter, and health care will hurt real people is a very bad idea that will come back to bite them and maybe they will vote no and come up with a more humane budget.
Who knows?
I believe we should be prepared either way. And make the calls.
It’s June, and therefore, the month we should spend recognizing the rights of our friends and family who are LGBTQIA+. Last month (did you forget?) was a month given over to honoring the MILITARY.
I solved my own concerns about gay and lesbian people sometime between 1968 and 1976, as I worked through becoming a semi-functioning adult. I clearly remember recognizing that I could be friends and not competitors on the dating scene (a revelation), and then later overcoming the vile teaching that linked being gay with pedophilia. Everything after that — gay rights, AIDS, same-sex partnership and marriage, full legal rights — was just a matter of breaking down some cultural barriers and dealing with fears. I relaxed for myself and worked for our country.
But recently, all of this and more is back in our culture, with a vengeance.
Perhaps it never truly left, and I was simply sheltered in my bubble of sanity. If we set aside the pressures to be afraid of each other, I am confident in our good nature.
I want to live in a rational world. One where we worry about reasonable things, and work to solve them — like permanent poverty in its many disguises. I want this world for every child and every person. Which brings me to the rainbow flag.
When the rainbow became the symbol of the gay rights movement, a lot of people lost the message. I hope I didn’t. I saw it as a reminder that we should embrace all the different types of people that live here, not try to make them all the same. That each color was both distinct and yet blended into the adjacent colors, different and together.
As we all should be. Our differences unite us as much as our similarities can divide us. We have to be cautious about those who try to enforce their purity tests on us (are you perfectly in alignment with all my values?) just as we have to embrace things that sometimes make us uncomfortable.
That’s part of what makes our country as good as it is, and a goal to make it as great as it aspires to be.
This is our Resistance Summer. We’re out on the street, making it clear that we embrace what makes us great and good. I hope you’ll join me there.
In the News
Back in the winter, many of us watched or listened or read in disgust as the current president and his VP met with and attacked the President of Ukraine, Volodomyr Zelinskyy, in the Oval Office. It was so offensive that Indivisible SoCo called its first (of many) protests.
Imagine how it must have been to be Zelinskyy, then, knowing that he had this complex stealth operation ongoing, keeping quiet throughout this verbal attack, not striking back with too much information. Imagine what it must be like to have leadership that knows how to plan, and understand when to share and which countries can be trusted.
We used to have that kind of leadership.
Because the current president has no respect for the law, the people who work for him also have no respect for the law. In the end, that means they break the law today expecting to have accomplished their goals before the courts can intercede. The damage will be done, both to the individuals involved and to the rule of law.
They don’t care.
This shows particularly in the ICE raids. That so many local police departments assist in these raids is — to my civic eyes — shameful. That so many local residents stand up and resist gives me hope, even as their neighbors are still kidnapped. What we saw happen in San Diego is just one example.
Since someone wrote that ‘the cruelty is the point’ the current president, his followers, minions, sycophants, imitators, and all the other followers have eagerly proved the essay right. I’ll probably never have the capacity to understand why; at least, I hope I never do.
So I’m not going to look for consistency in the positions people take in their rhetoric or their actions. My heart aches for the people who faced a homemade flame thrower at a rally in Colorado that was demanding the release of the hostages that remain in Hamas’ control. That the person who committed this act was inflamed by vile rhetoric justifies nothing.
I continue to live without news on TV, relying on electronic versions of newspapers and magazines for hard news, blogs and other social media for opinion. As if it were possible to separate the two. This is how I intend to remain sane through all of this.
What’s the Plan?
By Tom Benthin
We’re no longer fighting to save our democracy. We’re fighting to get it back and remake it so that it can’t be broken again. How do we do that?
The short answer is, we don’t exactly know. But we can see where we are and what we need to do now.
Elections and the courts can not save us. Fascists have seized control of our government - a “hostile takeover of our government by the bullies for the billionaires”. Though both elections and the courts are important, they alone cannot re-establish a stable democracy. We must demand a true overhaul of the courts and the electoral system.
We have two key tasks. We must put the harms the fascists are causing front and center - and keep them there. When we do, we must describe them as they impact individuals directly, not the impact on institutions or norms. And we must increase the power of the leaders who oppose the fascists. These are not the current leaders of the Democratic Party. They are people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (“AOC”), Bernie Sanders, Jasmine Crockett, and Chris Murphy. They leading by example. We have to help them increase their power.
We need more people to believe this is an existential crisis. If you’re reading this, you likely already do. We need more people to understand. They need to know that the MAGA harms them both directly and indirectly when it harms others. They need to know that the MAGA shame and blame story is bullshit, a smokescreen for their crimes. And they need to know that people like them oppose the fascist regime.
We must grow our numbers. We need an ever-increasing body of activists to take individual actions, join mass mobilizations, and refuse to comply with the regime. The more we can do this, the more we undermine support for the regime and erode its legitimacy. We create what’s called “social proof” (“people like me are doing this”) of resistance to and rejection of the fascist regime. It develops democratic attitudes and fosters new leadership, incentivizes “softeners” within the regime to limit or withdraw their support, and can weaken other key pillars of support, like the business community.
Keep using the “F” word. “Fascism”, that is. It creates a clearer connection to personal harm. It lets people know that this is not normal, not just a different party in power. We can’t overcome what we can’t name. And our goal now isn’t to win elections. It’s to ignite and sustain mass resistance, refusal, and ridicule of the regime. Do, however, use the F word to describe the villains (“fascist wannabe dictator”), not to describe conditions (“living under fascism”). And definitely learn the Woody Guthrie song, “All You Fascists Bound to Lose”. ;)
About the Protests
By Sabra Briere
Many of us attend weekly protests, large and small. All of these are meaningful, the small ones particularly. The number of these weekly protests continues to grow — at least, I’m certainly finding more added to our calendar regularly.
Some are very specific — like the protests at the VA Clinic, the Tesla Takedown, and the Avela Airlines. Most are not. They are recurring protests, with people standing alongside the street, getting attention and making the point that the current president and his minions are off track, leading our country in all the wrong directions.
We have new protests ongoing — the overpass actions. We are sharing our message with drivers hurrying by on 101, and the response is always heartwarming. That’s what keeps people coming back.
Which brings me to the BIG events. The one-off ones. The National events and the Locally Big.
What’s the purpose of these events? To let people know that they aren’t the only ones who feel that the country is headed for the dark side. To give our political leaders the message that we expect them to step up and represent us. To consistently increase our visibility, in as many places and ways as possible, over the issues that are core.
On June 14, we’re planning a visibility event, and we hope it will be big. We won’t be marching, or listening to speeches, or having a picnic. There won’t be jumpy houses for the kiddos.
This is the day that the current president celebrates his birthday. And he gets the military parade he’s wanted ever since he saw his first one. In his second term, he’s replaced all the sane leadership he could, and removed all the guardrails possible. With no one to stop him, he can go full Mussolini.
We don’t have to watch. That’s the point. And all our neighbors can see that it’s a clown show. Right here.
Some of us really will dress as clowns. We have some giant puppets too, wearing crowns, because puppets can be kings. Not presidents.
We’ve invited all the veterans in Santa Rosa to be part of the protest. We’re inviting you, too.
Standing for two hours is hard work, even between 11 - 1. We know that. Bring a fan. Bring water. All the things our mothers taught us about hot weather. We’ll post a map with information about parking in the next newsletter. Just remember — we’re not protesting Montgomery Village; we’re standing along Farmers Lane. And only customers can legally park at Montgomery Village.
If you want to know more about how and why we are doing this, read Your Time Starts Now:
Click here to donate
One more thing to do this week - Remember D-Day and the veterans that kept their oaths:
No Clowning Around:
Let’s Make June 14 a Swell Time for All
We still need volunteers to act as greeters.
Greeters need to be on site for about four hours. They help with early set up, help direct foot traffic, answer questions and give directions, and help make sure the event goes off without a hitch.
They also get to wear some great hats.
If this is for you (I’m going to do it!) let us know. Contact indivisiblesoco@gmail.com and tell us you want to volunteer today.
Want to be a little more adventurous?
We The Species will be bringing a troupe of giant street puppets to Santa Rosa Farmer’s Lane from 11-1 to take part in the festivities.
They are looking for 22 volunteer puppeteers from 10-1:30 pm on June 14 to help run the puppets! You need to be available for the whole time from 10-1:30 pm on June 14 and be able to carry 10-30 lbs for 30 minutes while walking on the sidewalk in the full sun along the busy street. Please email Kendall by Sunday, June 1 at permacopia@gmail.com if you would like to volunteer; you can also inquire about supporting the puppets builds in June.
Maybe you don’t like clowns!
Lots of people have shared with us that clowns are … icky. OK, we get it. We wish there were fewer clowns in the halls of government, too. Why don’t you come and stand with our veterans? A group of veterans will be standing together on the west side of Farmers Lane in front of the Church of the Nazarene. It’s a nice, grassy area, and we’ve reserved this space for them to recognize Flag Day and the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the Army. (Navy, Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard will be civil about that!) Stand with them and avoid the clowns if you choose.
Bring your flags
We can’t believe June 14 is just two weeks away. Whether you stand with the veterans or with the rest of us, bring a flag or two. Draw them on your sign. Wear them in your hair. Celebrate Flag Day.
Whatever flags you want, including Old Glory.
Only Two Weeks Away! Sign Up Now!
This is a national day of action. Multiple organizations are declaring that this day must not honor the clowns in DC. Join us as we loudly say there are no kings in our country — and we don’t want their clowns, either!
In Santa Rosa, let’s put all our clowning around on the streets, instead. Bring your brightest signs. Wear your clown wig and red nose! Our task is to remind all the people driving by that our government is a farce — and we should take that seriously.
In Santa Rosa - 11a to 1p along Farmer’s Lane
In Point Arena - 11a – 2p Centennial Plaza 230 Main St
In Healdsburg - 12p - 2p Mill District 164 Healdsburg Ave
In Cloverdale - 11a to 12p at the Cloverdale Plaza entrance
In Guerneville - 11a to 1p at the Guerneville Plaza
In Sebastopol - 9:30a – 11a Main Intersection 110 S Main St
In Petaluma - 12p - 2p All People’s March Petaluma Boulevard South & D Street
In Bodega Bay - 11a - 12p must RSVP for address
In Napa - 12p - 2p at Oxbow Commons
In Point Reyes - 10:30a - 12p at Wells Fargo Bank
In Point Reyes Station 10:30a - 12p Corner of Levee Rd and Hwy 1
In Sonoma - 11a to 1p, **3 LOCATIONS!! SONOMA VALLEY IS STANDING STRONG IN PROTEST!
Broadway - Line the sidewalk on both sides of Broadway (PLAZA not available) Stay on sidewalks - no blocking access
Springs Plaza - Demonstration lines on the sidewalk along Hwy 12 North and South - no blocking access
Maxwell Park - Demonstration lines on the sidewalk along Hwy 12 North and South directions, no blocking access
San Francisco - 11:30a to 2p, Delores Park to Civic Center Plaza
Guest Editorials
We have been here before. Not the same place, not exactly. And not exactly the same players.
Letters from an American
Heather Cox Richardson
We have killed the Department of Education. It’s unforgivable.
Charlie Sykes has something to say.
For more actions, click here:
Check our website for more information and to learn more about Indivisible. Don’t forget to bookmark our calendar (yes, it’s on the website!) Every protest, rally, action, postcard party, phonebank, and letter writing campaign we hear about we share with you. Rely on our calendar to get you started. Rely on us to keep you engaged.
While I agree with Tom that the courts cannot save us, they are (as he notes) important — and they've recently been doing enough right to have a Goebbels lookalike fulminate about "judicial tyranny" and Dear Leader himself rage against “USA HATING JUDGES WHO SUFFER FROM AN IDEOLOGY THAT IS SICK.”
Unhinged MAGA-spurring attacks like these endanger judges who have issued rulings halting the Trump regime's advance to tyranny (180 rulings so far, albeit most of them temporary). I suggest that in our many calls to congress members we ask that they protect judges by increasing the number of marshals assigned to protect them, boosting funding for courthouse security, and shielding judges’ home addresses from public view. Congressional switchboard: 202-224-3121.
Postcard writers might like to mail a note of thanks to some of the former federal judges who have formed a group called “Keep Our Republic’s Article III Coalition” to defend the independence of the court system and advocate for sitting judges. They are signatories to the letter found at https://keepourrepublic.org/article-iii-coalition