Send in the Clowns
This entire administration is badly written parody, a Saturday Night Live skit, comedic casting. And oh, so dangerous. These are the kind of clowns that burn the town down as they leave.
This week
By Sabra Briere
Before you read any further, you can watch this bit by John Oliver on immigration. It sums up where we are today. And what we are doing — and can do.
At his first hundred days interviews, President 2.0 was shining with the dullest gleam.
“Well,” said President 2.0, “the good parts of the economy are the Trump economy, and the bad parts are the Biden economy.” And that clears everything up.
Does the president have to follow the Constitution? “I don’t know,” said President 2.0. After all, he promised, but did he mean it? “I have brilliant lawyers that work for me, and they are going to obviously follow what the Supreme Court said,” he said, appearing to downplay the oath of office that includes a commitment to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.”
He’s not one to understand the documents that form the structure of our governments, of course. In another interview, he was asked about the Declaration of Independence and what it means to him. I think a Third Grader would have done better. "Well, it means exactly what it says, it's a declaration. A declaration of unity and love and respect, and it means a lot. And it's something very special to our country," declared President 2.0
He still intends to discuss having Canada join the US as the 51st state when he meets with the new Prime Minister, but the president said he didn't expect it to get to the point of using military force — though he wouldn't commit to the same for Greenland.
"Something could happen with Greenland, I'll be honest. We need Greenland very badly. Greenland is a very small amount of people, which we’ll take care of, and we’ll cherish them, and all of that. But we need that for international security.”
Even as President 2.0 scoffed at the idea that he’s an authoritarian, he said that people like you and I “had their chance at the election, and they lost big.”
“Many people love Trump. I won the election,” he said. “They didn’t win the election. I got a lot more votes than they did. I won the popular vote. I won all seven swing states by a lot. A lot of people were surprised.”
We are not surprised. We are beyond that.
This is our Resistance Summer. We won’t forget Election 2026.
Schools, education and Stephen Miller
There’s legal news, and there’s bad news, and then there’s something to cheer about.
Let’s start with the legal news. No one ever knows what the Supreme Court will do. In recent terms they’ve played a bit fast and loose with the 14th Amendment and the First Amendment, narrowing the voting rights act to nothing, eliminating constitutional protections for abortion, supporting religious exemptions to everything from commerce to almost-required prayer in athletics.
So it’s no surprise that they entertained consideration of whether Oklahoma can grant public charter status to an on-line Catholic school. Oklahoma’s own courts said NO to this, but the Catholic Church took it to the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court approves, this on-line charter school will receive tax dollars from the state of Oklahoma. And while it’s unclear whether any student will be forced to attend, as it’s an on-line school. But it’s also the camel’s nose under the tent. How many other religious schools will demand to be considered public charter schools so they can access tax dollars? And what will they be teaching?
If you are Stephen Miller, it’s obvious what these schools will be teaching — or they won’t get tax dollars at all.
“Children will be taught to love America. Children will be taught to be patriots. Children will be taught civic values for schools that want federal taxpayer funding. So as we close the Department of Education and provide funding to states, we’re going to make sure these funds are not being used to promote communist ideology.”
Of course, I’m pretty certain this bit about ‘communist ideology’ is something left over from 1950, the decade this administration loves so much …
But there is good news.
Stephen Miller is right. We must fight for our youth, as we always do. And one place to ensure that students get a good education is by having competent leadership. In Texas, school board elections in the past week have helped with that, defeating some of the worst incumbents in 4 different school systems. Book banners. Anti-LGBTI incumbents. Anti-DEI incumbents. This is a good thing. May there be more such brave voters and candidates.
Kent State Applied
By Sabra Briere
I’ve been remembering Kent State this May 4th. And how, for many of us, the concept of protest and demonstration is wrapped around the reality of violence and danger.
There are things we’ve forgotten. We’ve forgotten that there was an ancient and unequal power struggle, Black against White, oppressed against oppressor, over whether Black people would ever be granted the right to participate equally in all aspects of our country. We’ve forgotten that those 60s and 70s anti-war protests were also an odd power struggle, young against old, over whether there was a valid reason for a war in SE Asia.
What we remember, through the haze of 60 years, is that there was a sense of unity, and a sense that, in the end, Black people got the vote (never mind that there are still people working every day to ensure they cannot use it) and that the war in SE Asia ended.
We are in a different war now. One without such a clear goal — we’re fighting for our country’s soul. And it’s not going to be easy. Or fast.
Remember, it took 10 years from Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat to Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Protests against the US involvement in Vietnam began in 1965 and continued until 1973.
We’ve been at this for 3 months. If we don’t count the first 4 years, of course.
One month ago, when our protests were smaller, I never heard of aggressive responses from MAGA. This week I am. I’m seeing the angry mail coming to Indivisible. I’m hearing about the people who lack impulse control showing up at the rallies.
There will be more of this.
The larger our crowds, the more likely there will be provocations. Resistance has more meaning then.
There are the Courts. And the People. That’s all.
President 2.0 continues to lose in the courts.
A Texas Federal judge just determined that he cannot use the Alien Enemy Act to deport, well, anyone. We aren’t at war. Period.
Over the course of the next few months, people who have been forced out of the country may be returned — especially if they are minor children who also happen to be US citizens. But I’m deeply concerned about the circumstances that resulted in their departure. In the four cases that made the press, the mothers had all gone to fulfill the next step in the process of becoming citizens. Three of them took their (citizen) children with them; one left her (still nursing) child at home with its father. All four women were arrested and deported without hearings and without reason — they were doing what they needed to do to become citizens and playing by the rules.
The courts have determined that the Alien Enemy Act cannot be used for deporting people without a hearing. The courts have also determined that the Secretary of State cannot just decide that someone’s political beliefs are a ‘threat to national security’ and remove their visa or green card without due process. But that’s not stopping anything.
ICE has a quota. And they aren’t concerned about how they meet it.
Now the government is shifting to the idea of forced ‘alien registration.’ We are moving further into 1930s Germany.
And I read this book. It doesn’t end well. We cannot stay silent.
Clowns To the Left of Us. Jokers to the Right.
If you’re a puppeteer, stilt-walker, papier mache sculptor, clown, political-comedian, or apprentice to the artist wannabe, and live in Sonoma County, CA, we want to talk. We’re planning a great NO KINGS — JUST CLOWNS event for June 14, and we’d love your help building the best event possible.
Yes, there will be the usual opportunity for protest signs and regular people. But don’t you want a little more?.
Let’s be clear about protesting. These are serious times. And this administration is doing serious damage — damage that will last for generations. We’re angry at what’s been done. And we hold those clowns in this administration completely responsible.
And since they brought the circus — we’re out to make them the focus of our laughter.
Both Indivisible and the Womens’ March are planning a national day of protest everywhere but DC on June 14. You can sign up for ours here.
We are gearing up for more. There are a number of upcoming national events.
Veterans’ organizations are planning a massive (they hope) march in DC and across the country on D-Day, June 6. We hope to announce an event here in Sonoma County, Our VA clinic is at risk, and our veterans deserve the best from a grateful nation.
We haven’t forgot that July 4th is right around the corner.
It’s Resistance Summer. Our Weekly Resistance protests continue. But there will always be time for making a Big Trouble. Necessary and Good Trouble.
Guest Editorial
Complicity in the Perversion of Justice
The Capitulation of Lawyers in Trump’s America Should Remind Us How It Began in Nazi Germany
APR 29, 2025
Nine of America’s largest and most powerful law firms have surrendered to President Donald Trump’s illegal threats. They demeaned themselves by agreeing to provide an astonishing $940 million in free legal services to causes chosen by Trump and the firms, while also agreeing to discontinue their DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies. Fortunately, other firms refused and are fighting back.
Trump’s bullying comes straight out of the Dictator’s Playbook. The most ominous parallel is to Nazi Germany, where Adolph Hitler successfully bent the German legal system to his will, with the complicity of German lawyers and judges.
Read the rest, here.
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