As an educator from Texas, I wanted to thank you for including teachers in your suggested actions to combat the direction we are headed. In our area we are seeing school board grossly overstep to change curriculum (none of the board members are educators), drastic funding cuts due to Gov. Abbott's temper tantrum over school vouchers, and most recently a mandate that says teachers must alert parents if their child uses a pronoun that does match their gender at birth. I am horrified that this is what we are living through. The way that I fight against it is by raising two open-minded, compassionate boys. Because they are white males who live in suburbia, they have much less to fear than their friends who are minorities, non-Christians, or gender curious. But they will be their allies.
Thank you, Jillian -- for what you are doing professionally and, especially, for the way you are raising your boys. I'm glad to have "thoughtful parenting" added to the list of the ways we counter the malevolent ways of Trumpism; I'm just sorry that it's nowadays a subversive act. You're keeping hope alive.
Exactly, Al. So many people saw what was coming and embraced it anyway, because to fight it would have required breaking with habit. And that's hard; we're wired to be defensive and hostile to change. But there's no excuse for the politicians who evade their sworn responsibilities in support of this anti-constitutional regime.
I would like to add to the list we can individually do something some of our mutual friends shared with me, with which I agree. That is, donate to the ACLU, SPLC, or other established civil rights organization to help fund the myriad of legal challenges necessary to combat the unconstitutional and illegal acts of this administration. Trump's strategy is clearly to overwhelm and run roughshod over Congress and the Courts (and the public) to get his way and he has the power and funding of the entire government to do it. Hopefully, legal challenges and court judgements keep at least some of the madness in check, but it comes with a price tag.
That's a perfect bit of advice, Tom. Groups like the ACLU have broad reach, as you noted, which means your donations help fund a range of efforts to sustain democracy. Even if you don't like everything a group does, its power derives in part from its stability as a trustworthy fighter. Now that we don't have the government standing up for rights as much as denying them, we need something big enough to stand up to the Trump Department of Justice.
A very sad time in our national history. I really feel our actions in the coming months will determine the direction of our county for years. Some friends and I visited our senators offices last week. While I doubt we changed their minds we made an appearance at their door. Expressed out opinion and asked that they remember their oath to the constitution not the current president.
Yes, Jack, I think you're right: We are at the precipice of big change. Thank you for trying to elicit some courage from your senators. If more South Dakotans stood up as you and your friends are for patriotism over partisanship, it would make a difference. It's just too easy to go along with the crowd.
Thanks Rex for pointing out some noble actions we can take to counteract the absolute horror of Donald Trump. It’s like we need to take the energy we expend in hating Trump and put it into better use by following some of your suggestions.
I already volunteer to read weekly with three first-graders in a dual language school. I'm certain some of these students are undocumented and am horrified at the possibilities. I've also just applied to become a student menor in the district. I have interest in many vulnerable populations and the assaults are so scatter shot that I'm having a hard time focusing, though. I keep reminding myself to do the next right thing, while asking "what is mine to do?" It's overwhelming.
Thank you, Janice. You are doing a lot. The point is that we each need to do what we can within the constraints of our talents and time, so please don't beat up on yourself for not also, you know, raising an army and launching a rebellion! Do this good work as long as you can, and accept your community's gratitude, please, for making a difference, one person at a time. Ralph Waldo Emerson: "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch Or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”
I have to say, I really enoy your literal wanderings, Rex. You always keep me captured until the very last word. With that said, I do have a small bone to pick on this one. You write "that the effort to restrain him would turn out to be so inept." I don't believe it's a matter of ineptness. It will take time and patience, persistance and true planning to overcome what we've been handed by a misinformed electorate and the historic unraveling of our checks-and-balances system. See my column today on my thoughts: https://thecrankyyankee.substack.com/p/the-rage-trap-and-the-shame-game
Thanks so much, Reg -- and I am a great fan of The Cranky Yankee (I like the new logo!).
You make a good point. In fact, I used the word "inept" with a bit of hesitation in part because I know Chuck Schumer is such a great legislative strategist, and I believe Hakeem Jeffries is a quite thoughtful leader. We may be witnessing a remarkable act of leadership by the two in rather quietly following the James Carville prescription; Schumer may be preparing to make way for a successor who can galvanize the opposition in a way that he believes he cannot. I'm confident that his personal ambition has always been secondary to his commitment to the task he faces, so perhaps you're right: This will just take time and effort, and there's in fact no ineptitude here at all.
I love knowing that you were a travel trailer kid too! My parents bought a 17 foot Fan in 1966 (to my *great* surprise, and delight), which made my adolescent vacation travels immensely better. They added a motor home in 1971 & RVs were part of family life for decades after.
As for this essay, you have hit the nail on the head once again.
Can you believe they've got an "every sperm is sacred" bill in Mississippi? (1)
Yep: The Contraception Begins at Erection Act.
When we go to the theater they say that we, "suspend our disbelief." We know the story is not real, and we allow ourselves to forget that, so we may be sympathetically transported into the story.
Less known factoid is that in the game of Dungeons & Dragons, if you think someone is using magic on your brain, a charm or illusion, you can intentionally attempt to suspend your belief.
It's an action called "disbelieve". If there is sorcery and you succeed in your disbelief, the charm or illusion is broken, and then you know it was magic on your brain, but if you fail then you trust the magic trick. If there is no magic and you fail, you may feel paranoid. You can try to break a charm once per month, and any time that you notice your charmer is asking you to contradict your own best interests. (A high wisdom score helps)
In life, this "disbelieve" action can help you to, for example, shake off a narcissist, or a salesperson who is presuming the close.
Arthur: "Your arm's off"
Knight: "No it isn't" (2)
So, there is no prohibition against pausing to employ a little healthy skepticism and do a reality check.
For example, was the United States founded by Christians for Christians?
Well, the founders were a bunch of white men, like 250 years ago, so they probably all burned witches with, "more witches!", right? (2)
Well, "Although orthodox Christians participated at every stage of the new republic, Deism influenced a majority of the Founders. The movement opposed barriers to moral improvement and to social justice. It stood for rational inquiry, for skepticism about dogma and mystery, and for religious toleration. Many of its adherents advocated universal education, freedom of the press, and separation of church and state. If the nation owes much to the Judeo-Christian tradition, it is also indebted to Deism, a movement of reason and equality that influenced the Founding Fathers to embrace liberal political ideals remarkable for their time." (3)
There is a "Twitler" in the federal government running a fox hunt for fraud, corruption, and abuse. His hounds be "Twitler" youth.
"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" indeed...
(... and that "soft pillow" - is there always a pillow guy?)
This seems a little sketchy... could be a blitzkrieg of law-fare, and an unapologetically bad mime show.
Disbelieve?
"In early 1934, the chief of the Nazi Party Court System ruled that Masons who did not leave their lodges prior to January 30, 1933, could not join the Nazi Party. That same month, Prussian Minister of the Interior Hermann Goering issued a decree calling upon the lodges to “voluntarily” dissolve, but requiring such voluntary actions to be submitted to him for approval. In addition, lodges and their branches in various cities throughout Germany were exposed to arbitrary violence from local SS and SA units, though this terror does not appear to have been centrally directed.
Increasing pressure in the public and professional sectors forced individuals to choose between remaining in their lodges or limiting their career opportunities. Many former lodge members holding positions in the civil service were forced or harassed into retirement. In May 1934, the Ministry of Defense banned membership in lodges to all personnel—soldiers and civilian employees. ..." (4)
Well, that sounds sorta like what's happening to anyone left of the administration here and now. So does:
"In 2023, following a close election that was decided by a mere 30,000 votes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government revealed a radical plan to overhaul Israel’s judiciary. In essence, the plan sought to remove the one institutional check on a political majority in the Israeli system and concentrate all power in the executive branch. This was, in other words, a recipe for regime change. But the people were not consulted about this plan in advance, and they rejected it.
In what became the largest protest movement in our history, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets for months on end. The protests succeed in slowing down the execution of the government’s unpopular plan. ...
But now, after enormous sacrifices on and off the battlefield by millions of Israelis, left, right, and center, the overhaul is back. Under a new guise. This time, Justice Minister Levin and his allies are not, for the most part, advancing constitutional-level changes to Israel’s Basic Laws, as they did in 2023. Instead, the coalition is seeking to inflict “death by a thousand cuts” to Israel’s governing institutions in myriad ways that share a common goal: to centralize all power in the executive branch.
...
The government is likewise seeking to rid itself of “gatekeepers” who refuse to toe the party line and those who offer a check on executive power." (5)
Am I saying too much? Here I am presuming all these words to be worth your attention. ... Just because we Americans have the freedom to say anything doesn't mean what we have to say needs to be said. I first heard someone i don't particularly like say, "my strength is my weakness", a lot of people have said that, and let me just say, cause i've got to tell you, that the Grim Reaper has really got us Americans pegged. (1)
Our nation's favorite emoluments and land developer was only voicing his definitive opinion when he said that Gaza would make a nice resort.
Wants to rebuild and what, call it "Lebensraum"?
"Some call me ... Tim", but that don't make me him. If you're crusading for a grail, you'll have to get past the Easter Bunny first ... and you can't get "a holy hand grenade" by gaslighting the Pope.
Anyway, for folks who oppose, "barriers to moral improvement and to social justice. (And who stand) for rational inquiry, for skepticism about dogma and mystery, and for religious toleration. ... universal education, freedom of the press, and separation of church and state." (3) All I can offer today is this: remember Brian, "and always look on the bright side of life". (6)
As an educator from Texas, I wanted to thank you for including teachers in your suggested actions to combat the direction we are headed. In our area we are seeing school board grossly overstep to change curriculum (none of the board members are educators), drastic funding cuts due to Gov. Abbott's temper tantrum over school vouchers, and most recently a mandate that says teachers must alert parents if their child uses a pronoun that does match their gender at birth. I am horrified that this is what we are living through. The way that I fight against it is by raising two open-minded, compassionate boys. Because they are white males who live in suburbia, they have much less to fear than their friends who are minorities, non-Christians, or gender curious. But they will be their allies.
Thank you, Jillian -- for what you are doing professionally and, especially, for the way you are raising your boys. I'm glad to have "thoughtful parenting" added to the list of the ways we counter the malevolent ways of Trumpism; I'm just sorry that it's nowadays a subversive act. You're keeping hope alive.
Cruel candidate becomes a cruel president (2x!) and has a cruel administration. Who could have foreseen that? 🧐🤷♂️🤦♂️
Exactly, Al. So many people saw what was coming and embraced it anyway, because to fight it would have required breaking with habit. And that's hard; we're wired to be defensive and hostile to change. But there's no excuse for the politicians who evade their sworn responsibilities in support of this anti-constitutional regime.
No excuse whatsoever. They are abrogating their duties and sworn oaths of office.
I would like to add to the list we can individually do something some of our mutual friends shared with me, with which I agree. That is, donate to the ACLU, SPLC, or other established civil rights organization to help fund the myriad of legal challenges necessary to combat the unconstitutional and illegal acts of this administration. Trump's strategy is clearly to overwhelm and run roughshod over Congress and the Courts (and the public) to get his way and he has the power and funding of the entire government to do it. Hopefully, legal challenges and court judgements keep at least some of the madness in check, but it comes with a price tag.
That's a perfect bit of advice, Tom. Groups like the ACLU have broad reach, as you noted, which means your donations help fund a range of efforts to sustain democracy. Even if you don't like everything a group does, its power derives in part from its stability as a trustworthy fighter. Now that we don't have the government standing up for rights as much as denying them, we need something big enough to stand up to the Trump Department of Justice.
A very sad time in our national history. I really feel our actions in the coming months will determine the direction of our county for years. Some friends and I visited our senators offices last week. While I doubt we changed their minds we made an appearance at their door. Expressed out opinion and asked that they remember their oath to the constitution not the current president.
Yes, Jack, I think you're right: We are at the precipice of big change. Thank you for trying to elicit some courage from your senators. If more South Dakotans stood up as you and your friends are for patriotism over partisanship, it would make a difference. It's just too easy to go along with the crowd.
Thanks Rex for pointing out some noble actions we can take to counteract the absolute horror of Donald Trump. It’s like we need to take the energy we expend in hating Trump and put it into better use by following some of your suggestions.
I already volunteer to read weekly with three first-graders in a dual language school. I'm certain some of these students are undocumented and am horrified at the possibilities. I've also just applied to become a student menor in the district. I have interest in many vulnerable populations and the assaults are so scatter shot that I'm having a hard time focusing, though. I keep reminding myself to do the next right thing, while asking "what is mine to do?" It's overwhelming.
Thank you, Janice. You are doing a lot. The point is that we each need to do what we can within the constraints of our talents and time, so please don't beat up on yourself for not also, you know, raising an army and launching a rebellion! Do this good work as long as you can, and accept your community's gratitude, please, for making a difference, one person at a time. Ralph Waldo Emerson: "To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate the beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch Or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”
I have to say, I really enoy your literal wanderings, Rex. You always keep me captured until the very last word. With that said, I do have a small bone to pick on this one. You write "that the effort to restrain him would turn out to be so inept." I don't believe it's a matter of ineptness. It will take time and patience, persistance and true planning to overcome what we've been handed by a misinformed electorate and the historic unraveling of our checks-and-balances system. See my column today on my thoughts: https://thecrankyyankee.substack.com/p/the-rage-trap-and-the-shame-game
Thanks so much, Reg -- and I am a great fan of The Cranky Yankee (I like the new logo!).
You make a good point. In fact, I used the word "inept" with a bit of hesitation in part because I know Chuck Schumer is such a great legislative strategist, and I believe Hakeem Jeffries is a quite thoughtful leader. We may be witnessing a remarkable act of leadership by the two in rather quietly following the James Carville prescription; Schumer may be preparing to make way for a successor who can galvanize the opposition in a way that he believes he cannot. I'm confident that his personal ambition has always been secondary to his commitment to the task he faces, so perhaps you're right: This will just take time and effort, and there's in fact no ineptitude here at all.
I love knowing that you were a travel trailer kid too! My parents bought a 17 foot Fan in 1966 (to my *great* surprise, and delight), which made my adolescent vacation travels immensely better. They added a motor home in 1971 & RVs were part of family life for decades after.
As for this essay, you have hit the nail on the head once again.
Rex,
"So where are the people I once knew?" This could be the hook line in a poem or a song. Your writing continues to be inspiring - uplifting. Thanks!
Steve M.
Can you believe they've got an "every sperm is sacred" bill in Mississippi? (1)
Yep: The Contraception Begins at Erection Act.
When we go to the theater they say that we, "suspend our disbelief." We know the story is not real, and we allow ourselves to forget that, so we may be sympathetically transported into the story.
Less known factoid is that in the game of Dungeons & Dragons, if you think someone is using magic on your brain, a charm or illusion, you can intentionally attempt to suspend your belief.
It's an action called "disbelieve". If there is sorcery and you succeed in your disbelief, the charm or illusion is broken, and then you know it was magic on your brain, but if you fail then you trust the magic trick. If there is no magic and you fail, you may feel paranoid. You can try to break a charm once per month, and any time that you notice your charmer is asking you to contradict your own best interests. (A high wisdom score helps)
In life, this "disbelieve" action can help you to, for example, shake off a narcissist, or a salesperson who is presuming the close.
Arthur: "Your arm's off"
Knight: "No it isn't" (2)
So, there is no prohibition against pausing to employ a little healthy skepticism and do a reality check.
For example, was the United States founded by Christians for Christians?
Well, the founders were a bunch of white men, like 250 years ago, so they probably all burned witches with, "more witches!", right? (2)
Well, "Although orthodox Christians participated at every stage of the new republic, Deism influenced a majority of the Founders. The movement opposed barriers to moral improvement and to social justice. It stood for rational inquiry, for skepticism about dogma and mystery, and for religious toleration. Many of its adherents advocated universal education, freedom of the press, and separation of church and state. If the nation owes much to the Judeo-Christian tradition, it is also indebted to Deism, a movement of reason and equality that influenced the Founding Fathers to embrace liberal political ideals remarkable for their time." (3)
There is a "Twitler" in the federal government running a fox hunt for fraud, corruption, and abuse. His hounds be "Twitler" youth.
"Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition" indeed...
(... and that "soft pillow" - is there always a pillow guy?)
This seems a little sketchy... could be a blitzkrieg of law-fare, and an unapologetically bad mime show.
Disbelieve?
"In early 1934, the chief of the Nazi Party Court System ruled that Masons who did not leave their lodges prior to January 30, 1933, could not join the Nazi Party. That same month, Prussian Minister of the Interior Hermann Goering issued a decree calling upon the lodges to “voluntarily” dissolve, but requiring such voluntary actions to be submitted to him for approval. In addition, lodges and their branches in various cities throughout Germany were exposed to arbitrary violence from local SS and SA units, though this terror does not appear to have been centrally directed.
Increasing pressure in the public and professional sectors forced individuals to choose between remaining in their lodges or limiting their career opportunities. Many former lodge members holding positions in the civil service were forced or harassed into retirement. In May 1934, the Ministry of Defense banned membership in lodges to all personnel—soldiers and civilian employees. ..." (4)
Well, that sounds sorta like what's happening to anyone left of the administration here and now. So does:
"In 2023, following a close election that was decided by a mere 30,000 votes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government revealed a radical plan to overhaul Israel’s judiciary. In essence, the plan sought to remove the one institutional check on a political majority in the Israeli system and concentrate all power in the executive branch. This was, in other words, a recipe for regime change. But the people were not consulted about this plan in advance, and they rejected it.
In what became the largest protest movement in our history, hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets for months on end. The protests succeed in slowing down the execution of the government’s unpopular plan. ...
But now, after enormous sacrifices on and off the battlefield by millions of Israelis, left, right, and center, the overhaul is back. Under a new guise. This time, Justice Minister Levin and his allies are not, for the most part, advancing constitutional-level changes to Israel’s Basic Laws, as they did in 2023. Instead, the coalition is seeking to inflict “death by a thousand cuts” to Israel’s governing institutions in myriad ways that share a common goal: to centralize all power in the executive branch.
...
The government is likewise seeking to rid itself of “gatekeepers” who refuse to toe the party line and those who offer a check on executive power." (5)
Am I saying too much? Here I am presuming all these words to be worth your attention. ... Just because we Americans have the freedom to say anything doesn't mean what we have to say needs to be said. I first heard someone i don't particularly like say, "my strength is my weakness", a lot of people have said that, and let me just say, cause i've got to tell you, that the Grim Reaper has really got us Americans pegged. (1)
Our nation's favorite emoluments and land developer was only voicing his definitive opinion when he said that Gaza would make a nice resort.
Wants to rebuild and what, call it "Lebensraum"?
"Some call me ... Tim", but that don't make me him. If you're crusading for a grail, you'll have to get past the Easter Bunny first ... and you can't get "a holy hand grenade" by gaslighting the Pope.
Anyway, for folks who oppose, "barriers to moral improvement and to social justice. (And who stand) for rational inquiry, for skepticism about dogma and mystery, and for religious toleration. ... universal education, freedom of the press, and separation of church and state." (3) All I can offer today is this: remember Brian, "and always look on the bright side of life". (6)
(1) Monty Python The Meaning of Life
(2) Monty Python The Holy Grail
(3) https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Founding-Fathers-Deism-and-Christianity-1272214
(4) https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/freemasonry-under-the-nazi-regime
(5) https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/an-israeli-republic-if-we-can-keep-it/
(6) Monty Python The Life of Brian