I love you. I'm pulling the cord HARD right now. And I read that Sagan quote to my two best friends when I impromptu married them outside of a Hindu temple under a Banyan tree in Hawaii. Me, a not-so-much-anymore-what-even-am-I? Christian woman, my atheist butterfly and bird loving besties, and my agnostic husband. And Ganesha. And the tree. On the pale blue dot. We can do this, you know? We humans can love each other through so many differences. That brings me hope. And you. You bring me hope. xoxo
I love you, too, and I love that you read that quote, because it’s everything. I don’t know why this is so confusing for so many people. It feels obvious. You walk outside and look at a tree. Or you feel the RAIN. Or birds chirping. It doesn’t take much. Let alone WHALES. And people show up here and grow up here and decide they’re going to spend their time killing people. Owning things. Staking a claim lol. It’s not yours. You’re gonna die. Whatever, I know I am preaching while we are both singing our hearts out in the best choir. You give me hope, too. I will never give up. But I sure hope we can shift the tides soon, this ride is not the ride. Hugs and love ❤️
I don't even know what to say anymore. Truly. It's so utterly unbelievable I sometimes don't even believe it, except it's everywhere. Hearts to you, friend.
These are people who speak of doing “Biblical” level of damage to others. They do not understand what that truly means. When you level a country, committed and vow to commit more war crimes, disregard treaties and laws- all the guns and bombs you used will proportionally be aimed right back at you. Yes, you greatest so called country on Earth. You are now the bad guy. Your allies are no longer going to help. They now view you as part of an axis of evil kind of club. You are now subject to financial consequences and constraints in ways that only billionaires can really make money off of- but not anyone else. You are a bigger target for terrorism. You are unraveling and other new “buddies” will only help when $$$ or losing power is on the line for them. The bully made everyone hate them with their shitty behavior and then have the audacity to be surprised when they have no one to help them when they are in trouble or getting their ass handed to them by another more experienced bully. This is the US now. They speak in extremes and invite the extreme to happen. FAFO.
Starve people, make healthcare and housing unaffordable- feed your Biblical death cult visions with more $ for bombs and bullets and find out what Biblical really means.
The French Revolution was biblical in its scope. They speak of what they truly do not know. Ask people who lived through Pinochet, Pol Pot, Mussolini, etc- THAT is biblical and echoes to this day and beyond for those countries.
Old Testament violence is NOT generally merciful. It is brutal, genocidal, even the children and the animals were ordered to be slaughtered in many wars mentioned. Drought, starvation, diseases, natural disasters, and they casually bat around the verbiage of “ending civilizations.” They speak of annihilating others, but their speech reflects their own self annihilating behaviors- their hubris, thinking they have dominion over a living Earth, their lack of empathy, their inability to understand how important cooperation is for the HUMAN species to survive, etc.
They forget we are so small in the vast cosmos- the dot, an ant nest on an endless mountain range. They think if they say the magic, man approved biblical words they can sin and be sorry later, as long as the sin is done in their version of a gods name- murder innocents- all for the “glory of god.” Take land -“it was preordained for it to be ours.” Pollute and destroy the world-“god said he gave us dominion and anyway we’ll get a new Heaven and earth at the coming of our lord.”
I do not think they truly understand the concept of hell on earth. Nor Heaven on earth. One requires very little effort- to be cruel, apathetic and malignant is quite easy, the other is the true divine work most spiritual practices speak of- to live in a harmonious world with each other, caring, cooperating, being curious leads to a better world.
They invoke a wrathful, vengeful god - but do not understand the worst vengeances people have suffered have been as a result of humans thinking they are acting on a god’s behalf. “We can kill, destroy, pollute, etc because we have “god” on our side. “ No, you are on your own side. Or else your god is as capricious and mercurial as the Greek gods were in mythology.
Maybe, as an animist, I see everything in terms of energy, soul, living vibration. We can transform, over time and with a lot of work and understanding, ourselves, our home, and that spreads to each other. Heaven or hell on earth.
We’ve done enough “Biblical” damage already. I’m not a fan of a self annihilating, bored billionaire funded, soulless cult and calling it a religion, let alone mixing that toxin with how we govern ourselves.
I still have hope that hope exists, and that this is a crossroads for the US. We are finally faced with what this country truly is- just look at who is in power, their vile words and actions coming full circle from the worst chapters of our past, do we continue to metastasize and destroy from the inside out(racism, bigotry, colonialism, murder, theft, etc) , or do we try to learn, evolve and become something that rises above? Does the ugliness get worse before it gets better? More repugnant threats from narcissistic sociopaths, more needless deaths and chaos from unnecessary wars? More internal conflict in our own streets?
I put my faith in the long game power of transformation. I’m just hoping it’s happening sooner than later.
I assume nothing, but live like it means everything.
Your essays get me to think of what means everything, Ally.
"We’re all extras in his reality tv show now, because of 77 million people, in a country of 340 million." I think it's time to also focus on the rest of the 340 million who either weren't/aren't educated about what the different people/groups stand for (although, he lies about EVERYTHING, so I could understand some confusion there) or didn't even bother to vote (the other half of the country). We should also look at election security AGAINST the republicans and oligarchs; they are admitting they are doing things to the elections (remember, every charge is a confession) and we the people just sit back until "something happens" - THEN we'll wake up and start working towards protecting it, but it will be too late. Finally...we need to accept that with the current system of GOP/Dems, we the people, are going to be inconvenienced and have to start being an ACTIVE PART of our democracy; in whatever form that looks like. I spent the week at the Legacy Museums in Montgomery and was struck by the similarities between the southern white people desperate to control blacks and keep their supremacy in all things powerful and the current administration/GOP. We need to open our eyes NOW before we lose everything. And, we need to play the long game - the anti-abortionists and Tea Party have been setting things up since Reagan and we've just sat back and let it happen because it's not in OUR nature to do/demand those things, so there's no way it will "take" in America, right? (sorry for the rant)
I've calmed down a bit. I'm not sure either party is very good, but believe that the Dems are more in line with my values (social responsibility, science, morals, anti-cruelty, etc) so they are who I'm aligned with (but open to options!) Our state is currently blood red and it breaks my heart to be living in a state (new resident) where the GOP has so much power and continues to perpetrate the direction of this leadership. In Indiana, for the first time in decades, all districts up for election have Democrats running. I think it's HUGELY important to support the new people who are up for election and am committed to doing it financially and through outreach. The other half of the country that didn't vote and/or are uneducated need some help getting the info and encouragement to vote. That said, I'll meet you in Washington if anyone makes the call.
I’ve been driving all day (college tours weekend with my youngest 😳😭), so forgive my late reply to both of your excellent comments, Sharon. I am utterly disappointed in the Dems as I said to Alice above in this thread. I am not a “burn it all down” person, I tend to think we do better to work with what we’ve got and push for the change we want from inside — not everyone agrees and I respect other viewpoints. I think the Constitution is pretty outstanding if it actually gets upheld and amended when needed. Of course that depends on the Supreme Court remaining loyal to the Constitution and not to any president and we can no longer count on that. I can’t believe it. I could scream into the abyss over that alone for a full month. The justices the effing reality tv star appointed are so far below the mark it makes me ill, but here we are. And so now I don’t know about working inside the system or if we can rectify things, but I have some hope because they upheld birthright citizenship and he was sitting right there like some kind of mob boss while they did it. Signs of life. I don’t think any politician will ever be perfect and I don’t expect any political party to have everything I want, but philosophically it’s no secret I’m liberal all the way. And I think of political parties as a bus you get on going in the direction you’re trying to go, and certainly the Dems are heading more in the direction I want to go and I have more hope of maybe turning that wheel a little further to the left if I hop on. But I am extremely disappointed in the lack of cohesive leadership we’ve seen during all this insanity. It has been and continues to be such a missed opportunity. So rant away, Sharon, because I am with you. I would like to see a helluva a lot more fire and organization and a lot less concern about individual campaigns here and there and freaking book tours. Get your ass to Washington. Chuck Schumer?! wtf man, step down. You aren’t the guy for this moment, let someone else do it. I cannot get over how many of our senators and representatives talk to us from their freaking couches on Instagram while they’re on vacation. Or “Mike Johnson sent us home.” You know what? You work for us, not him. Go to Washington anyway and talk to the American people together. Do a town hall. The madman president threatened to decimate an entire civilization! Freaking DO SOMETHING. So, yeah, haha. Feel free to rant here 😂👍🏼
So amazingly frustrating. Our blue state governors and AGs could take them to court for all the illegal things they have done... but crickets. So the calls that might make a difference are to them. Everyone, even those postruing seem to be afraid. I'd hoped they had a plan in place, actual trigger laws that go into effect if the election is tampered with. But they seemed to think nonexistent guardrails would protect us. We'll see. So far, the old-boys honor system is failing.
I have been utterly disappointed. The only folks who seemed prepared are the same ones who were last time — our friends at the ACLU. But court cases take time, and we can't count on the Supreme Court the way we used to, which is — perhaps — the biggest heartbreak in all of this for me, because I held that branch of our government in such high regard as I was growing up. It's hard to say what my biggest heartbreak is in all this anymore, though. But I agree, the levers and guardrails only work if the people who could pull them or use them do their jobs and keep their oaths, and obviously we are off the rails. We, the people were supposed to be smart enough not to elect absolute con-men to run the country, so there's that, too. And Citizens United, and dark money and every other thing that's gone wrong. Lalalalala, just preaching to the choir! Hugs from a little further north than usual ;)
Hugs accepted. Lots of people are suing. They ignore one-third of decisions and appeal the rest. Whose going to make them? Then they delay, delay, delay. Blue states could have done that. Our Gavin could have done a lot more than memes. We could have arrested ICE for murder, kidnapping... used the police to Protect and to Serve... still no one? One guard rail we definitely need once we are putting them back in, this time with teeth, is the You Must Tell the Truth in the News Act. I'm sure the framers didn't see the whole Faux Entertainment, Russia-funded, right-wing echo chamber, which is so in love with Viktor Orbán that they wrote Project 2025 from all they learned from him. We can't depend upon some random company deciding to sue and getting 787.5 million from the lying liars who lie, because private companies settle out of court and spare that said media company the Discovery Process. Nope. We need real laws with sharp teeth, laws my grandmother could have written, you know, common sense with no loopholes. sorry. I know. Fellow Choir Member. Sometimes I just can't help myself. Because you know: Loss of Country Anger.
I made it to the Carl Sagan quote and then cried through reading that. Lost a friend this week and I am pretty sure she pulled the cord to stop the bus and get off. She died of medical issues but I can't help but think about the stress of this world having a part in it. I will miss her as will her grieving sister/best friend and her daughter, son-in-law and adorable grandsons but I know for a fact that she will not miss this nightmare she has escaped from.
Oh, Mary, I am so very sorry for your loss. I have wondered so many times about the toll this is taking on all of us. It is exhausting and taxing on the nervous system to say the least. I will never understand why so many people chose this and keep choosing it or how they listen to him speak or watch what he does and think, “yes, terrific.” It astounds me.
I wish I could give you a hug, Mary. I’m sending you a lot of love and my deepest condolences.
Thanks Ally. I can feel your hug. I put supper in the crock pot and I'm going to work on my new vegetable garden outside and take a break from the world.
Oh Ally, this post gave me knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes. Way back when, I could have never imagined any of this would happen in our beautiful country. I know I'm not alone in saying my anxiety is beyond what I could control with a few deep breaths and some yoga poses. The fears I have for my grandchildren and all children feel so frightening and very real. So much of what we took for granted in how situations would unfold are just not happening. I'm ready to pull the cord for sure, but what happens when we get off the bus? At this point I think the country is all just one scary neighborhood. 😢
This is definitely not how I thought it would be, and not how I hoped it would be. I’ve never been confused we had work to do. The first time I learned about “Manifest Destiny” I was like 🤔🤔🤔 Wait. Wut???? Kind of threw the lesson plan into a tizzy. But I suppose I had faith we’d keep moving in a better direction, more slowly than I’d like. Instead it’s like … well, you know exactly what it’s like. It breaks my heart and enrages me and astounds me. But I am not without hope. I am thinking maybe we get off this bus and start again. As soon as possible. I think there are a lot of us who feel this way. Millions and millions of us. We are in the grip of this madness because our leaders have failed to use the levers that were there to protect us, and they continue to fail. But somehow I still have faith that we will figure out a way. I really do. Sending you love and hugs, Debra. Don’t give up❤️🩹🙏🏼
This has been the most disorienting season of at least my life. It’s absolutely insane and sad and hopelessness-inducing. It is such an anchor to have you express the inexpressible despair that threatens our sanity every day. My only push back is that I think we could use a little Neanderthal morality, if ongoing archaeological and anthropological studies are any indication. I’m not so sure we haven’t regressed since then.
Yes so funny you say that because I was like…hmmm. Do I want to say Neanderthals or meerkats? I almost went with meerkats but felt like I’d need to explain how murderous they are and my word count was high 🤣
Ally, I swing between feeling like I need to focus 90% of my energy within my spheres of influence, on my tiny chunk of the small portion this country makes up on this speck of spinning rock in the cosmos -- and feeling like I need to drop it all and go camp out in front of the Capitol, or in front of the office of my one republican representative. The part about how other countries are watching and not understanding? That's so true and also so difficult, because I just don't know what more we can do without defaulting to the same revolting tactics used on January 6th.
As far as I know, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all warn against the dangers of "idolatry of the heart." But that's what's happening in those who can't see the brokenness of this administration. And don't ever tell me your revulsion of another human being is rooted in your religion, because they all direct otherwise.
Thank you, as always, for putting so much of the paradox and pain into words.
It’s so odd because honestly, since the moment Musk and those DOGE boys entered the Treasury, part of me has felt like wtf are we doing?? That felt like the first truly unbelievable, off the rails thing that happened where we should have *done something tangible right away.* And when I say we, I mean our leaders, us, everyone. When we were just getting instagram updates from their couches that weekend, I think I knew we were in real trouble. I understood there wasn’t this behind-the-scenes coalition of people I’d imagined, organized and ready to respond with calls to action, and they didn’t seem to be forming one. And here we are, all this time later, and they still haven’t.
No Kings has been fantastic for morale and I’ll go head to head with anyone on that, but I do hope we can step it up now and add voter registration outreach to the next one. Have tables set up and also use those email lists to send volunteers into the communities to help people check their registrations and organize rides to polling centers for the midterms, and make sure they understand timelines for mail-in voting in their state etc etc. Get people motivated and registered if they aren’t, organize town halls…like, all the things.
I’m organizing a block party on my street so I can try to meet neighbors I don’t know and see if anyone needs help. I know a lot of my neighbors on my own block, but not necessarily the blocks on all sides, so that seems like a useful thing to do. But like you, there are many days I think I should be camped out in D.C. even though I have no clue what that would really look like or where I’d stay or for how long….
Your block party idea is wonderful! By the way, the part about throwing yourself in front of anybody's baby in harm's way made me cry. There really are so many good folks in the world. It's just we've ended up with a bunch of delusional, authoritarian opportunists in office.
Wow. Yes, and yes and wow -- a great bus analogy. Also thank you for calling out AI, Ally.
All the mandatory continued education courses at my language school now are about integrating AI into lesson planning and teaching and after 30+ years, I’m resigning over it. Fuck AI for all the reasons you mentioned and for various more. For a good while now, we have shrunken and freeze-dried our brains with automation, ‘reality’ TV, brutal video games and bite-sized clips and tweets, -- which might be the point, because a distracted and over-fed nation can't focus on resistance or (gulp!) self-discipline. I am by no means an exception, but I’m getting off. Love you. H.
It's time to get off this ride. I posted something similar yesterday in regard to the Frankenbros that are dragging us along with a dying patriarchal system. Maybe we're all feeling it echo inside our bones, this death knell. You are right and I am right. We can't go on and there is no easy way out but through, whatever that looks like.
I loved your piece, Dina. No surprise. Honestly, I don’t see how we do another 2.5 years of this madness. I was driving with my daughter for hours today (college tours this weekend 🥺) and explaining the steps required for the 25th Amendment vs Article II, Section 4, and she was like, huh. So Article II, Section 4 then I guess, cuz that Cabinet doesn’t have the integrity,
decency or backbone to confront him. But like, neither does the House or Senate. So wtf. A sit-in in D.C.? A sit-in accompanied by a general strike since no one will be able to afford to get home or buy anything once they’re there, anyway? Gas is $5.79/gallon. Smh. What if we just set up another government, like, a mirror government concurrently. Just started it, like, now. Like hey, this guy’s nuts, we can’t have this and the people who should stop him aren’t so we’re restarting the government without men. We’re gonna try that for a while and see how it goes. No offense to the good men, not all men and all that, but we need to try something new without all the guns and bombs and rapey guys who keep screwing it up for the rest of you. If you all like that idea, come over here. We’ll have Universal Healthcare and affordable childcare and PTO and reproductive rights that don’t change when you cross state lines and no more electoral college and whatever pronouns you want and love who you love and just don’t be a dick basically. I don’t know what we do about all the ICE dudes but maybe we can build a moat. We can’t figure this shit out, I’m sure of it.
I keep asking myself if things were this bad in Canada would I be out on the streets. I think I would be. The damage this man has done is beyond comprehension and beyond repair in my lifetime. And almost 40% still support him.
You get no news about Canada in the USA. You are our largest trading partner. Not pretty. I think I need a Xanax or something.
No, we have to go looking for news about Canada and all our friends. So much of the news here is no longer reliable and thank god for independent journalism not owned by billionaires. Smh. The destruction this man is causing not just to our country, but to our longtime alliances breaks my heart, Alice. And no amount of resistance feels like enough. I am also SO disappointed in any kind of opposition leadership. I know Dems tried to pass a war powers resolution today, but this has been going on so long now. Usually we get impassioned speeches on Instagram from someone’s couch. I’m over it. Get your asses to DC when there’s a 5-alarm fire and hold your own damn Town Hall on the steps of the Capitol and talk to the American people and lead. FFS. Anyway. Thank you for being here, Alice. I appreciate you so much.
What shocks me is that one day Kamala was there and the next day she folded up and went home. Trump never really disappeared during Biden administration. There is a great deal of resistance but no true leader to rally around. It’s a strange system to us Canadians who have a full time opposition leader.
Oh, believe me, it shocks me, too. And disappoints me and astounds me and at this point, I am also disgusted. This entire time we have needed leadership SO BADLY. From the moment Elon Musk and his DOGE bros walked into the Treasury I have been at a loss as to why we were not IMMEDIATELY addressed by some kind of coalition forming on the Capitol steps or the steps of the Treasury. People we’d recognize — Kamala, or if she wasn’t up for it, Pete Buttigieg or Tim Walz or Chris Murphy or Jazmine Crockett or AOC or Rep. Stansbury (love her)….like, a whole group of people we know and trust racing to DC and sounding the alarm and asking as many of us to get there as possible. I promise you people would have. I would have. I still would. But instead we get people on instagram telling us how outraged they are. wtf. WTF. Instagram??? Get your ass to Washington and get organized as a group and talk to the American people FFS. Never seen a group of people absolutely blow it this badly.
Love this piece, and the pale blue dot, so much. How much clearer could it be? Have you ever visited the "Cosmic Pathway" at the Natural History Museum in NYC? (https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/cosmic-pathway) It gives me the same feeling. All of human history in just a hair's breadth of this giant walkway representing the timeline of the universe. We're so tiny and momentary in the midst of everything, how could there be any other response but love and wanting to help reduce suffering as much as possible? I'm glad that's always your response, anyway. Your essays are always a bright spot in these difficult weeks.
I love you. I'm pulling the cord HARD right now. And I read that Sagan quote to my two best friends when I impromptu married them outside of a Hindu temple under a Banyan tree in Hawaii. Me, a not-so-much-anymore-what-even-am-I? Christian woman, my atheist butterfly and bird loving besties, and my agnostic husband. And Ganesha. And the tree. On the pale blue dot. We can do this, you know? We humans can love each other through so many differences. That brings me hope. And you. You bring me hope. xoxo
I love you, too, and I love that you read that quote, because it’s everything. I don’t know why this is so confusing for so many people. It feels obvious. You walk outside and look at a tree. Or you feel the RAIN. Or birds chirping. It doesn’t take much. Let alone WHALES. And people show up here and grow up here and decide they’re going to spend their time killing people. Owning things. Staking a claim lol. It’s not yours. You’re gonna die. Whatever, I know I am preaching while we are both singing our hearts out in the best choir. You give me hope, too. I will never give up. But I sure hope we can shift the tides soon, this ride is not the ride. Hugs and love ❤️
I don't even know what to say anymore. Truly. It's so utterly unbelievable I sometimes don't even believe it, except it's everywhere. Hearts to you, friend.
Hearts to you, too. Extra grateful for my friends these days 🙏🏼❤️🩹
These are people who speak of doing “Biblical” level of damage to others. They do not understand what that truly means. When you level a country, committed and vow to commit more war crimes, disregard treaties and laws- all the guns and bombs you used will proportionally be aimed right back at you. Yes, you greatest so called country on Earth. You are now the bad guy. Your allies are no longer going to help. They now view you as part of an axis of evil kind of club. You are now subject to financial consequences and constraints in ways that only billionaires can really make money off of- but not anyone else. You are a bigger target for terrorism. You are unraveling and other new “buddies” will only help when $$$ or losing power is on the line for them. The bully made everyone hate them with their shitty behavior and then have the audacity to be surprised when they have no one to help them when they are in trouble or getting their ass handed to them by another more experienced bully. This is the US now. They speak in extremes and invite the extreme to happen. FAFO.
Starve people, make healthcare and housing unaffordable- feed your Biblical death cult visions with more $ for bombs and bullets and find out what Biblical really means.
The French Revolution was biblical in its scope. They speak of what they truly do not know. Ask people who lived through Pinochet, Pol Pot, Mussolini, etc- THAT is biblical and echoes to this day and beyond for those countries.
Old Testament violence is NOT generally merciful. It is brutal, genocidal, even the children and the animals were ordered to be slaughtered in many wars mentioned. Drought, starvation, diseases, natural disasters, and they casually bat around the verbiage of “ending civilizations.” They speak of annihilating others, but their speech reflects their own self annihilating behaviors- their hubris, thinking they have dominion over a living Earth, their lack of empathy, their inability to understand how important cooperation is for the HUMAN species to survive, etc.
They forget we are so small in the vast cosmos- the dot, an ant nest on an endless mountain range. They think if they say the magic, man approved biblical words they can sin and be sorry later, as long as the sin is done in their version of a gods name- murder innocents- all for the “glory of god.” Take land -“it was preordained for it to be ours.” Pollute and destroy the world-“god said he gave us dominion and anyway we’ll get a new Heaven and earth at the coming of our lord.”
I do not think they truly understand the concept of hell on earth. Nor Heaven on earth. One requires very little effort- to be cruel, apathetic and malignant is quite easy, the other is the true divine work most spiritual practices speak of- to live in a harmonious world with each other, caring, cooperating, being curious leads to a better world.
They invoke a wrathful, vengeful god - but do not understand the worst vengeances people have suffered have been as a result of humans thinking they are acting on a god’s behalf. “We can kill, destroy, pollute, etc because we have “god” on our side. “ No, you are on your own side. Or else your god is as capricious and mercurial as the Greek gods were in mythology.
Maybe, as an animist, I see everything in terms of energy, soul, living vibration. We can transform, over time and with a lot of work and understanding, ourselves, our home, and that spreads to each other. Heaven or hell on earth.
We’ve done enough “Biblical” damage already. I’m not a fan of a self annihilating, bored billionaire funded, soulless cult and calling it a religion, let alone mixing that toxin with how we govern ourselves.
I still have hope that hope exists, and that this is a crossroads for the US. We are finally faced with what this country truly is- just look at who is in power, their vile words and actions coming full circle from the worst chapters of our past, do we continue to metastasize and destroy from the inside out(racism, bigotry, colonialism, murder, theft, etc) , or do we try to learn, evolve and become something that rises above? Does the ugliness get worse before it gets better? More repugnant threats from narcissistic sociopaths, more needless deaths and chaos from unnecessary wars? More internal conflict in our own streets?
I put my faith in the long game power of transformation. I’m just hoping it’s happening sooner than later.
I assume nothing, but live like it means everything.
Your essays get me to think of what means everything, Ally.
Sorry so long.
You do not need to apologize, Jen! I agree with every word you wrote, wholeheartedly.
"We’re all extras in his reality tv show now, because of 77 million people, in a country of 340 million." I think it's time to also focus on the rest of the 340 million who either weren't/aren't educated about what the different people/groups stand for (although, he lies about EVERYTHING, so I could understand some confusion there) or didn't even bother to vote (the other half of the country). We should also look at election security AGAINST the republicans and oligarchs; they are admitting they are doing things to the elections (remember, every charge is a confession) and we the people just sit back until "something happens" - THEN we'll wake up and start working towards protecting it, but it will be too late. Finally...we need to accept that with the current system of GOP/Dems, we the people, are going to be inconvenienced and have to start being an ACTIVE PART of our democracy; in whatever form that looks like. I spent the week at the Legacy Museums in Montgomery and was struck by the similarities between the southern white people desperate to control blacks and keep their supremacy in all things powerful and the current administration/GOP. We need to open our eyes NOW before we lose everything. And, we need to play the long game - the anti-abortionists and Tea Party have been setting things up since Reagan and we've just sat back and let it happen because it's not in OUR nature to do/demand those things, so there's no way it will "take" in America, right? (sorry for the rant)
I've calmed down a bit. I'm not sure either party is very good, but believe that the Dems are more in line with my values (social responsibility, science, morals, anti-cruelty, etc) so they are who I'm aligned with (but open to options!) Our state is currently blood red and it breaks my heart to be living in a state (new resident) where the GOP has so much power and continues to perpetrate the direction of this leadership. In Indiana, for the first time in decades, all districts up for election have Democrats running. I think it's HUGELY important to support the new people who are up for election and am committed to doing it financially and through outreach. The other half of the country that didn't vote and/or are uneducated need some help getting the info and encouragement to vote. That said, I'll meet you in Washington if anyone makes the call.
I’ve been driving all day (college tours weekend with my youngest 😳😭), so forgive my late reply to both of your excellent comments, Sharon. I am utterly disappointed in the Dems as I said to Alice above in this thread. I am not a “burn it all down” person, I tend to think we do better to work with what we’ve got and push for the change we want from inside — not everyone agrees and I respect other viewpoints. I think the Constitution is pretty outstanding if it actually gets upheld and amended when needed. Of course that depends on the Supreme Court remaining loyal to the Constitution and not to any president and we can no longer count on that. I can’t believe it. I could scream into the abyss over that alone for a full month. The justices the effing reality tv star appointed are so far below the mark it makes me ill, but here we are. And so now I don’t know about working inside the system or if we can rectify things, but I have some hope because they upheld birthright citizenship and he was sitting right there like some kind of mob boss while they did it. Signs of life. I don’t think any politician will ever be perfect and I don’t expect any political party to have everything I want, but philosophically it’s no secret I’m liberal all the way. And I think of political parties as a bus you get on going in the direction you’re trying to go, and certainly the Dems are heading more in the direction I want to go and I have more hope of maybe turning that wheel a little further to the left if I hop on. But I am extremely disappointed in the lack of cohesive leadership we’ve seen during all this insanity. It has been and continues to be such a missed opportunity. So rant away, Sharon, because I am with you. I would like to see a helluva a lot more fire and organization and a lot less concern about individual campaigns here and there and freaking book tours. Get your ass to Washington. Chuck Schumer?! wtf man, step down. You aren’t the guy for this moment, let someone else do it. I cannot get over how many of our senators and representatives talk to us from their freaking couches on Instagram while they’re on vacation. Or “Mike Johnson sent us home.” You know what? You work for us, not him. Go to Washington anyway and talk to the American people together. Do a town hall. The madman president threatened to decimate an entire civilization! Freaking DO SOMETHING. So, yeah, haha. Feel free to rant here 😂👍🏼
So amazingly frustrating. Our blue state governors and AGs could take them to court for all the illegal things they have done... but crickets. So the calls that might make a difference are to them. Everyone, even those postruing seem to be afraid. I'd hoped they had a plan in place, actual trigger laws that go into effect if the election is tampered with. But they seemed to think nonexistent guardrails would protect us. We'll see. So far, the old-boys honor system is failing.
I have been utterly disappointed. The only folks who seemed prepared are the same ones who were last time — our friends at the ACLU. But court cases take time, and we can't count on the Supreme Court the way we used to, which is — perhaps — the biggest heartbreak in all of this for me, because I held that branch of our government in such high regard as I was growing up. It's hard to say what my biggest heartbreak is in all this anymore, though. But I agree, the levers and guardrails only work if the people who could pull them or use them do their jobs and keep their oaths, and obviously we are off the rails. We, the people were supposed to be smart enough not to elect absolute con-men to run the country, so there's that, too. And Citizens United, and dark money and every other thing that's gone wrong. Lalalalala, just preaching to the choir! Hugs from a little further north than usual ;)
Hugs accepted. Lots of people are suing. They ignore one-third of decisions and appeal the rest. Whose going to make them? Then they delay, delay, delay. Blue states could have done that. Our Gavin could have done a lot more than memes. We could have arrested ICE for murder, kidnapping... used the police to Protect and to Serve... still no one? One guard rail we definitely need once we are putting them back in, this time with teeth, is the You Must Tell the Truth in the News Act. I'm sure the framers didn't see the whole Faux Entertainment, Russia-funded, right-wing echo chamber, which is so in love with Viktor Orbán that they wrote Project 2025 from all they learned from him. We can't depend upon some random company deciding to sue and getting 787.5 million from the lying liars who lie, because private companies settle out of court and spare that said media company the Discovery Process. Nope. We need real laws with sharp teeth, laws my grandmother could have written, you know, common sense with no loopholes. sorry. I know. Fellow Choir Member. Sometimes I just can't help myself. Because you know: Loss of Country Anger.
This is a safe space for alllll of us to rant away. I agree wholeheartedly with all of this, unsurprisingly.
I made it to the Carl Sagan quote and then cried through reading that. Lost a friend this week and I am pretty sure she pulled the cord to stop the bus and get off. She died of medical issues but I can't help but think about the stress of this world having a part in it. I will miss her as will her grieving sister/best friend and her daughter, son-in-law and adorable grandsons but I know for a fact that she will not miss this nightmare she has escaped from.
Oh, Mary, I am so very sorry for your loss. I have wondered so many times about the toll this is taking on all of us. It is exhausting and taxing on the nervous system to say the least. I will never understand why so many people chose this and keep choosing it or how they listen to him speak or watch what he does and think, “yes, terrific.” It astounds me.
I wish I could give you a hug, Mary. I’m sending you a lot of love and my deepest condolences.
Thanks Ally. I can feel your hug. I put supper in the crock pot and I'm going to work on my new vegetable garden outside and take a break from the world.
Sounds perfect ❤️🩹
Oh Ally, this post gave me knots in my stomach and tears in my eyes. Way back when, I could have never imagined any of this would happen in our beautiful country. I know I'm not alone in saying my anxiety is beyond what I could control with a few deep breaths and some yoga poses. The fears I have for my grandchildren and all children feel so frightening and very real. So much of what we took for granted in how situations would unfold are just not happening. I'm ready to pull the cord for sure, but what happens when we get off the bus? At this point I think the country is all just one scary neighborhood. 😢
This is definitely not how I thought it would be, and not how I hoped it would be. I’ve never been confused we had work to do. The first time I learned about “Manifest Destiny” I was like 🤔🤔🤔 Wait. Wut???? Kind of threw the lesson plan into a tizzy. But I suppose I had faith we’d keep moving in a better direction, more slowly than I’d like. Instead it’s like … well, you know exactly what it’s like. It breaks my heart and enrages me and astounds me. But I am not without hope. I am thinking maybe we get off this bus and start again. As soon as possible. I think there are a lot of us who feel this way. Millions and millions of us. We are in the grip of this madness because our leaders have failed to use the levers that were there to protect us, and they continue to fail. But somehow I still have faith that we will figure out a way. I really do. Sending you love and hugs, Debra. Don’t give up❤️🩹🙏🏼
This has been the most disorienting season of at least my life. It’s absolutely insane and sad and hopelessness-inducing. It is such an anchor to have you express the inexpressible despair that threatens our sanity every day. My only push back is that I think we could use a little Neanderthal morality, if ongoing archaeological and anthropological studies are any indication. I’m not so sure we haven’t regressed since then.
Yes so funny you say that because I was like…hmmm. Do I want to say Neanderthals or meerkats? I almost went with meerkats but felt like I’d need to explain how murderous they are and my word count was high 🤣
🤣😂❤️
Ally, I swing between feeling like I need to focus 90% of my energy within my spheres of influence, on my tiny chunk of the small portion this country makes up on this speck of spinning rock in the cosmos -- and feeling like I need to drop it all and go camp out in front of the Capitol, or in front of the office of my one republican representative. The part about how other countries are watching and not understanding? That's so true and also so difficult, because I just don't know what more we can do without defaulting to the same revolting tactics used on January 6th.
As far as I know, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all warn against the dangers of "idolatry of the heart." But that's what's happening in those who can't see the brokenness of this administration. And don't ever tell me your revulsion of another human being is rooted in your religion, because they all direct otherwise.
Thank you, as always, for putting so much of the paradox and pain into words.
It’s so odd because honestly, since the moment Musk and those DOGE boys entered the Treasury, part of me has felt like wtf are we doing?? That felt like the first truly unbelievable, off the rails thing that happened where we should have *done something tangible right away.* And when I say we, I mean our leaders, us, everyone. When we were just getting instagram updates from their couches that weekend, I think I knew we were in real trouble. I understood there wasn’t this behind-the-scenes coalition of people I’d imagined, organized and ready to respond with calls to action, and they didn’t seem to be forming one. And here we are, all this time later, and they still haven’t.
No Kings has been fantastic for morale and I’ll go head to head with anyone on that, but I do hope we can step it up now and add voter registration outreach to the next one. Have tables set up and also use those email lists to send volunteers into the communities to help people check their registrations and organize rides to polling centers for the midterms, and make sure they understand timelines for mail-in voting in their state etc etc. Get people motivated and registered if they aren’t, organize town halls…like, all the things.
I’m organizing a block party on my street so I can try to meet neighbors I don’t know and see if anyone needs help. I know a lot of my neighbors on my own block, but not necessarily the blocks on all sides, so that seems like a useful thing to do. But like you, there are many days I think I should be camped out in D.C. even though I have no clue what that would really look like or where I’d stay or for how long….
Your block party idea is wonderful! By the way, the part about throwing yourself in front of anybody's baby in harm's way made me cry. There really are so many good folks in the world. It's just we've ended up with a bunch of delusional, authoritarian opportunists in office.
Wow. Yes, and yes and wow -- a great bus analogy. Also thank you for calling out AI, Ally.
All the mandatory continued education courses at my language school now are about integrating AI into lesson planning and teaching and after 30+ years, I’m resigning over it. Fuck AI for all the reasons you mentioned and for various more. For a good while now, we have shrunken and freeze-dried our brains with automation, ‘reality’ TV, brutal video games and bite-sized clips and tweets, -- which might be the point, because a distracted and over-fed nation can't focus on resistance or (gulp!) self-discipline. I am by no means an exception, but I’m getting off. Love you. H.
It's time to get off this ride. I posted something similar yesterday in regard to the Frankenbros that are dragging us along with a dying patriarchal system. Maybe we're all feeling it echo inside our bones, this death knell. You are right and I am right. We can't go on and there is no easy way out but through, whatever that looks like.
I loved your piece, Dina. No surprise. Honestly, I don’t see how we do another 2.5 years of this madness. I was driving with my daughter for hours today (college tours this weekend 🥺) and explaining the steps required for the 25th Amendment vs Article II, Section 4, and she was like, huh. So Article II, Section 4 then I guess, cuz that Cabinet doesn’t have the integrity,
decency or backbone to confront him. But like, neither does the House or Senate. So wtf. A sit-in in D.C.? A sit-in accompanied by a general strike since no one will be able to afford to get home or buy anything once they’re there, anyway? Gas is $5.79/gallon. Smh. What if we just set up another government, like, a mirror government concurrently. Just started it, like, now. Like hey, this guy’s nuts, we can’t have this and the people who should stop him aren’t so we’re restarting the government without men. We’re gonna try that for a while and see how it goes. No offense to the good men, not all men and all that, but we need to try something new without all the guns and bombs and rapey guys who keep screwing it up for the rest of you. If you all like that idea, come over here. We’ll have Universal Healthcare and affordable childcare and PTO and reproductive rights that don’t change when you cross state lines and no more electoral college and whatever pronouns you want and love who you love and just don’t be a dick basically. I don’t know what we do about all the ICE dudes but maybe we can build a moat. We can’t figure this shit out, I’m sure of it.
I know that episode of the Odd Couple very well.
Funny the things that stick in your head!
Plus Oscar Madisox with Bobby Riggs.
I did read the whole post, Ally.
I keep asking myself if things were this bad in Canada would I be out on the streets. I think I would be. The damage this man has done is beyond comprehension and beyond repair in my lifetime. And almost 40% still support him.
You get no news about Canada in the USA. You are our largest trading partner. Not pretty. I think I need a Xanax or something.
No, we have to go looking for news about Canada and all our friends. So much of the news here is no longer reliable and thank god for independent journalism not owned by billionaires. Smh. The destruction this man is causing not just to our country, but to our longtime alliances breaks my heart, Alice. And no amount of resistance feels like enough. I am also SO disappointed in any kind of opposition leadership. I know Dems tried to pass a war powers resolution today, but this has been going on so long now. Usually we get impassioned speeches on Instagram from someone’s couch. I’m over it. Get your asses to DC when there’s a 5-alarm fire and hold your own damn Town Hall on the steps of the Capitol and talk to the American people and lead. FFS. Anyway. Thank you for being here, Alice. I appreciate you so much.
What shocks me is that one day Kamala was there and the next day she folded up and went home. Trump never really disappeared during Biden administration. There is a great deal of resistance but no true leader to rally around. It’s a strange system to us Canadians who have a full time opposition leader.
Oh, believe me, it shocks me, too. And disappoints me and astounds me and at this point, I am also disgusted. This entire time we have needed leadership SO BADLY. From the moment Elon Musk and his DOGE bros walked into the Treasury I have been at a loss as to why we were not IMMEDIATELY addressed by some kind of coalition forming on the Capitol steps or the steps of the Treasury. People we’d recognize — Kamala, or if she wasn’t up for it, Pete Buttigieg or Tim Walz or Chris Murphy or Jazmine Crockett or AOC or Rep. Stansbury (love her)….like, a whole group of people we know and trust racing to DC and sounding the alarm and asking as many of us to get there as possible. I promise you people would have. I would have. I still would. But instead we get people on instagram telling us how outraged they are. wtf. WTF. Instagram??? Get your ass to Washington and get organized as a group and talk to the American people FFS. Never seen a group of people absolutely blow it this badly.
Love this piece, and the pale blue dot, so much. How much clearer could it be? Have you ever visited the "Cosmic Pathway" at the Natural History Museum in NYC? (https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/cosmic-pathway) It gives me the same feeling. All of human history in just a hair's breadth of this giant walkway representing the timeline of the universe. We're so tiny and momentary in the midst of everything, how could there be any other response but love and wanting to help reduce suffering as much as possible? I'm glad that's always your response, anyway. Your essays are always a bright spot in these difficult weeks.