White Americans have the opportunity to do the most badass, punk rock fucking thing ever and make sure all the gerrymandering and Republican fuckery backfires. Race-traitors, someone said. Once, I got called a embarrassment to white people and honestly, it was like the world's best inadvertent compliment.
White people are embarrassing themselves just fine lol. But I know what you mean 100% and yes, these days I’d be VERY happy for any of those fuckwits doing their fuckery to call me a traitor. Pot, kettle, etc. So happy to know you and be in the trenches with you, friend. 🔥🔥🔥
I'm constantly in awe of the beautiful way you write about these horrific times. Thank you for always ending with a note of hope. My husband and I often say that the US government has historically managed to have the best PR machine and it has projected such an image to the outside world that even to this day, it's hard for our friends and family who don't live in the US to believe the truth under the glossy image. These days it finally looks like the mask is slipping and the true nature of the system is showing. It's hard to hang on to hope sometimes but maybe after all has collapsed, we can build a better system that benefits all. Sending you love and thank you for all you do 🧡
Thank you so much, Sonbol. I admit it would be GREAT to have one week where nothing absolutely shit-tastic happens, but alas, I don’t think that’s on the horizon anytime soon. And I do think the mask has slipped, finally. At least my sane friends in other countries do not seem confused about the next-level mayhem and 5-alarm fire going on here right now. I so look forward to the day when we can *look back on all this* from the vantage point of having created something better for everyone. And we will. Truly we will. Hell, now that we know aliens are real, maybe they’ll swoop down and grab these inglorious bastards. That would be a fun plot twist. Sending you a ton of love. Keep the faith.
This is why when we were texting last night and you were trying to hammer out this essay, I wasn’t worried. Every word you write passes thru your soul and comes out beautifully. Every time.
As a side note about dear old Abe (and sorry this is so long but it’s often overlooked) a week after he “freed the slaves” he ordered the largest mass execution in US history. 38 Dakota Indians because they had the audacity to rise up against white people in an effort to avoid starvation. Treaties were broken (bc of course they were) and the Dakota had been relegated to roughly a one mile by 12 mile stretch of land. No food to hunt or grow. They were literally being starved. They revolted. Appropriately.
Afterward the uprising, Lincoln ordered the execution of 38 Dakota men for crimes against the state, and the state of MN confiscated what was left of ‘their land’ and exiled the Dakota people from their homelands.
Just laughing thinking about the day I caused mayhem in my 8th grade history class when I lost my shit over “Manifest Destiny.” I was such a shy kid and so worried about being good and following the rules, but something took over and I was beside myself with confusion and disgust. I’d heard the phrase before in elementary school, but it was slipped in casually the way they do, whereas this time we were really digging into it and I just could not believe what I was hearing.
We took the land from indigenous people because God said it was our “Manifest Destiny” to pursue westward expansion and supplant the “pagan practices” of the natives who were already living there??? How convenient. When did God say that? And where did this proclamation happen?? And to whom? Some “writers in the colonial period” believed they were ordained by God and we just … went with that?
I find it as gross now as I did at fourteen, so at least there’s that. And yeah, this is who we’ve always been. Just these fuckwits wanna undo any bit of progress we’ve made, like Jim Crow Laws were the good old days.
And Abe. Now presiding over a very blue reflecting pool.
Love this essay. There's too much to comment on, but since I'm a grandma I must mention that I want to be like those white-haired grandmas you wrote about. I'm with them all the way. Chief Roberts is beyond disappointing. The Supreme Court, too, has lost its way under his leadership. It's brutal out there indeed. But as you wrote, "we will not let dark-hearted, mean-spirited soulless people win". We just cannot. Grateful for every essay you churn out. Your hard work is not unnoticed. Thank you.
Thanks so much, Nancy. And my gosh, those grandmas are still with me. They were incredible because they were so calm and steady. And correct. They made it clear those men were going to have to carry them out. I don’t know what happened because the video moved on, but I bet those grandmas left the chamber on their own two feet when they were ready. Or maybe they’re still sitting there, it wouldn’t surprise me ☺️ Thanks for being here, I really appreciate you and your work🙏🏼🔥
We all feel as though we are screaming into the void. But history will remember these teeny tiny men with disgust and disdain, while the screamers will be building something revolutionary! A system designed for kindness, equality and justice for all of earth's inhabitants. Keep screaming! More white people are joining all the time, too!
Heck yes. These awful people will only be remembered for how cruel they are, and the rest of us will get busy building a country that is safe for everyone. That’s my best plan, anyway ❤️🔥 Thanks for being here, Sherri Marie
A word of warning. I am not an authority on much, but being one, I know men, and especially white men, well, and they are very adept at reading the social and political landscape and then making the correct moves and saying the correct things to retain their ability to work, thrive and reproduce within that landscape, without ever changing how they really feel about anything, or ever surrendering a shred of the privilege in which they are swathed. It’s true that fewer men these days are masquerading, thanks primarily to Donald Trump and his ilk, who encourage men to be “out” with their racism and misogyny. But the deep posers are there, they are still there in large numbers, and when the shit hits the fan they will support the patriarchy over everything else. Keep your guard up and keep your skepticism in sharp focus, when you deal with men who profess to be on your side.
It’s a strange thing to say “thank you” to this, but thank you, Kurt. I appreciate the warning and I know what you mean. A particular man in my life springs to mind. He is very adept at saying the right things and appearing to care, but it never lasts. There’s a moment where I can see he’s annoyed by having to maintain the facade of caring, like even that is an imposition. I think there are men who have more endurance than he does, and the rare breed who actually do care. Those are probably the ones who warn you not to let your guard down. Thanks for being here.
I saved this one for when I had time to digest it. So much to love in your writing about such a disappointing timeline. And you are right. Now is the time to fight. To show up and loudly let our leaders know this will not stand.
Your article, and so many others written recently, must be taken as a call to action for outrage. To protect voting rights, bodily autonomy, equal protection, and the basic idea that every person’s life carries the same value. Power may have the votes and the courts, but moral authority is always with people who refuse to get out of the way of corruption, racism, and sexism.
Also, and this in no way carries the same importance, but I am very impressed with the rare clause within a clause in the following passage of your piece:
If you’re starting to formulate thoughts like, we need to judge men in the context of the time in which they existed — you sound like the PragerU video about Christopher Columbus — and no we do not — we judge people based on their character.
Thanks so much, Charlie, and no doubt, no point getting outraged if we aren’t going to use that rage as fuel. Otherwise we’re just on our couches, outraged. Though you can get a lot done from the couch, like volunteering to make phone calls to states with special elections, calling your reps, etc, and god knows I do. But I do think there are a ton of places where we need to show up in person so I really hope people are ready 🙏🏼
And thanks. I’m a big fan of the em dash, and — as you’ve undoubtedly gathered — not a fan of AI. I refuse to let AI take the em dash from us, too. It’s useful for the rare clause within a clause ☺️ Thanks for being here, friend.
I love all of this! I watched your live stream with Dina and it’s easy to be energized by you. You are certainly inspiring people to tale action and notice. Including me.
Thank you so much, Charlie. This made my day. Dina and I are going live again tomorrow if you happen to be around! No pressure, just if it works. I feel like conversations and communication are at least some of the solution. It’s a whole web of solutions because it’s a whole web of issues. But I do think there’s one source causing all the pain and destruction, and that’s the thing we have to get clear on together if we want things to be better for everyone. Anyway, happy to be connected ☺️
I saw the notice, but can’t make it! I’ll have to watch the video when it goes up. Drs appt. I have to get my throat scoped every six months for a few years after my cancer treatment. Here’s hoping for continued “no evidence ever of disease.”
Yeah. I’m now an old person who talks about doctor appointments publicly and freely.
I always save your pieces until I know I have time to read and reflect, and then re-read, because they always merit that kind of attention. I need to stop being amazed at the lack of any seeming integrity from the majority of the Roberts court, from Congress, from all sorts of people you'd hope would, at some point, stand up for something halfway decent. I think it's clear those folks would gladly take Gilead over anything close to an equal share of power. I still think we have more than the numbers, and that we're going to get it back before that, but it's going to take everything. I'm grateful for this important work you're doing, and the spirit you continue to rally, and the rage and hope that you're continually bringing to light the way.
Thank you so much, Rob. I always wait until I can pause and take my time with your pieces, too. And I keep telling myself I need to stop being shocked, or wondering how I can be anymore, but I suppose maybe that’s a good thing. The absolute belief that this is wrong and shockingly so. We should probably be glad we continue to be stunned. I agree with you, we do have the numbers and I hope people now realize how dire this is, and that the people who didn’t vote and don’t usually vote show up now and understand we need them, and maybe some of the people who voted for this have changed this minds and yeah. I’m hopeful. I also think we need to be having serious conversations about solving problems and taking care of people in this country. Anyway, thanks for being here, I so appreciate you. Glad to know you’re keeping the faith, too ❤️🩹🔥
Yes I’m no fan. I think when people look back on this Supreme Court they’ll see the writing on the wall. The VRA, Roe, etc. Thanks for being here, George.
Ohhh girl - too many quotes to pick a favorite. Thanks for taking us to church - an INCLUSIVE one where all of us are celebrated. Except for racists. They go straight to jail. 🔥🌈
Everyone is welcome, celebrated and cherished here EXCEPT the racists, bigots and misogynists. They can fuck right off, Michelle! Thanks for being here 💕🌈🦄🌻❤️🩹❤️🔥xo
White Americans have the opportunity to do the most badass, punk rock fucking thing ever and make sure all the gerrymandering and Republican fuckery backfires. Race-traitors, someone said. Once, I got called a embarrassment to white people and honestly, it was like the world's best inadvertent compliment.
White people are embarrassing themselves just fine lol. But I know what you mean 100% and yes, these days I’d be VERY happy for any of those fuckwits doing their fuckery to call me a traitor. Pot, kettle, etc. So happy to know you and be in the trenches with you, friend. 🔥🔥🔥
Seriously. I’ve been chasing that high ever since, lol.
And yes, we can beat this with huge turnout, and that’s what we have to do. And so we shall.
I'm constantly in awe of the beautiful way you write about these horrific times. Thank you for always ending with a note of hope. My husband and I often say that the US government has historically managed to have the best PR machine and it has projected such an image to the outside world that even to this day, it's hard for our friends and family who don't live in the US to believe the truth under the glossy image. These days it finally looks like the mask is slipping and the true nature of the system is showing. It's hard to hang on to hope sometimes but maybe after all has collapsed, we can build a better system that benefits all. Sending you love and thank you for all you do 🧡
Thank you so much, Sonbol. I admit it would be GREAT to have one week where nothing absolutely shit-tastic happens, but alas, I don’t think that’s on the horizon anytime soon. And I do think the mask has slipped, finally. At least my sane friends in other countries do not seem confused about the next-level mayhem and 5-alarm fire going on here right now. I so look forward to the day when we can *look back on all this* from the vantage point of having created something better for everyone. And we will. Truly we will. Hell, now that we know aliens are real, maybe they’ll swoop down and grab these inglorious bastards. That would be a fun plot twist. Sending you a ton of love. Keep the faith.
This is why when we were texting last night and you were trying to hammer out this essay, I wasn’t worried. Every word you write passes thru your soul and comes out beautifully. Every time.
As a side note about dear old Abe (and sorry this is so long but it’s often overlooked) a week after he “freed the slaves” he ordered the largest mass execution in US history. 38 Dakota Indians because they had the audacity to rise up against white people in an effort to avoid starvation. Treaties were broken (bc of course they were) and the Dakota had been relegated to roughly a one mile by 12 mile stretch of land. No food to hunt or grow. They were literally being starved. They revolted. Appropriately.
Afterward the uprising, Lincoln ordered the execution of 38 Dakota men for crimes against the state, and the state of MN confiscated what was left of ‘their land’ and exiled the Dakota people from their homelands.
This is who we’ve always been.
Just laughing thinking about the day I caused mayhem in my 8th grade history class when I lost my shit over “Manifest Destiny.” I was such a shy kid and so worried about being good and following the rules, but something took over and I was beside myself with confusion and disgust. I’d heard the phrase before in elementary school, but it was slipped in casually the way they do, whereas this time we were really digging into it and I just could not believe what I was hearing.
We took the land from indigenous people because God said it was our “Manifest Destiny” to pursue westward expansion and supplant the “pagan practices” of the natives who were already living there??? How convenient. When did God say that? And where did this proclamation happen?? And to whom? Some “writers in the colonial period” believed they were ordained by God and we just … went with that?
I find it as gross now as I did at fourteen, so at least there’s that. And yeah, this is who we’ve always been. Just these fuckwits wanna undo any bit of progress we’ve made, like Jim Crow Laws were the good old days.
And Abe. Now presiding over a very blue reflecting pool.
So grateful for the fury and beauty of your writing, friend.
Well dang. I’m sitting in an airport crying now. Thank you, Paul. And hard same.
🔥💜Let's go!
Hi Ally,
Love this essay. There's too much to comment on, but since I'm a grandma I must mention that I want to be like those white-haired grandmas you wrote about. I'm with them all the way. Chief Roberts is beyond disappointing. The Supreme Court, too, has lost its way under his leadership. It's brutal out there indeed. But as you wrote, "we will not let dark-hearted, mean-spirited soulless people win". We just cannot. Grateful for every essay you churn out. Your hard work is not unnoticed. Thank you.
Thanks so much, Nancy. And my gosh, those grandmas are still with me. They were incredible because they were so calm and steady. And correct. They made it clear those men were going to have to carry them out. I don’t know what happened because the video moved on, but I bet those grandmas left the chamber on their own two feet when they were ready. Or maybe they’re still sitting there, it wouldn’t surprise me ☺️ Thanks for being here, I really appreciate you and your work🙏🏼🔥
It’s a privilege to share your work, Ally! We all need to embody heart-centered humanity and fight for equity for everyone.
100% So happy you’re here 🙏🏼
“Some crusty old white people” are the bane of the world.
So much yes to that, Jerry.
Beautiful as always….you give us hope and embody strength.
Thank you so much, MS. So grateful you’re here❤️❤️🔥
We all feel as though we are screaming into the void. But history will remember these teeny tiny men with disgust and disdain, while the screamers will be building something revolutionary! A system designed for kindness, equality and justice for all of earth's inhabitants. Keep screaming! More white people are joining all the time, too!
Heck yes. These awful people will only be remembered for how cruel they are, and the rest of us will get busy building a country that is safe for everyone. That’s my best plan, anyway ❤️🔥 Thanks for being here, Sherri Marie
A word of warning. I am not an authority on much, but being one, I know men, and especially white men, well, and they are very adept at reading the social and political landscape and then making the correct moves and saying the correct things to retain their ability to work, thrive and reproduce within that landscape, without ever changing how they really feel about anything, or ever surrendering a shred of the privilege in which they are swathed. It’s true that fewer men these days are masquerading, thanks primarily to Donald Trump and his ilk, who encourage men to be “out” with their racism and misogyny. But the deep posers are there, they are still there in large numbers, and when the shit hits the fan they will support the patriarchy over everything else. Keep your guard up and keep your skepticism in sharp focus, when you deal with men who profess to be on your side.
It’s a strange thing to say “thank you” to this, but thank you, Kurt. I appreciate the warning and I know what you mean. A particular man in my life springs to mind. He is very adept at saying the right things and appearing to care, but it never lasts. There’s a moment where I can see he’s annoyed by having to maintain the facade of caring, like even that is an imposition. I think there are men who have more endurance than he does, and the rare breed who actually do care. Those are probably the ones who warn you not to let your guard down. Thanks for being here.
I saved this one for when I had time to digest it. So much to love in your writing about such a disappointing timeline. And you are right. Now is the time to fight. To show up and loudly let our leaders know this will not stand.
Your article, and so many others written recently, must be taken as a call to action for outrage. To protect voting rights, bodily autonomy, equal protection, and the basic idea that every person’s life carries the same value. Power may have the votes and the courts, but moral authority is always with people who refuse to get out of the way of corruption, racism, and sexism.
Also, and this in no way carries the same importance, but I am very impressed with the rare clause within a clause in the following passage of your piece:
If you’re starting to formulate thoughts like, we need to judge men in the context of the time in which they existed — you sound like the PragerU video about Christopher Columbus — and no we do not — we judge people based on their character.
Thanks so much, Charlie, and no doubt, no point getting outraged if we aren’t going to use that rage as fuel. Otherwise we’re just on our couches, outraged. Though you can get a lot done from the couch, like volunteering to make phone calls to states with special elections, calling your reps, etc, and god knows I do. But I do think there are a ton of places where we need to show up in person so I really hope people are ready 🙏🏼
And thanks. I’m a big fan of the em dash, and — as you’ve undoubtedly gathered — not a fan of AI. I refuse to let AI take the em dash from us, too. It’s useful for the rare clause within a clause ☺️ Thanks for being here, friend.
I love all of this! I watched your live stream with Dina and it’s easy to be energized by you. You are certainly inspiring people to tale action and notice. Including me.
Hoping for excellent news, Charlie! And yes, why not? We’re all friends here!
Thank you so much, Charlie. This made my day. Dina and I are going live again tomorrow if you happen to be around! No pressure, just if it works. I feel like conversations and communication are at least some of the solution. It’s a whole web of solutions because it’s a whole web of issues. But I do think there’s one source causing all the pain and destruction, and that’s the thing we have to get clear on together if we want things to be better for everyone. Anyway, happy to be connected ☺️
I saw the notice, but can’t make it! I’ll have to watch the video when it goes up. Drs appt. I have to get my throat scoped every six months for a few years after my cancer treatment. Here’s hoping for continued “no evidence ever of disease.”
Yeah. I’m now an old person who talks about doctor appointments publicly and freely.
I always save your pieces until I know I have time to read and reflect, and then re-read, because they always merit that kind of attention. I need to stop being amazed at the lack of any seeming integrity from the majority of the Roberts court, from Congress, from all sorts of people you'd hope would, at some point, stand up for something halfway decent. I think it's clear those folks would gladly take Gilead over anything close to an equal share of power. I still think we have more than the numbers, and that we're going to get it back before that, but it's going to take everything. I'm grateful for this important work you're doing, and the spirit you continue to rally, and the rage and hope that you're continually bringing to light the way.
Thank you so much, Rob. I always wait until I can pause and take my time with your pieces, too. And I keep telling myself I need to stop being shocked, or wondering how I can be anymore, but I suppose maybe that’s a good thing. The absolute belief that this is wrong and shockingly so. We should probably be glad we continue to be stunned. I agree with you, we do have the numbers and I hope people now realize how dire this is, and that the people who didn’t vote and don’t usually vote show up now and understand we need them, and maybe some of the people who voted for this have changed this minds and yeah. I’m hopeful. I also think we need to be having serious conversations about solving problems and taking care of people in this country. Anyway, thanks for being here, I so appreciate you. Glad to know you’re keeping the faith, too ❤️🩹🔥
Fuck you, John Roberts. Racism is alive and well in the US and you are its champion
Yes I’m no fan. I think when people look back on this Supreme Court they’ll see the writing on the wall. The VRA, Roe, etc. Thanks for being here, George.
Thanks. Glad you are here writing the truth.
Glad you’re here, period ☺️
Ohhh girl - too many quotes to pick a favorite. Thanks for taking us to church - an INCLUSIVE one where all of us are celebrated. Except for racists. They go straight to jail. 🔥🌈
Everyone is welcome, celebrated and cherished here EXCEPT the racists, bigots and misogynists. They can fuck right off, Michelle! Thanks for being here 💕🌈🦄🌻❤️🩹❤️🔥xo
Girl, some days I wake up and wonder why everyone isn't setting their hair on fire? I appreciate your righteous rage.
Saaaaame!!’n