Thanks, Jack! I’m not checking out. I refuse to. Much of the time I feel like what I can do isn’t very effective but I keep going. I take slowdown breaks when I have to but I’ll never quit. Losing isn’t an option.
We need to remember that…COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS! The more we stay engaged, we, bit by bit, inspire others to do the same! I am staying engaged, I will not give up now…there are little glimmers of hope, if we look for them, everyday! I take a rest when I need to, but I am in this for the long haul…this democracy is much too precious to let slip away because we’ve become tired and disheartened! Our Revolution was a long haul struggle, and we lost frequently, until those days late in that war when we started winning. #HoldFast
Thank you, I won't stop. I just found a new action I can take. If you own individual stocks, you get a proxy vote once a year (which I usually ignore) to vote for board of directors, etc. Most Fortune 500 board members stay politically neutral, but I used AI to check. Sure enough one was a strong republican. I voted for the neutral board members and against the republican. Not that my shares will make a difference but I am determined to do every little thing I can think of.
Most people toss those proxy ballots straight in the recycling. Using them INTENTIONALLY... is exactly the kind of small lever....that adds up when ENOUGH people pull it.
I'm with Susan. I also have to take little breaks every now and then. But I'm still here and trying. I'm not giving up, though. This is too important. Always remember, though - It's never a failure unless and until you stop trying. Thank you so much for this, Jack. As always - #HoldFast.
Finding the like minds when so many people have become disabled or have died makes the challenge of finding a group even harder. Signing various petitions and writing letters remains doable when time demands are not too pressing, but sleep, keeping up with life’s needs, and saving the eyes to be able to keep pushing to save us all are challenging.
Jack, I treasure your newsletters which are to the point, and the encouragement you include. Thank you!
The House passed the Save Act today, so it is important that people make contacts to stop it! So much is happening to stop our voting, and that is of major importance right now. Attempts are even being made, according to today’s news, to convince governors to stop the upcoming midterm elections. It also is important that we save our military people and stop conflicts in this world. What Congress is doing seems to be our only path to a voice, yet time and again, the requests are voted against by too many people.
Judy...thank you for this...and for being honest about how hard the basics have gotten.
Sleep...eyes...energy...the shrinking circle of like-minded people...those aren't small things...and the fact that you're still signing...writing...and paying attention through all of it MATTERS MORE than you might feel like it does.
The voting fights you're naming...are EXACTLY the right ones to keep eyes on. Take care of yourself so you can stay in it.
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
P.S. I'm honored that you treasure this newsletter. I truly appreciate that. I do.
Important re. the ballroom and our tax money after all!:
I’m just catching up with the evening report on the Aaron Parnas Perspective. If anyone wants to know the latest information about a bill which now includes a billion dollars of tax payers’ money to go into the nallroom with specifications, this site will clarify some of the information. If anyone is opposed to the bill, and its name is given in the report, this is a good place to take notes before acting.
I will not check out, I will continue to do as many things as possible and I believe that is what will make the difference. DEMOCRACY NOW AND ALWAYS. #HOLD FAST
Note which strategy authoritarian movements have used, across every country where democracy has been lost: not a single one relied on defeating the opposition outright. They waited. They manufactured exhaustion. They let the feeling of futility do the work for them.
File the date you started saying what’s the point. That date is more important than you think.
In the 1930s, the people who held on were not the ones who felt hopeful. They were the ones who decided that showing up was the act itself — independent of outcome, independent of reward. That distinction saved what was saved. It failed to save what was lost.
The pressure you feel right now has a name. Scholars who study democratic backsliding call it “preference falsification” — the gap between what people believe privately and what they’re willing to say publicly. When enough people go quiet, the gap becomes a chasm. The chasm becomes the new normal. The new normal becomes policy. Policy becomes law. Law becomes force.
Jack is correct that a smaller committed group is what matters. History does not record the millions who grew tired. It records the few who did not.
You are being asked to choose which sentence describes you.
That choice is happening right now, whether you make it consciously or not.
Excellent Jack - the Truths Americans must stand and act on now. "Stop being reactive…become committed
Say: "“This is what I do now.”
That’s where your power is. You don’t retreat.
You don’t numb out.
You don’t check out.
You LEAN IN.
You speak up more clearly.
You stay engaged longer.
You push forward when it feels like pushing is pointless.
There are people who feel that pressure in their chest and realize: “Yeah… this is on me too.” Everything that happens next will be decided by which group is bigger." Jack Hopkins
Inspiration coming from many of us - writers, teachers, marathoners, students, medical professionals, little kids, builders, and others. Everywhere you look or go, there are people, plants and animals full of inspiration for us to pick up on.
The option of giving up is an acceptable choice when our freedom and the lives of so many are at stake . Like Joyce Vance says “ Giving up is unforgivable “
In it to win it. I had a delightful convo in the grocery store line yesterday with a darling elder man. It started with laughing at the people standing in line waiting to check themselves out. We refused because we wanted to keep the employees working. I knew the founder of the local chain, recently bought by a large group and remarked that he’d have been FURIOUS to see all those people waiting and only one checker working. This little man had known him as well, and no sooner did we make that connection, another checker opened up and motioned both of us over.
It was as if having acknowledged the good work of one, another was “sent to us. “
It ended with giggles, warm hugs and the acknowledgement of the little crowd standing there that we would NOT allow what’s good here to slip away.
These are the things I’m adding to my actions. Person-to-person engagement.
$1B for the ballroom? Hell, no. Not when I just paid $4.50 for a gallon of gas. Not when the R running for our open Senate seat said he believes there should be work requirement for able-bodied Medicare recipients. Not when our brave military members are put in harm's way for a whim. Not when the idiot-in-chief says we should just take over Cuba. Not when the same fool thinks removing troops from Europe is a great idea. Not when they are painting the reflecting pool as if it were a country club pool. Not when the Voting Rights Act is gutted by gutless wonders. Not when the nominees for federal judge say "not sure" if he can remain in office past 2 terms. Not on my watch. No way. Not backing down. Not stopping. #HOLDINGFAST and #ANGRYASHELL
REAL COURAGE is about being afraid of something but doing it anyway!!
WE ALL NEED REAL COURAGE NOW MORE THAN EVER BEFORE!!
WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER!!
Sky Blue...YES...courage isn't the absence of fear...it's moving forward WITH it.
Thank you for being here. Truly.
-Jack
And SO do our politicians!!!
Thanks, Jack! I’m not checking out. I refuse to. Much of the time I feel like what I can do isn’t very effective but I keep going. I take slowdown breaks when I have to but I’ll never quit. Losing isn’t an option.
#Holdfast
~Susan
Susan...this means a lot.
That feeling of wondering whether what you do is making a dent...is so familiar...and...yet here you are...STILL in it.
The slowdowns aren't quitting...they're how you STAY in the fight.
Grateful you're here, Susan.
#Holdfast
-Jack
We need to remember that…COURAGE IS CONTAGIOUS! The more we stay engaged, we, bit by bit, inspire others to do the same! I am staying engaged, I will not give up now…there are little glimmers of hope, if we look for them, everyday! I take a rest when I need to, but I am in this for the long haul…this democracy is much too precious to let slip away because we’ve become tired and disheartened! Our Revolution was a long haul struggle, and we lost frequently, until those days late in that war when we started winning. #HoldFast
Christie..courage is contagious...I LOVE that.
And...the historical reminder is exactly right: the long stretches of losing...are PART OF the story...NOT the end of it.
Rest when you need to...then BACK in.
So glad you're in this for the long haul.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Thank you, I won't stop. I just found a new action I can take. If you own individual stocks, you get a proxy vote once a year (which I usually ignore) to vote for board of directors, etc. Most Fortune 500 board members stay politically neutral, but I used AI to check. Sure enough one was a strong republican. I voted for the neutral board members and against the republican. Not that my shares will make a difference but I am determined to do every little thing I can think of.
Charli...This is a great one.
Most people toss those proxy ballots straight in the recycling. Using them INTENTIONALLY... is exactly the kind of small lever....that adds up when ENOUGH people pull it.
Thank you for sharing the idea!
#HoldFast
-Jack
I did the same Charli. Let's not forget our collective monetary power.
#HoldFast
Yes, I love it!
Thanks Jack! I needed the reminder to Keep Leaning In. Keep Going.
#HoldFast!
Robert...you're most welcome. FORWARD we go!
#HoldFast
-Jack
I'm with Susan. I also have to take little breaks every now and then. But I'm still here and trying. I'm not giving up, though. This is too important. Always remember, though - It's never a failure unless and until you stop trying. Thank you so much for this, Jack. As always - #HoldFast.
Chris..."It's never a failure unless and until you stop trying" ...that's the WHOLE THING right there.
The breaks are part of staying in it...not stepping away from it. Grateful you're here.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Excellent Jack; yes, it's do or die...
Thank you, James. YES...is it!
-Jack
Finding the like minds when so many people have become disabled or have died makes the challenge of finding a group even harder. Signing various petitions and writing letters remains doable when time demands are not too pressing, but sleep, keeping up with life’s needs, and saving the eyes to be able to keep pushing to save us all are challenging.
Jack, I treasure your newsletters which are to the point, and the encouragement you include. Thank you!
The House passed the Save Act today, so it is important that people make contacts to stop it! So much is happening to stop our voting, and that is of major importance right now. Attempts are even being made, according to today’s news, to convince governors to stop the upcoming midterm elections. It also is important that we save our military people and stop conflicts in this world. What Congress is doing seems to be our only path to a voice, yet time and again, the requests are voted against by too many people.
#HOLDFAST!
Judy...thank you for this...and for being honest about how hard the basics have gotten.
Sleep...eyes...energy...the shrinking circle of like-minded people...those aren't small things...and the fact that you're still signing...writing...and paying attention through all of it MATTERS MORE than you might feel like it does.
The voting fights you're naming...are EXACTLY the right ones to keep eyes on. Take care of yourself so you can stay in it.
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
P.S. I'm honored that you treasure this newsletter. I truly appreciate that. I do.
Important re. the ballroom and our tax money after all!:
I’m just catching up with the evening report on the Aaron Parnas Perspective. If anyone wants to know the latest information about a bill which now includes a billion dollars of tax payers’ money to go into the nallroom with specifications, this site will clarify some of the information. If anyone is opposed to the bill, and its name is given in the report, this is a good place to take notes before acting.
https://aaronparnas.substack.com/p/news-trump-seeks-1-billion-for-ballroom?r=17g578&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
I will not check out, I will continue to do as many things as possible and I believe that is what will make the difference. DEMOCRACY NOW AND ALWAYS. #HOLD FAST
Deborah...that's the spirit... lots of small actions from lots of people is exactly what makes the difference. Thank you for being in it!
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
Jack is correct.
Note which strategy authoritarian movements have used, across every country where democracy has been lost: not a single one relied on defeating the opposition outright. They waited. They manufactured exhaustion. They let the feeling of futility do the work for them.
File the date you started saying what’s the point. That date is more important than you think.
In the 1930s, the people who held on were not the ones who felt hopeful. They were the ones who decided that showing up was the act itself — independent of outcome, independent of reward. That distinction saved what was saved. It failed to save what was lost.
The pressure you feel right now has a name. Scholars who study democratic backsliding call it “preference falsification” — the gap between what people believe privately and what they’re willing to say publicly. When enough people go quiet, the gap becomes a chasm. The chasm becomes the new normal. The new normal becomes policy. Policy becomes law. Law becomes force.
Jack is correct that a smaller committed group is what matters. History does not record the millions who grew tired. It records the few who did not.
You are being asked to choose which sentence describes you.
That choice is happening right now, whether you make it consciously or not.
#HOLDFAST
Jane... the line about filing the date you started saying "what's the point"...that's going to stay with people!
And...you're right that the strategy is exhaustion...NOT defeat.
NAMING IT....that clearly is itself a small act of resistance to it.
Thank you.
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
Excellent Jack - the Truths Americans must stand and act on now. "Stop being reactive…become committed
Say: "“This is what I do now.”
That’s where your power is. You don’t retreat.
You don’t numb out.
You don’t check out.
You LEAN IN.
You speak up more clearly.
You stay engaged longer.
You push forward when it feels like pushing is pointless.
There are people who feel that pressure in their chest and realize: “Yeah… this is on me too.” Everything that happens next will be decided by which group is bigger." Jack Hopkins
MoonDancer...thank you for pulling these out!
Seeing them quoted back...means they landed where they were MEANT to. "This is what I do now" is the WHOLE shift.
Grateful you're in it!
#HoldFast
-Jack
Jack - 🙏Grateful 4 the words/phrases you present ⚡️: Brings clarity to our 🌏
Succinct Clear Focus and Motivate 🌊
Summarizing assists in my process 2 feel integrate --> Act
Merci
Inspiration coming from many of us - writers, teachers, marathoners, students, medical professionals, little kids, builders, and others. Everywhere you look or go, there are people, plants and animals full of inspiration for us to pick up on.
Pamela H-beautifully put.
Inspiration is EVERYWHERE once you start looking for it...and looking for it is itself a practice worth keeping.
Thank you for this.
#HoldFast
-Jack
The option of giving up is an acceptable choice when our freedom and the lives of so many are at stake . Like Joyce Vance says “ Giving up is unforgivable “
#HOLDFAST
Teri
Teri...Joyce is right, and so are YOU.
With this much on the line...stepping away isn't a real option...it's just a delayed loss. Grateful you're here.
#HOLDFAST
-Jack
In it to win it. I had a delightful convo in the grocery store line yesterday with a darling elder man. It started with laughing at the people standing in line waiting to check themselves out. We refused because we wanted to keep the employees working. I knew the founder of the local chain, recently bought by a large group and remarked that he’d have been FURIOUS to see all those people waiting and only one checker working. This little man had known him as well, and no sooner did we make that connection, another checker opened up and motioned both of us over.
It was as if having acknowledged the good work of one, another was “sent to us. “
It ended with giggles, warm hugs and the acknowledgement of the little crowd standing there that we would NOT allow what’s good here to slip away.
These are the things I’m adding to my actions. Person-to-person engagement.
It was spontaneous and lovely.
It felt good. It felt right.
#Holdfast
$1B for the ballroom? Hell, no. Not when I just paid $4.50 for a gallon of gas. Not when the R running for our open Senate seat said he believes there should be work requirement for able-bodied Medicare recipients. Not when our brave military members are put in harm's way for a whim. Not when the idiot-in-chief says we should just take over Cuba. Not when the same fool thinks removing troops from Europe is a great idea. Not when they are painting the reflecting pool as if it were a country club pool. Not when the Voting Rights Act is gutted by gutless wonders. Not when the nominees for federal judge say "not sure" if he can remain in office past 2 terms. Not on my watch. No way. Not backing down. Not stopping. #HOLDINGFAST and #ANGRYASHELL
I would gladly pay my taxes for trump's golden ballroom...
IF...and ONLY IF....
They would lock trump inside and NEVER EVER let him out!!
Oh bloody hell: no way am I going to become quiet.
Sure I get weary.. then you read some article or hear some Fascist mess this 47th Regime is trying to pull off & you just can not let it ride.