Jack there is so much in your post and I agree, though it is being presented as a “personal issue” there have been, for months now, rumors of her departure…either resignation, or being “fired” by Trump…but the very big concern, besides all the important issues you mentioned, is WHO will replace her…or will she be replaced, or will Marco Rubio take this task on as well (being a bit of smart aleck here). Every departure in this regime has resulted with a replacement equally as bad, or worse…Todd Blanche being the #1 prime example! I am certain Trump is waiting for Putin’s input on this subject, as he seems to have a lot of power in Donald’s decisions! Every single day seems to bring even more lunacy, even more things to worry about…I just want a peaceful life, and never imagined that at this point in my life I would feel like I was in a protracted battle for my country! Trying very, very hard to #HoldFast !!!
Christie...thank you so much for this...and for reading.
You're right that the "personal issue" framing only tells part of the story; the departure rumors have been circulating for months...and...the real question now is EXACTLY the one you put your finger on: who...or whether the job just gets absorbed by someone already overloaded.
(Not such a smart-aleck point, honestly...concentration of authority is its own concern.)
The pattern of replacements is what worries me too.
I hear the weariness in your last few lines...and I think a lot of people feel it.
Wanting a peaceful life isn't a small ask...and it's exhausting to feel like that's been put out of reach.
My guess is she was hired for a reason, found she could not complete whatever she was hired to do. Not sure how much more damage she could do. #HoldingFast (and yes, the only people he's
fired from the cabinet and cabinet-level, all women. How much longer is Susie Wiles going to be around?)
Susie is cut of the same political bolt as many in the WH but in her current defense she is fighting breast cancer which may take her eye off the ball. Major thing there is her benefactor is Netanyahu, not Trump. She can write the outlines for T in her sleep.
Lynne...thank you for reading and for the thoughtful note.
I didn't know about her health situation...that's a hard thing for anyone to carry while in a demanding role...and I'd wish her well on that front regardless of politics.
Your point about how much these dynamics shape decision-making is well taken!
In January 2001, George W Bush was sworn in as President. The results of the November election leading to this were, in a way, determined by the Supreme Court (Bush v Gore).
On September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden and his cronies had the day of their dreams.
Jack, in the section entitled ‘America’s Enemies Watch Moments Like This Closely’, you, while writing about the impact of Tulsi Gabbard’s departure, listed many things foreign adversaries study; some of these were leadership changes, internal conflict, cabinet turmoil, congressional dysfunction, and public distrust.
Could 2001 be repeating itself in 2026? Is this ripe for the picking?
Please know I’m only comparing the atmospheres of then and now and not comparing the 2001 President to today’s president. No one deserves that comparison.
Mary E...thank you for this...it's a thoughtful parallel...and I appreciate how carefully you drew it.
You're pointing at something real: the idea that periods of internal turbulence and distracted leadership...can create openings...regardless of the era. That's a fair concern to raise.
Where I'd add a note of caution...is on the 2001 comparison itself.
The 9/11 Commission's findings were more about specific intelligence-sharing failures ...and missed signals...than about a general "atmosphere" of dysfunction...so I'd hold the analogy loosely.
The instinct that transitions carry risk...is sound; whether 2026 rhymes with 2001 ...specifically...is harder to say...and history tends to surprise us in the particulars.
BUT... your underlying concern...that this is a moment to stay alert...is one I share. No doubt.
Thank you for reading so closely...and engaging with the actual argument!
Jack, I think you may get a kick out of this. Just before her “resignation” was announced I ordered a crossbody lanyard strap for my phone that’s supposed to be safe from slicing. LOL
Was I preparing, or what? I hope nobody yanks my head off with it.
Either you've got excellent instincts or the universe has a strange sense of humor... possibly both. May your phone stay firmly attached and your head exactly where it belongs.
HA!! I’m guessing it’s a combo, of course. I mostly got the strap because this phone is bigger and heavier, my hands are small and after 35 yrs. of massage therapy work, my wrists do a good bit of aching. Also, I’d dropped it twice within the first 3 days and have been worried since I was a 12-yr. old gringita on the streets of Mexico City about being surrounded from behind, having my purse strap cut and losing my bag in a crowd. HA! Fixed THAT little niggling neurosis, huh?
The system was brittle even with her "leadership." She was hardly on top of her role. The institutional mistrust has been baked in since she took office, especially when Trump listened to Loomers advice and fired numerous top authorities. Things are hardly going to fracture any further than they already have.
It's been a total shit sandwich, just now it's got extra shit on top like a shit cherry on a shit sundae. There's nothing new under the sun with Gabbard's exit. I'm no more worried today than I was last week, which is to say extremely but I'm not getting my dander up over the latest developments anymore. It's just another news cycle. Yawn.
Angie...Ha..."shit cherry on a shit sundae" is going to stay with me.
I take your point...and... it's a fair pushback on the piece: if the brittleness was already baked in...then one more exit isn't the rupture so much as confirmation of where things already stood.
There's something almost steadying in that read...NOT because it's good news...BUT because it spares you the whiplash of treating every cycle as the new emergency.
I'd only gently say the replacement pick still seems worth a glance...since who fills the seat can shift things at the margins.
But your broader posture...alarmed at the baseline...not re-alarmed daily...is honestly a healthier way to last the distance.
Executive Branch “leadership” is full of untrustworthy people who are severely politicized. Many experienced intelligence people are gone. Priorities have been reset to favor authoritarian regimes over democratic allies. Other priorities redefine “enemies”, with some being our fellow Americans. It will take a concentrated effort to rebuild trust again but it’s worth the strife.
Excellent article, Jack. I think all I can do in this situation is wait and watch to see who replaces her… and hope that nothing catastrophic happens in the meantime.. or after.
The chances of Trump making a good choice are, in my opinion, slim to none.
JFC Jack.. this administration is already a complete shitshow. I’m watching who is next to fill this position. The incompetency of this administration is going to get people killed. #HOLDFAST
Thanks Jack.. my go to for decompressing is walking my Corgi and Lab then collecting eggs from my hens in the middle of my yard LOL .. I don’t have a fenced yard but I have 6x10 double wrapped chicken wired cage for all my chickens in a residential area 😂.. I refuse to pay $15 bucks for a dozen eggs.. then I take my frustrations out on yarn.. and make everyone I know sweaters afghans and whatever else I can think of. If my hands are busy I don’t get into trouble 🤙🏽
She has been on the hot seat for a while and even had a recent period of not being available or her whereabouts know… not surprised she’s gone. There is a temp there for now. Quite frankly I am surprised our government is evening functioning on any level other than chaos. If I remember correctly she voted against going after Iran along with all the others and drumpf went ahead because of a “feeling”. What an ass!
She was just a figurehead to head the DNI. Trump only listens to who else is in his vicinity rather than the department heads, thinking he alone knows more about the subject than anyone else, and then acts upon his worst instincts. So Tulsi’s out. Another woman in a leadership position. And another man to take her place who will be unqualified and inexperienced because Trump only hires the “best people.” A smart business man he is not.
Robin D., please fo not consider ending your life. So many of us are fed up with the current, tragic assaults to the our Constitution and our self-evident Rights within it, and to the freedoms generations of our families and country men and women, as well as many allies have given so much of themselves to make and to preserve for us.
While we cannot do a lot, we can pay attention. We can learn and read here and on other publications and Substacks. We can follow Action Network, Scott Dworkin, or Common Cause, and Aaron Parnas and let some of their letters and petitions guide us by making them available to sign or to edit and sign in contacting our Congress members. We can use Meghan Rotherty’s spreadsheet to see how to contact still more people in Congress. I apologize for not being sure at the moment if I spelled her names correctly, but I’ll try to put it in a separate comment.
We can think positive thoughts. We can do what we can to help make somebody’s life a little easier - even if we can only give them a smile, we can take good care of ourselves, find a bit of nature to enjoy each day, be thankful for the good even though it’s harder to find when life becomes as complicated as some people have made it, and we can do what we can to find some humor in each day. We can even daydream if we don’t have nature around us.
We can read, sing and him or play an instrument, even if it is only wax paper over a comb or tapping out rhythms and thinking of music. We can recite some poetry you write it, and we can help keep each other up when the chips seem down, even when anyone goes to as much trouble as we are seeing certain people do to degrade our country and lives. We can “accentuate the positive” and “diminuante the negative, as the song goes, and whatever happiness we can keep in our minds, hearts, and souls, cannot be taken from us.
I hope that the goodness is in many people, the studying and then voting we shall continue to do, the respect we try to promote in this country and in this world, the sharing of good news, will all add up to helping save our country, the perspectives of our nation despite attitudes which seem anti-democratic or supportive of people who are attempting to steal our freedoms and sneak them away with greed and power grabbing, and that goodness and freedoms shall prevail. They shall, but we must keep at it.
We also need to be aware of what is happening in schools and libraries. If we are fortunate to be around children, we need to nurture them and promote goodness. That is true of children of any age, for that matter since there is a child in each of us, and through it all, we need to continue to love ourselves, ourselves as individuals, ourselves as Americans, and ourselves as members of the human race, as we strive by our examples and our Congressional contacts, to promote the fairness, the democratic ideals of our republic, and the values of honesty, freedoms, and justice, and love, plus our voting rights and pursuits of happiness “for ourselves and our posterity”. Those are our treasures. We are in this situation together, and there can be strength in the numbers of people upholding these ideals across our country.
As I sit tapping my phone, the song coming to mind is “If I had a Hammer”, and you might recall it from the Hootenannies we held in the 1960s. Or if you are younger, you might have heard that song as well as “All You Need is Love” from a later time, or hymns of faith, and definitely what we have been told and have repeated so many times through the decades, “Keep the Faith!” As Jack has taught us, and I have added to my treasured frequent repetitions and thoughts, “#HOLDFAST!” And we shall Holdfast!
Robin, I must try to go back and see that the phone has not changed my typing as I proofread, but please know that we need you! We need all good people, whether or not we know them. “WE ARE THE PEOPLE!” Everyone matters, and as a whole, we make up these United States of America! We need everyone and the power of positive thought. Thoughts are important. “Together We Can”, and “This too shall pass!” We might add “somehow”, but we are part of the “how”. Please take care.
What a lovely, kind and caring comment Judy. I would never end my life for this demented, deranged, hatedful scumbag. . I use "jumping out a window" as an expression that I am at the end of my ropes. This is just a day in, day out assault. I'm not young anymore. I don't have 25 years to wait this out. So many people feel like me. Tired, drained...I know this is what they want, but I can't help it.
(I have 66 paid substacks). I love Scott and Aaron. I follow Jeff Tiedrich and Andy Borowitz for satire and laughs. . I laugh everyday, but I need some kind of NORMALCY and something to hang on to. But I do cry. I can't believe this is our country. Thank you for caring. 🙏❤
Robin, thank you for sharing that! What a lot of Substacks! I subscribe to a lot of them, too. The one you mentioned such is new to me is Jeff Tiedrich. My first one was The Contrarian. Then I learned of others! Robert Reich, Jim Acosta, Andy B. too, but I don’t get to a lot of the others regularly. Vision limitations and time needed require limitations.
You are so kind to share and explain! Yes, I do understand the frustrations, and sometimes I am in tears, too, but we have resilience and faith. 🙏🏻♥️🌹for you!
I totally understand. Don't have the time and my eyes are not great anymore either.. I follow the others you mentioned too. I am already starting to cull memberships because I can't follow everyone every day, but I have several that are faves. Jeff Tiedrich is great. He uses a lot of profanity (which I happen to love because it's cathartic and he's very funny). Paul Krugman. Tina Brown. And substacks that have nothing to do with news or politics.Then the videos too..but I don't have enough time to keep up. 🙏❤🤗
Robin D., I am sharing here what Megan Rothery wrote, which includes access to the spreadsheet of contact information to reach members of Congress. She posted this comment on Dr. Heather Cox Richardson’s “Letters to an American”. HCR has the printed letter emailed one day. The following day, she has the audio version of that letter. If you do not receive them, you might like to sign up. You can do that for free.
Here is the pasting of Megan Rothery’s Comment.
“ Megan Rothery
Megan Rothery
2d
Don’t just doom scroll - speak up for the vision of a “Great Society” so our government acts in consideration of everyone, not just the wealthy!
Resource below to easily contact all of Congress - Be LOUD. Trump/the administration is dangerous for our country 💔🤍💙
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) to contact members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Reach out (beyond your own) to as many in the Senate and House as you can. All of this is bigger than “I only represent my constituents” issues.
In cases like this, I feel that history is once again being experienced. Americans, for the longest time, haven't paid attention to what their government is doing. We are experiencing things that haven't been experienced in a long time. History is evolving and now is the time for ALL of us to wake up and see with our own eyes what is happening.
Americans were taught to believe we are big brother and now things have changed. The American people are who will ensure positive change is made again.
Baby Boomers were the change for civil rights and other things.
The newest generations, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are the generations that now need to speak up and start talking about change with the top being Race and Corruption.
I know a lot of people who are not paying attention at all and just living their lives as peaceful and joyfully as possible. And I am a wreck because I know what is happening. I wish more people would wake up. Are they lazy? Ignorant? It’s so frustrating.
Did Tulsi Gabbard even go to work? What a mess! There’s nothing like serving the US on a silver (and gold) platter to Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia…they’ve been wanting the destruction of our nation for decades. We are not safe, not under this chaotic disastrous mess. Drain the swamp? They’ve sold us out. And that corrupt Todd Blanche has to go. We have to keep doing all we can. Collectively. Helping people register to vote. Protests. Getting information out. Opening communication to reach across the aisle. More Republicans and independents will change their minds.
The security of our country is something that I worry about a lot under this DUMB administration. Dumb with a B. Jeez, can you believe that? Anyhow, I think we are very vulnerable. I hope there are some adults left in the room.
Jack there is so much in your post and I agree, though it is being presented as a “personal issue” there have been, for months now, rumors of her departure…either resignation, or being “fired” by Trump…but the very big concern, besides all the important issues you mentioned, is WHO will replace her…or will she be replaced, or will Marco Rubio take this task on as well (being a bit of smart aleck here). Every departure in this regime has resulted with a replacement equally as bad, or worse…Todd Blanche being the #1 prime example! I am certain Trump is waiting for Putin’s input on this subject, as he seems to have a lot of power in Donald’s decisions! Every single day seems to bring even more lunacy, even more things to worry about…I just want a peaceful life, and never imagined that at this point in my life I would feel like I was in a protracted battle for my country! Trying very, very hard to #HoldFast !!!
Christie...thank you so much for this...and for reading.
You're right that the "personal issue" framing only tells part of the story; the departure rumors have been circulating for months...and...the real question now is EXACTLY the one you put your finger on: who...or whether the job just gets absorbed by someone already overloaded.
(Not such a smart-aleck point, honestly...concentration of authority is its own concern.)
The pattern of replacements is what worries me too.
I hear the weariness in your last few lines...and I think a lot of people feel it.
Wanting a peaceful life isn't a small ask...and it's exhausting to feel like that's been put out of reach.
Take care of yourself in this...pacing matters.
#HoldFast...and thank you for being here!
-Jack
My guess is she was hired for a reason, found she could not complete whatever she was hired to do. Not sure how much more damage she could do. #HoldingFast (and yes, the only people he's
fired from the cabinet and cabinet-level, all women. How much longer is Susie Wiles going to be around?)
Roberta...that's a fair read...she may well have been brought in for something specific...and run into the limits of what she could actually pull off.
Hard to know from the outside...but...the friction over Iran...certainly suggests she wasn't FULLY aligned with where things were headed.
You're not wrong to notice the PATTERN in who's been pushed out...it's a hard thing to unsee once you've spotted it.
As for Susie Wiles...your guess is as good as mine; that one feels like a "WATCH THIS SPACE" situation.
Thank you for reading...and...for staying in the fight.
#HoldingFast right there with you!
-Jack
Jack, been around too long to give up now. Thanks for always giving us perspective and encouragement. Means a lot.
Roberta...YOU...are welcome!
Susie is cut of the same political bolt as many in the WH but in her current defense she is fighting breast cancer which may take her eye off the ball. Major thing there is her benefactor is Netanyahu, not Trump. She can write the outlines for T in her sleep.
Lynne...thank you for reading and for the thoughtful note.
I didn't know about her health situation...that's a hard thing for anyone to carry while in a demanding role...and I'd wish her well on that front regardless of politics.
Your point about how much these dynamics shape decision-making is well taken!
#HoldFast
-Jack
In January 2001, George W Bush was sworn in as President. The results of the November election leading to this were, in a way, determined by the Supreme Court (Bush v Gore).
On September 11, 2001, Osama bin Laden and his cronies had the day of their dreams.
Jack, in the section entitled ‘America’s Enemies Watch Moments Like This Closely’, you, while writing about the impact of Tulsi Gabbard’s departure, listed many things foreign adversaries study; some of these were leadership changes, internal conflict, cabinet turmoil, congressional dysfunction, and public distrust.
Could 2001 be repeating itself in 2026? Is this ripe for the picking?
Please know I’m only comparing the atmospheres of then and now and not comparing the 2001 President to today’s president. No one deserves that comparison.
Mary E...thank you for this...it's a thoughtful parallel...and I appreciate how carefully you drew it.
You're pointing at something real: the idea that periods of internal turbulence and distracted leadership...can create openings...regardless of the era. That's a fair concern to raise.
Where I'd add a note of caution...is on the 2001 comparison itself.
The 9/11 Commission's findings were more about specific intelligence-sharing failures ...and missed signals...than about a general "atmosphere" of dysfunction...so I'd hold the analogy loosely.
The instinct that transitions carry risk...is sound; whether 2026 rhymes with 2001 ...specifically...is harder to say...and history tends to surprise us in the particulars.
BUT... your underlying concern...that this is a moment to stay alert...is one I share. No doubt.
Thank you for reading so closely...and engaging with the actual argument!
#HoldFast
-Jack
Thx, Jack.
Jack, I think you may get a kick out of this. Just before her “resignation” was announced I ordered a crossbody lanyard strap for my phone that’s supposed to be safe from slicing. LOL
Was I preparing, or what? I hope nobody yanks my head off with it.
#HoldFast
Rae...Ha! The timing on that is too good!!
Either you've got excellent instincts or the universe has a strange sense of humor... possibly both. May your phone stay firmly attached and your head exactly where it belongs.
Thanks for the laugh...and for reading.
#HoldFast ...strap and all.
-Jack
HA!! I’m guessing it’s a combo, of course. I mostly got the strap because this phone is bigger and heavier, my hands are small and after 35 yrs. of massage therapy work, my wrists do a good bit of aching. Also, I’d dropped it twice within the first 3 days and have been worried since I was a 12-yr. old gringita on the streets of Mexico City about being surrounded from behind, having my purse strap cut and losing my bag in a crowd. HA! Fixed THAT little niggling neurosis, huh?
These fancy phones are not cheap!
Rae...Hahaha...sounds like the strap is earning its keep on every front.
Thirty-five years of massage work will do that to wrists...so protecting them is just sensible...not neurotic.
And...honestly...a wariness you've carried since you were twelve isn't a neurosis ...it's a lesson that STUCK.
Nice to finally close the loop on it after all these years.
May the phone stay attached...unsliced...and un-dropped.
Thanks as always for reading! :)
#HoldFast
-Jack
As ever, my pleasure. And,
#HoldingFast
‘Night
The system was brittle even with her "leadership." She was hardly on top of her role. The institutional mistrust has been baked in since she took office, especially when Trump listened to Loomers advice and fired numerous top authorities. Things are hardly going to fracture any further than they already have.
It's been a total shit sandwich, just now it's got extra shit on top like a shit cherry on a shit sundae. There's nothing new under the sun with Gabbard's exit. I'm no more worried today than I was last week, which is to say extremely but I'm not getting my dander up over the latest developments anymore. It's just another news cycle. Yawn.
Angie...Ha..."shit cherry on a shit sundae" is going to stay with me.
I take your point...and... it's a fair pushback on the piece: if the brittleness was already baked in...then one more exit isn't the rupture so much as confirmation of where things already stood.
There's something almost steadying in that read...NOT because it's good news...BUT because it spares you the whiplash of treating every cycle as the new emergency.
I'd only gently say the replacement pick still seems worth a glance...since who fills the seat can shift things at the margins.
But your broader posture...alarmed at the baseline...not re-alarmed daily...is honestly a healthier way to last the distance.
Thanks for reading and for the candid take.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Executive Branch “leadership” is full of untrustworthy people who are severely politicized. Many experienced intelligence people are gone. Priorities have been reset to favor authoritarian regimes over democratic allies. Other priorities redefine “enemies”, with some being our fellow Americans. It will take a concentrated effort to rebuild trust again but it’s worth the strife.
Pamela...you've laid out the throughline well...the loss of experienced people...the shift in priorities...the redefining of who counts as a threat.
That last part is the one I find hardest to sit with.
You're right...that rebuilding trust WON'T be quick or easy...institutions are slow to repair once that's been damaged.
But the closing note matters: WORTH THE STRIFE.
That's the spirit to hold onto.
Thank you for reading and for thinking this through with such clarity.
#HoldFast
-Jack
Great post Jack. Thank you.
IIene...thank you. You're welcome!
-Jack
Excellent article, Jack. I think all I can do in this situation is wait and watch to see who replaces her… and hope that nothing catastrophic happens in the meantime.. or after.
The chances of Trump making a good choice are, in my opinion, slim to none.
#Holdfast
~Susan
Thank you, Susan...and...thank you for reading.
Wait and watch...really IS much of what's available right now...and keeping an eye on that replacement pick...is the right thing to focus on.
I understand the pessimism about the choice; we'll see soon enough.
In the meantime...take care of yourself...vigilance doesn't have to mean dread every waking minute.
#HoldFast right back to you!
-Jack
Thank you, Jack. I appreciate that.
~Susan
JFC Jack.. this administration is already a complete shitshow. I’m watching who is next to fill this position. The incompetency of this administration is going to get people killed. #HOLDFAST
Morgan...I'm watching that replacement pick closely too...it really is the part that matters most here.
I share the frustration; it's exhausting to feel like competence keeps losing out.
Thanks for reading and for staying engaged...even when it's grim.
#HoldFast ...and take a breather when you need one.
-Jack
Thanks Jack.. my go to for decompressing is walking my Corgi and Lab then collecting eggs from my hens in the middle of my yard LOL .. I don’t have a fenced yard but I have 6x10 double wrapped chicken wired cage for all my chickens in a residential area 😂.. I refuse to pay $15 bucks for a dozen eggs.. then I take my frustrations out on yarn.. and make everyone I know sweaters afghans and whatever else I can think of. If my hands are busy I don’t get into trouble 🤙🏽
Morgan...honestly, that sounds like a near-perfect decompression routine... dogs...fresh eggs...and yarn are a solid defense against the news cycle.
And...good on you for the chicken setup; $15 a dozen is highway robbery...so the double-wrapped cage is paying dividends.
"If my hands are busy I don't get into trouble" might be the wisest thing anyone's sent me all week.
May the hens keep laying...and the sweaters keep coming, Morgan! :)
Thanks for reading...and for the smile.
#HoldFast
-Jack
She has been on the hot seat for a while and even had a recent period of not being available or her whereabouts know… not surprised she’s gone. There is a temp there for now. Quite frankly I am surprised our government is evening functioning on any level other than chaos. If I remember correctly she voted against going after Iran along with all the others and drumpf went ahead because of a “feeling”. What an ass!
#HOLDFAST
Teri
She was just a figurehead to head the DNI. Trump only listens to who else is in his vicinity rather than the department heads, thinking he alone knows more about the subject than anyone else, and then acts upon his worst instincts. So Tulsi’s out. Another woman in a leadership position. And another man to take her place who will be unqualified and inexperienced because Trump only hires the “best people.” A smart business man he is not.
I can tell you what the cumulative effect is. I am crying and wish I could jump out a window.
#Holdfast 😢
Robin D., please fo not consider ending your life. So many of us are fed up with the current, tragic assaults to the our Constitution and our self-evident Rights within it, and to the freedoms generations of our families and country men and women, as well as many allies have given so much of themselves to make and to preserve for us.
While we cannot do a lot, we can pay attention. We can learn and read here and on other publications and Substacks. We can follow Action Network, Scott Dworkin, or Common Cause, and Aaron Parnas and let some of their letters and petitions guide us by making them available to sign or to edit and sign in contacting our Congress members. We can use Meghan Rotherty’s spreadsheet to see how to contact still more people in Congress. I apologize for not being sure at the moment if I spelled her names correctly, but I’ll try to put it in a separate comment.
We can think positive thoughts. We can do what we can to help make somebody’s life a little easier - even if we can only give them a smile, we can take good care of ourselves, find a bit of nature to enjoy each day, be thankful for the good even though it’s harder to find when life becomes as complicated as some people have made it, and we can do what we can to find some humor in each day. We can even daydream if we don’t have nature around us.
We can read, sing and him or play an instrument, even if it is only wax paper over a comb or tapping out rhythms and thinking of music. We can recite some poetry you write it, and we can help keep each other up when the chips seem down, even when anyone goes to as much trouble as we are seeing certain people do to degrade our country and lives. We can “accentuate the positive” and “diminuante the negative, as the song goes, and whatever happiness we can keep in our minds, hearts, and souls, cannot be taken from us.
I hope that the goodness is in many people, the studying and then voting we shall continue to do, the respect we try to promote in this country and in this world, the sharing of good news, will all add up to helping save our country, the perspectives of our nation despite attitudes which seem anti-democratic or supportive of people who are attempting to steal our freedoms and sneak them away with greed and power grabbing, and that goodness and freedoms shall prevail. They shall, but we must keep at it.
We also need to be aware of what is happening in schools and libraries. If we are fortunate to be around children, we need to nurture them and promote goodness. That is true of children of any age, for that matter since there is a child in each of us, and through it all, we need to continue to love ourselves, ourselves as individuals, ourselves as Americans, and ourselves as members of the human race, as we strive by our examples and our Congressional contacts, to promote the fairness, the democratic ideals of our republic, and the values of honesty, freedoms, and justice, and love, plus our voting rights and pursuits of happiness “for ourselves and our posterity”. Those are our treasures. We are in this situation together, and there can be strength in the numbers of people upholding these ideals across our country.
As I sit tapping my phone, the song coming to mind is “If I had a Hammer”, and you might recall it from the Hootenannies we held in the 1960s. Or if you are younger, you might have heard that song as well as “All You Need is Love” from a later time, or hymns of faith, and definitely what we have been told and have repeated so many times through the decades, “Keep the Faith!” As Jack has taught us, and I have added to my treasured frequent repetitions and thoughts, “#HOLDFAST!” And we shall Holdfast!
Robin, I must try to go back and see that the phone has not changed my typing as I proofread, but please know that we need you! We need all good people, whether or not we know them. “WE ARE THE PEOPLE!” Everyone matters, and as a whole, we make up these United States of America! We need everyone and the power of positive thought. Thoughts are important. “Together We Can”, and “This too shall pass!” We might add “somehow”, but we are part of the “how”. Please take care.
#HOLDFAST! Holding fast and believing!
What a lovely, kind and caring comment Judy. I would never end my life for this demented, deranged, hatedful scumbag. . I use "jumping out a window" as an expression that I am at the end of my ropes. This is just a day in, day out assault. I'm not young anymore. I don't have 25 years to wait this out. So many people feel like me. Tired, drained...I know this is what they want, but I can't help it.
(I have 66 paid substacks). I love Scott and Aaron. I follow Jeff Tiedrich and Andy Borowitz for satire and laughs. . I laugh everyday, but I need some kind of NORMALCY and something to hang on to. But I do cry. I can't believe this is our country. Thank you for caring. 🙏❤
#HoldFast.
Robin, thank you for sharing that! What a lot of Substacks! I subscribe to a lot of them, too. The one you mentioned such is new to me is Jeff Tiedrich. My first one was The Contrarian. Then I learned of others! Robert Reich, Jim Acosta, Andy B. too, but I don’t get to a lot of the others regularly. Vision limitations and time needed require limitations.
You are so kind to share and explain! Yes, I do understand the frustrations, and sometimes I am in tears, too, but we have resilience and faith. 🙏🏻♥️🌹for you!
I totally understand. Don't have the time and my eyes are not great anymore either.. I follow the others you mentioned too. I am already starting to cull memberships because I can't follow everyone every day, but I have several that are faves. Jeff Tiedrich is great. He uses a lot of profanity (which I happen to love because it's cathartic and he's very funny). Paul Krugman. Tina Brown. And substacks that have nothing to do with news or politics.Then the videos too..but I don't have enough time to keep up. 🙏❤🤗
Robin D., I am sharing here what Megan Rothery wrote, which includes access to the spreadsheet of contact information to reach members of Congress. She posted this comment on Dr. Heather Cox Richardson’s “Letters to an American”. HCR has the printed letter emailed one day. The following day, she has the audio version of that letter. If you do not receive them, you might like to sign up. You can do that for free.
Here is the pasting of Megan Rothery’s Comment.
“ Megan Rothery
Megan Rothery
2d
Don’t just doom scroll - speak up for the vision of a “Great Society” so our government acts in consideration of everyone, not just the wealthy!
Resource below to easily contact all of Congress - Be LOUD. Trump/the administration is dangerous for our country 💔🤍💙
Use/share this spreadsheet (bit.ly/Goodtrouble) to contact members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Call. Write. Email. Protest. Unrelentingly.
Reach out (beyond your own) to as many in the Senate and House as you can. All of this is bigger than “I only represent my constituents” issues.
Comments/reactions help keep this bumped”
In cases like this, I feel that history is once again being experienced. Americans, for the longest time, haven't paid attention to what their government is doing. We are experiencing things that haven't been experienced in a long time. History is evolving and now is the time for ALL of us to wake up and see with our own eyes what is happening.
Americans were taught to believe we are big brother and now things have changed. The American people are who will ensure positive change is made again.
Baby Boomers were the change for civil rights and other things.
The newest generations, Gen X, Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha are the generations that now need to speak up and start talking about change with the top being Race and Corruption.
I know a lot of people who are not paying attention at all and just living their lives as peaceful and joyfully as possible. And I am a wreck because I know what is happening. I wish more people would wake up. Are they lazy? Ignorant? It’s so frustrating.
Did Tulsi Gabbard even go to work? What a mess! There’s nothing like serving the US on a silver (and gold) platter to Russia, China, Iran, Saudi Arabia…they’ve been wanting the destruction of our nation for decades. We are not safe, not under this chaotic disastrous mess. Drain the swamp? They’ve sold us out. And that corrupt Todd Blanche has to go. We have to keep doing all we can. Collectively. Helping people register to vote. Protests. Getting information out. Opening communication to reach across the aisle. More Republicans and independents will change their minds.
Spy 🤬❗
The security of our country is something that I worry about a lot under this DUMB administration. Dumb with a B. Jeez, can you believe that? Anyhow, I think we are very vulnerable. I hope there are some adults left in the room.