Deepening My Commitment to America, America Offering a 15% Discount to Encourage Yours STEVEN BESCHLOSS JUN 30 Dear Friend, The last few days have been seismic and searing. While none of us know exactly what lies ahead, we can be certain the stakes for our country have never been higher. These coming months will be volatile, intense—and, yes, frequently unsettling—with nothing less than the survival of the American democratic project hanging in the balance. It’s why I’ve now taken a leave of absence from my university work so that I can focus all my energies on this work for democracy, the growing of the America, America community, and the pushback in all the ways that I can against the dark forces that relish a future defined by cruelty, violence, power and retribution. I’m taking the liberty here to ask you to become a paid subscriber to help sustain and expand the work of America, America. This makes possible more essays, more audio posts, more video conversations, more new features. And I’m offering a 15% discount in hopes of expanding this community and your participation. (That’s $42.50, averaging a mere $3.54 a month.) Get 15% off forever I am grateful that so many subscribers have understood the value of keeping most of the content available for everyone as we work to share the ideas and commentary as widely as possible. I will keep working to also expand the special benefits exclusive to paid subscribers, now including private chats, audio posts and especially full access to the comments section. In these months ahead, I will be seeking more input from paid subscribers, including about a book in development and the choices we all need to make to ensure the defeat of Donald Trump and the Republicans in the House and Senate. The open comments section for yesterday’s Saturday Prompt, Can Biden Still Save America?, has spurred over 450 replies and that number is still growing. It’s an illustration of high emotions—and the growing dynamism of this community and the potential for us to engage productively and learn from each other. I hope you will be a full part of this, not just on Saturdays. Get 15% off forever Whether you become a paid subscriber or not, do know that I am grateful for your membership in the America, America community. And if you are a senior citizen on a fixed income or an educator, reach out to let me know if you would like a half-price subscription. There will be some tough days ahead, but let’s not doubt that we can accomplish more together than we can individually. Don’t doubt that we have the ability to determine the outcome of this fall’s elections. Upward and onward, Steven