The North Star and guiding principle of American democracy has always been freedom. It is, therefore, not surprising that Vice President Kamala Harris is centering her presidential campaign on that word and what it would mean for Americans under her administration. In her first campaign ad, she calls it “freedom not just to get by, but to get ahead. The freedom to be safe from gun violence. The freedom to make decisions about your own body.” To drive the point home, Beyoncé can be heard belting out her anthem, “Freedom, freedom, I can’t move. Freedom cut me loose. Freedom, freedom where are you, cause I need freedom too.” You get the idea. It could also mean a freedom not mentioned in the ad: A Harris victory could deliver freedom from Donald Trump. Hopefully forever. As one historian wrote, the modern presidential selection format is not hospitable to “losers.” There is an unwritten rule: You lose, you leave. Not since Adlai Stevenson in 1956 has a person been nominated twice and lost twice. He didn’t get a third try. And Trump would be well past 80 in 2028. Not to put too fine a point on it, but the next three months will determine whether our democracy as we have known it survives. If he is defeated, 99 days from now might be the last time Donald Trump is a threat to our country. Think about that for a moment. Beyond all the energy and enthusiasm of the Harris candidacy, also think about the possibility that we’d never again have to hear Trump’s outrageous demagoguery. At a rally in Florida last week, he told the crowd to “... get out and vote! Just this time — you won’t have to do it anymore. You know what? It’ll be fixed! It’ll be fine. You won’t have to vote anymore.” Because Trump and his campaign aren’t sure what to do about Kamala Harris, he has doubled down on authoritarian tropes — you won’t have to vote again, because we will no longer have elections. As predictable as the sun rising, he and his allies have fallen back on their most basic instincts — a mix of denigration, disparagement, and belittling. Before last week, the Trump campaign was trained on Biden. Now they have had to pivot to a very different candidate, one whose story is not well known despite her having been in public life for decades. In a rush to define her before she could, the Trump/Vance campaign went with hate. It’s hate from scratch. Trump himself is all-in, calling Harris “evil,” a “bum,” a “liar” (that’s rich) and a “crazy liberal who would destroy the country.” From his surrogates, it’s even worse, exploiting white male grievances and fears of women and people of color in power. Some have called Harris a “jezebel,” an immoral woman. Her citizenship has been falsely questioned, a la Barack Obama, because her parents are immigrants. Some Republican leaders on the Hill are calling the vice president a diversity hire. These misogynistic and racist slurs have no place in America today or any day. In other words, they are claiming that all of her accomplishments have come only because of the color of her skin and her gender. Her successes as California attorney general, a United States senator, and vice president derived not from her ability, her hard work, her intelligence, her experience, or her education, but because she was given an unfair advantage. Former White House adviser Susan Rice has called it “incredibly insulting,” adding, “That’s what they’re saying with this DEI thing. That if you’re somebody who is not a white Christian man, then you didn’t get where you got because you deserved it.” Trump and company’s denigration of Harris aligns with their agenda. As they keep saying, they want to “make America great again.” The America that they want to revert back to was one where women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community were considered to be lesser people. The idea of freedom was reserved mostly for white men. And the laws of the country supported that view. Since then we have made considerable progress. A second Trump administration would undo much of it. Since Donald Trump entered the political arena, the American people have been subjected to nine years of chaos, gaslighting, and lies. If the Harris campaign can effectively promise freedom from the instability and regression that define Donald Trump, Democrats and others believe that alone may be a winning platform.
No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for reading. Stay Steady, Dan |
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
Freedom
Thursday, July 4, 2024
PEOPLE POWER UNITED JUL 4: 📢 With Freedom Comes Responsibility
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I object.
I'm always amazed at how weak, fickle, and petty people are. I have received emails and seen people on social media complaining about Democrats and Independents showing support for President Biden even after his poor debate performance. Do you know what Republicans love? Division!
Yes, Biden is older than Trump, by 4 years! Yes, Biden had a terrible debate performance and he should immediately fire the people who prepared him, because, while strong on facts, he was weak on convincing people to vote for him. Trump also had a terrible debate performance. He lied repeatedly, couldn't answer a question directly, and was delusional about what happened on January 6 and he would not commit to a peaceful transfer of power, should he lose the election. I object.
Republicans don't want to represent America; they want to rule over us.
MAGA cultists don't want to fix the problems in America; they want to revel in transactional hatred and bigotry.
Crazed conservatives don't want to follow the lead of Jesus and convert people to Christianity; they want to use religious coercion to force their beliefs on all our communities.
And they are all lining up to support Donald Trump, a 34 Count Felon, 91-times Indicted, Insurrectionist, Rapist, Liar, Fraudster, Disability Mocker, Female Genitalia Grabber, Twice-Impeached President, Defamer, Wife Cheater, Sexual Harasser, confirmed liar of 30,000+ lies, and they want someone to lead us who called our U.S. soldiers "suckers" and "losers". I object.
They are cheering, fundraising, and pushing for Trump, who is a clear and present danger to America even though he:
Invited Russia to meddle in the U.S. elections
Sided with Putin over U.S. intelligence agencies
Revealed highly classified information to Russian foreign minister and ambassador
Threatened to pull out of NATO
Withheld aid to Ukraine so that Russian-backed separatists could amass power
Stole classified documents from the American people and refused to return them
I object.
And if that doesn't send chills down your back, then consider Trump's next possible cabinet:
Vice-President Marco Rubio
Attorney General Ron DeSantis
Secretary of State Tim Scott
Secretary of Defense Mike Flynn
Secretary of Commerce Elon Musk
Secretary of Health and Human Services Joseph Ladapo
I object.
And his trolls and sycophants are populating social media, while our folks can't be bothered to share, like, or comment on anything. Trump dominates social media, and Social Media Followers. As of July 3, 2024:
Donald Trump on TikTok 7.3 million vs, Joe Biden on TikTok 398,000
Donald Trump on Facebook 34 million vs. Joe Biden on Facebook 11 million
Donald Trump on Twitter 87 million vs. Joe Biden on Twitter 11 million
Donald Trump on Instagram 25 million vs. Joe Biden on Instagram 17 million
Donald Trump on YouTube 2.9 million vs. Joe Biden on YouTube 869,000
And let's talk about money, because money is always an issue in politics. Did you know that Trump had one donor who donated $100 million for Trump's reelection? Think about how many billionaires and special interest groups want to get in on the Trump Oligarchy. Biden had a great bump last quarter but still only raised $264 million to Trump's $334 million. I object.
And what is Joe Biden guilty of? Besides being older by 4 years and having a terrible debate, here is what Joe Biden has done:
Jobs Created: 15 million (more than the past two Republican Presidents)
Presides over the Lowest Unemployment: Unemployment has been below 4 percent for the longest stretch in over 50 years
Passed the American Rescue Plan: Funded vaccination campaigns and reopened schools.
Passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Rebuilt roads, bridges, and expanded high-speed internet.
Appointed the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: Significant gun violence prevention legislation.
Passed the CHIPS Act: Boosted American manufacturing and created jobs.
Passed the PACT Act: Expanded health care for veterans.
Passed the Respect for Marriage Act: Enshrined marriage equality.
Passed the Inflation Reduction Act: Lowered costs for families and promoted clean energy.
Provided Marijuana Pardons: Removed barriers for simple possession offenses.
Passed the Protecting Reproductive Rights: Ensured access to reproductive care.
Led International Climate Action: Rejoined Paris Climate Accords.
Provided Support for Ukraine: Rallied international support against Putin.
Improved the Affordable Care Act: Strengthened and expanded coverage.
Passed the Criminal Justice Reform: Promoted accountable policing.
Provided Student Debt Relief: Approved billions in loan forgiveness.
Improved Diversity: In white house staff, cabinet, administration, and appointments
Meanwhile, former President Trump caged children and families, separated babies from their mamas, bragged about it, and used words like "animals" and "poisoning our blood." to describe immigrants. He promises to "drill, baby drill", deport millions of our friends, families, and neighbors, and he is adamant about cutting Social Security and Medicare while handing millions in tax breaks to his cronies and the uber wealthy. And if that is not bad enough, he has promised to let states possibly incarcerate women seeking abortions, regulate birth control, and criminalize families seeking in vitro fertility treatments. I object.
The next President is likely to appoint two to four new Supreme Court Justices, and so far, Trump's appointees on the Supreme Court have significantly harmed families by overturning Roe v. Wade — eliminating a precedent of 50 years and restricting freedom of choice. They have also damaged America's environmental protections by overturning Chevron, a 40-year precedent that safeguarded the EPA's authority. Additionally, the reversal of affirmative action has undermined over 60 years of progress. The Supreme Court just ruled to allow cities to arrest and criminalize our homeless folks, just for being unhoused. And certain Justices are now disguising bribes as gifts as if no one is watching. They extended leniency to January 6th insurrectionists which endangers our communities and our national safety. And to top it all off, they declared that the President is above the law and is free to commit any crime as long as he/she/they are acting in an “official” capacity. I object.
Let's also be clear that not voting is a vote for Donald Trump, period. By not voting, you are doing exactly what Donald Trump, radical Republicans, and Maga extremists want you to do. A no-vote is more dangerous because it is a refusal of responsibility. I object.
And a big NO to a third-party candidate at this moment in time. To have any chance of winning a presidential election, a third-party candidate would have needed to poll at least 20-30 percent a year ago. It's a pipe dream to think someone who polls at 5% will achieve the Presidency, especially four months out. History shows that America has yet to be inspired (and in some cases fooled) by third-party candidates (and, in some instances, grifters). At this point in time, only a fool would believe that a third-party candidate has a chance of winning the Presidency. I object.
Lastly, people are saying they are "done" and they are quitting volunteering, activism, or supporting any one candidate. To me, this is the most dangerous and selfish of actions anyone can take. I object.
We must do everything we can to defend our rights, freedoms, and democracy.
I will support Joe Biden without hesitation. If he decides that he wants to step down, I will support whoever he supports-Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro, Katie Hobbs, Pete Buttigieg. 81 million people came out to support Biden in his last election. We need that and more right now and if polls are to be believed; it will take everyone rowing together to stave off another four years of a Trump presidency.
I ask that you take a moment and look at that photo below of the flag and our People Power United values. That is who we are, America is a work in progress, and a promise of a better tomorrow for all of us. We sent people to the moon, showed up on the beaches of Normandy to fight off Nazis, we developed a vaccine against and helped the world to overcome a worldwide pandemic. We are creative and technical and hardworking, we love our friends, our families, our faith, and our communities. We are better than our worst days and we can and we will right the wrongs of our past. I will not cower to bullies or fools, and I will do the work to fight for our rights, freedoms, and democracy and push for freedom over fascism. And I know that you will too! Happy 4th of July everyone!
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Today’s Calls-to-Action
Click here to sign the petition: Stop the MAGA Power Grab and Expand the Supreme Court
Click here to sign the petition: Denounce the Supreme Court for Letting Trump Off the Hook
There is no power like that of the people, and People Power United stands ready to protect our communities against any and all injustices. Join us to push for Freedom over Fascism. Join us for Take Action Tuesdays! We're using our lunch hour to take action on issues, text bank, do letters and postcards to voters, and more! No supplies needed. Training on the spot!
Sign-up and join us next week for Progressive Issues Activism which is our monthly People Power United meeting and/or our Letters and/or Postcards to Voters meeting. See below for details.
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Notes:
Think of Notes as your space for breaking news, fun facts, and brief updates with community members engaging by commenting, sharing, and giving hearts—similar to what Facebook and Twitter were before the influx of fake accounts, bots, and trolls. Here is an example of a recent post on Notes:
Chat:
Chat is a live hangout space for People Power United members. We’re hosting a chat on Trump’s sentencing day so you know it will be lively!
Thank you for your unwavering support and for being the embodiment of people power. Together, we can continue to push boundaries and make a real difference.
You’re Invited!
Our communities are stronger when we come together, united in purpose and determined to uplift everyone in our communities to vote and thrive. I hope you can join us at one of our upcoming People Power United events:
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Postcards and/or Letters to Voters
We can inspire voters and make a meaningful difference, one vote at a time.
Join us to learn more about our postcard and letter-writing-to-voters program. No supplies are needed. We will go over instructions and our current campaigns. We write postcards/and or letters to targeted voters to increase turnout in close, critical elections nationwide.
Then, we will take our campaigns into our neighborhoods by writing postcards and letters to voters with our family, friends, and other community members.
People Power United champions progressive values and power to the people. We are a group of people who believe in the possibility of change and work to make it happen. Join us to push for Freedom over Fascism!
Postcards and Letters to Voters, to sign-up and get more information click here.
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Progressive Issues Activism
Whatever our color, background, or zip code, most believe everyone deserves to live their best life. In this community, we will always speak out against racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, homophobia, misogyny, sexism, ageism, ableism, sizeism, transphobia, misogynoir, elitism, and bigotry!
We can not wait until the next election cycle; we must act now to protect our democracy. Join us to learn how to defend our vote and voice in our democracy. Join us for our next meeting to discuss the issues, what's at stake, and how to propel action so everyone can vote and thrive.
We must also push for strong leaders on the local, state, and federal levels to protect our rights and freedoms and hold them accountable.
Lastly, we must invest in our communities. Today's investments in our children, seniors, workers, housing, healthcare, environment, safe neighborhoods, and other areas will strengthen our nation.
Join us to push for big, bold solutions!
Progressive Issues Activism, to sign-up and get more information click here.
People Power United Updates
Our group is growing by leaps and bounds! Folks understand that with love in our hearts and hard work, we will reclaim our nation from cruelty, chaos, and confusion. We are having fun making impactful changes in our community! In case you missed it, this past week was busy:
We updated the home page of our Substack blog newsletter. Your feedback is always appreciated.
We issued several updates and statements on the Supreme Court.
Updates can be found here.
Bonus
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Don’t see an issue you care about? Friendly reminder to search our website or our Substack for your issue.
Everyone deserves to vote and thrive,
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests
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People Power United is a group of community members that champions progressive values and power for the people. The 2024 election depends on us, and we are attempting to persuade people to vote for Freedom over Fascism. If you wish to support our efforts, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Data disclosure: People Power United does not share information. We use the sign-up information to share current issues, events and calls-to-actions only. People Power United is a group of community members that champions progressive values and power for the people. The 2024 election depends on us, and we are attempting to persuade people to vote for Freedom over Fascism. You are always able to opt-out of any action alerts or event reminders we send, and you are also welcome to unsubscribe if there is no value to you.
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Tuesday, July 4, 2023
July 3, 2023 HEATHER COX RICHARDSON
And on July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
For all the fact that the congressmen got around the sticky little problem of Black and Indigenous slavery by defining “men” as “white men,” and for all that it never crossed their minds that women might also have rights, the Declaration of Independence was an astonishingly radical document. In a world that had been dominated by a small class of rich men for so long that most people simply accepted that they should be forever tied to their status at birth, a group of upstart legislators on the edges of a continent declared that no man was born better than any other.
America was founded on the radical idea that all men are created equal.
What the founders declared self-evident was not so clear eighty-seven years later, when southern white men went to war to reshape America into a nation in which African Americans, Indigenous Americans, Chinese, and Irish were locked into a lower status than whites. In that era, equality had become a “proposition,” rather than “self-evident.”
“Four score and seven years ago,” Abraham Lincoln reminded Americans, “our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” In 1863, Lincoln explained, the Civil War was “testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.”
It did, of course. The Confederate rebellion failed. The United States endured, and Americans began to expand the idea that all men are created equal to include Black men, men of color, and eventually women.
But just as in the 1850s, we are now, once again, facing a rebellion against our founding principle, as a few people seek to reshape America into a nation in which certain people are better than others.
The men who signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, pledged their “Lives, [their] Fortunes and [their] sacred Honor” to defend the idea of human equality. Ever since then, Americans have sacrificed their own fortunes, honor, and even their lives, for that principle. Lincoln reminded Civil War Americans of those sacrifices when he urged the people of his era to “take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Words to live by in 2023.
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Monday, July 4, 2022
Freedom wasn’t something that was given to us, we always had to struggle for it.
Freedom has long been the story of America. But we know the truth is that for so many people in Kentucky and across the country — freedom for all hasn’t always been a reality.
I come from a long line of Kentuckians. I’ve had ancestors who were enslaved in this Commonwealth. Lynched in this Commonwealth. Fought for desegregation in this Commonwealth. Because they knew freedom wasn’t something that was gonna be given to us, we have always had to fight for it.
And we’re still fighting for it.
To this day, Black Americans still face deadly, systemic racism in our communities. We’re still fighting to get our leaders to agree that our lives matter. After the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, they effectively stripped away the right to make deeply personal decisions for our bodies for millions of women in our country. And now, those same far-right Supreme Court justices are preparing to overturn even more critical decisions that protect our rights.
This extremist agenda doesn’t represent who we are as a country. And I refuse to allow a handful of extremist politicians to control the trajectory of this country.
Rand Paul is the reason why Trump succeeded in his mission to stack the court with far-right judges.
Rand Paul is the reason why the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, a bill that recognizes lynching as a hate crime, was blocked.
And Rand Paul is the reason why so many Kentuckians have lost trust in our politics.
Our campaign is working to put this to an end. This election, we have the opportunity to make that vision of America — freedom for all — a reality.
If we work together, from the Hood to the Holler, I know that we have a real shot to remove Rand Paul from office and start creating a new kind of politics that lifts ALL of us up. We can build a future where Breonna’s door isn't kicked in, where every community across Kentucky is thriving, and everyone has a chance to have a good paying union job.
But I can’t win this alone.
So before you enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend, I hope you can make a $10 donation to our campaign and join me in this fight to make freedom ring for the people of Kentucky and our entire country.
Let’s do this,
Charles
Weekend Edition | Despite Midterm Win, Will Dems Help GOP Pass 'Massive Giveaway' to Big Oil and Big Tech?
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