So now we're supposed to believe that the polls are accurate? They may be, because the methodology hasn't changed, but it's far more important that Democrats (and democrats, regardless of party) stay unified and supportive of the Presidential ticket and all of the down ballot races as well. The conversation is much more positive now, and we've only got 75 days until voting starts. We can do this, and set a new tone for the Democratic Party at the same time.
Yes, as I read all the good news; the reluctance being washed away, the democracy soldiers being reinvigorated, and yes... the bandwagon jumping going in a more productive direction, I think of those who might mistakenly interpret all this as permission to stay home (heaven forbid) if the poll lines are long or their absentee ballots are a bit difficult to get... and I think maybe one additional rallying cry we need will be to remind people that they will want to be able to (honestly!) tell their grandchildren they were there - they voted for President Kamala Harris "way back in 2024".
The convention is in 2.5 weeks and voting starts like 30 days after that. PA is Election Day - 50 days. A bunch of others start 30-45 days before. iF we can keep this momentum up , we got this.
"For me, being a speck of dust is not an existential burden but a profound relief. It is the great equalizer that reminds us we all face the same challenges of wanting to feel useful, needed, and worthy. Humility teaches us that those challenges are overcome through compassion, kindness, and love for others rather than seeking power over others...There is nothing that teaches humility more than aging. "
What a truly moving piece of writing, Tom. And the words of Kareem Abdul Jabaar...absolutely perfect for the moment. Not to mention that lovely philosophical speck, Calvin.❤️ Maybe we who have understood the profound danger posed to this republic and its 250 year experiment in We the People by the gop's complete right turn to authoritarian christo- fascist minority governance with their orange cheato leading them straight onto the DOWN escalator in 2015 finally have felt the joy of joining the movement to not just defend our national experiment but to redefine our future together. President Biden's decision makes clear where our better angels choose to be. Despite that bastion of Fascist intentions, the si-called heritage foundation, Kevin Roberts, all their right wing connections and members of what Anne Applebaum names "Auticracy, Inc.", We the People, at least a majority are rediscovering our civic courage and a deeper, stronger, wider patriotism. What we're learning anew is this: keeping and building a democratic republic takes constant engagement, learning, cooperation, action. It does not happen without us. No matter the outcome of this election, the Fascist forces will continue to do their worst. Christian nationalism/fascism will not let up. Building the nation we most truly envision means working for its realization, standing on the shoulders of all those who showed the way by their own patriotic sacrifices, and now offering our own shoulders to the generations that are following. Let these next days, months, years describe our finest hour as human beings, as a nation committed to human rights, freedom, equity, true justice, and We the People.
Yes, this was an excellent post. I was also deeply moved by Kareem’s words, Linda. They strike close to home as aging takes its toll. Along those lines, this is the letter I sent 3 days ago to my younger friends and family members:
Your time has come to take the reins of democracy. Though imperfect, it is the North Star of human accomplishment. The right to choose our own leadership and priorities is never given freely, it is earned.
The Democratic Party has decided, with Kamala Harris, to embrace the future and allow the past to do what it does best, remind us of what worked and what didn’t. How we adapt those lessons to the future is the important work ahead. I hope you will be part of this next great journey, even if your choices are different than mine.
The future will be perilous and rife with misinformation, the scourge of our modern media times. Social media doesn’t vet their information like traditional news organizations do, so facts and fiction are presented as the same. They are not, and we must sort them out. We are all still learning how to do this.
Some of the most exciting things I’ve done in my life have involved working together with others about larger issues that affect us all. Reproductive rights, voting rights, affordable health care, equal rights for women, people of color and gays have all been important to me. You can choose what’s important to you. Then find your people and work together with them.
Working together with others to achieve a larger goal, something beyond our own personal lives, is one of life’s most satisfying experiences. It often leads to unexpected friendships and opportunities.
A very short campaign season lies ahead and it will require energized volunteers who can ramp up quickly. You will be welcomed, it will be worth the effort. Now please get out there and help keep democracy alive!
Whew! The same can be said of you… What a truly moving piece of writing, Linda! Thank you! All encompassing. And to identify that we are sparked to not just defend but to redefine (“…the movement to not just defend our national experiment but to redefine our future together.”) is brilliant. And the explosive about face since Sunday has become a beautifully inclusive people-scape.
You captured so much in what you have to say here. I’m so grateful. Thank you.
I agree with Obama who said, " As California’s Attorney General, she worked hard to ensure everyone was treated fairly, no matter who they are or who they love, including the family couch." (I couldn't help myself!)
One of your best columns ever, at so many levels for so many reasons. Thank you! GOOD NEWS INDEED! and then…Hubris versus humility… Some real keepers there. Time to get out the embroidery thread to create a few samplers. (Yes, I’m that old…) Rob Hubbell and Calvin and Hobbs… Doesn’t get any better than that. I was blessed to sign on to Mr. Hubbell’s Today’s Edition in early 2017. My goodness, what a ride. And then Managing Editor Jill‘s daily Vlog just featured Bungalow Heaven in Pasadena… Icing on the cake. Postcards, text and phone banks from now till November! The embroidery can wait. Thank you again, Tom!
I was talking to one of my favorite people today, Cannabis Nurse Heather. We agreed that the binary choice is this: LOVE vs. HATE. It's just that simple.
There is a vein in Islam that is every bit as contemplative as anything in Judaism or Christianity. These traditions exist outside the popular culture within each religion. To be clear, Christo-Fascism isn't one of them.
This made me think of something I read a long time ago. In an area of mathematics--I'm not a mathematician so I hope I remember this correctly--called set theory, there is an axiom that in an infinite array, every individual member of the array has an equal relationship to the whole array as every other individual member. Now, if you were to group the individuals into finite sets of any size, from one to a bazillion, say, the individual sets would still have an equal relationship with the whole, no matter their composition. Curiouser yet, this would still work if the sets were all infinite. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities, and yet each infinite set has the same relationship to the whole infinite set as all the others. And that, it seems to me, reflects on the apprehension that all people are equal before God. So whenever I read someone quoting Jefferson's affirmation that all men are created equal, I have to think that Jefferson was on to something, the naysayers be damned. I don't think Jefferson was a humble man, but that statement makes me think he must at least have been capable of strokes of humility. I think most people are, actually. The operative word there being "most."
Well, TAFM is one significant spec of dust, TC, always the bearer of evidence-based information promoting the common good. What could be more significant than that?
Good news about the Post Office. Removing the unaptly named De Joy from office will be a wonderful thing and it can't happen soon enough.
Well, if you think of "DeJoy" as meaning "to remove the joy from," it's more apt than it seems at first glance. <g>
What a great observation 😊🙏
I agree. I hope they have a replacement for De Joy before the election and the shenanigans with mail in ballots begin in earnest.
A phrase for Kamala to use could be:
"He's not just a fraud, he's AFRAID!"
Gotta pass that on to Rick Wilson.
So now we're supposed to believe that the polls are accurate? They may be, because the methodology hasn't changed, but it's far more important that Democrats (and democrats, regardless of party) stay unified and supportive of the Presidential ticket and all of the down ballot races as well. The conversation is much more positive now, and we've only got 75 days until voting starts. We can do this, and set a new tone for the Democratic Party at the same time.
Yes, as I read all the good news; the reluctance being washed away, the democracy soldiers being reinvigorated, and yes... the bandwagon jumping going in a more productive direction, I think of those who might mistakenly interpret all this as permission to stay home (heaven forbid) if the poll lines are long or their absentee ballots are a bit difficult to get... and I think maybe one additional rallying cry we need will be to remind people that they will want to be able to (honestly!) tell their grandchildren they were there - they voted for President Kamala Harris "way back in 2024".
I wouldn't miss this election if I have to crawl over broken glass to vote!
Aaaand another tee shirt!
The convention is in 2.5 weeks and voting starts like 30 days after that. PA is Election Day - 50 days. A bunch of others start 30-45 days before. iF we can keep this momentum up , we got this.
MALA!
No, the polls are as meaningless as ever. Until the pollsters release their full statistics people will never know just how meaningless they are.
"For me, being a speck of dust is not an existential burden but a profound relief. It is the great equalizer that reminds us we all face the same challenges of wanting to feel useful, needed, and worthy. Humility teaches us that those challenges are overcome through compassion, kindness, and love for others rather than seeking power over others...There is nothing that teaches humility more than aging. "
What a truly moving piece of writing, Tom. And the words of Kareem Abdul Jabaar...absolutely perfect for the moment. Not to mention that lovely philosophical speck, Calvin.❤️ Maybe we who have understood the profound danger posed to this republic and its 250 year experiment in We the People by the gop's complete right turn to authoritarian christo- fascist minority governance with their orange cheato leading them straight onto the DOWN escalator in 2015 finally have felt the joy of joining the movement to not just defend our national experiment but to redefine our future together. President Biden's decision makes clear where our better angels choose to be. Despite that bastion of Fascist intentions, the si-called heritage foundation, Kevin Roberts, all their right wing connections and members of what Anne Applebaum names "Auticracy, Inc.", We the People, at least a majority are rediscovering our civic courage and a deeper, stronger, wider patriotism. What we're learning anew is this: keeping and building a democratic republic takes constant engagement, learning, cooperation, action. It does not happen without us. No matter the outcome of this election, the Fascist forces will continue to do their worst. Christian nationalism/fascism will not let up. Building the nation we most truly envision means working for its realization, standing on the shoulders of all those who showed the way by their own patriotic sacrifices, and now offering our own shoulders to the generations that are following. Let these next days, months, years describe our finest hour as human beings, as a nation committed to human rights, freedom, equity, true justice, and We the People.
Yes, this was an excellent post. I was also deeply moved by Kareem’s words, Linda. They strike close to home as aging takes its toll. Along those lines, this is the letter I sent 3 days ago to my younger friends and family members:
Your time has come to take the reins of democracy. Though imperfect, it is the North Star of human accomplishment. The right to choose our own leadership and priorities is never given freely, it is earned.
The Democratic Party has decided, with Kamala Harris, to embrace the future and allow the past to do what it does best, remind us of what worked and what didn’t. How we adapt those lessons to the future is the important work ahead. I hope you will be part of this next great journey, even if your choices are different than mine.
The future will be perilous and rife with misinformation, the scourge of our modern media times. Social media doesn’t vet their information like traditional news organizations do, so facts and fiction are presented as the same. They are not, and we must sort them out. We are all still learning how to do this.
Some of the most exciting things I’ve done in my life have involved working together with others about larger issues that affect us all. Reproductive rights, voting rights, affordable health care, equal rights for women, people of color and gays have all been important to me. You can choose what’s important to you. Then find your people and work together with them.
Working together with others to achieve a larger goal, something beyond our own personal lives, is one of life’s most satisfying experiences. It often leads to unexpected friendships and opportunities.
A very short campaign season lies ahead and it will require energized volunteers who can ramp up quickly. You will be welcomed, it will be worth the effort. Now please get out there and help keep democracy alive!
❤️
Whew! The same can be said of you… What a truly moving piece of writing, Linda! Thank you! All encompassing. And to identify that we are sparked to not just defend but to redefine (“…the movement to not just defend our national experiment but to redefine our future together.”) is brilliant. And the explosive about face since Sunday has become a beautifully inclusive people-scape.
You captured so much in what you have to say here. I’m so grateful. Thank you.
Thank you for your words Katherine.
Powerfully eloquent. Thank you, Linda.
Oh man, Tom. I haven't had time to open Kareem yet. He is one of the best at philosophy, psychology, history, music, whatever. I just love the man.
I totally agree. He is very special.
He does have a tendency to send me down musical rabbit holes! Love his writing.
I agree with Obama who said, " As California’s Attorney General, she worked hard to ensure everyone was treated fairly, no matter who they are or who they love, including the family couch." (I couldn't help myself!)
Thank you Tom. A truly great post, Humility is a strength, not a weakness.
One of your best columns ever, at so many levels for so many reasons. Thank you! GOOD NEWS INDEED! and then…Hubris versus humility… Some real keepers there. Time to get out the embroidery thread to create a few samplers. (Yes, I’m that old…) Rob Hubbell and Calvin and Hobbs… Doesn’t get any better than that. I was blessed to sign on to Mr. Hubbell’s Today’s Edition in early 2017. My goodness, what a ride. And then Managing Editor Jill‘s daily Vlog just featured Bungalow Heaven in Pasadena… Icing on the cake. Postcards, text and phone banks from now till November! The embroidery can wait. Thank you again, Tom!
Earth 🌎! A blue marble set in
a solar system unique to all
others found to date.
Thank you Tom. Each of us
are significant in this vast
universe.
Let's get to work. We have history to make.
We have a great candidate of whom Trump is scared, as well he should be. She's the antidote for Trump and his vitriol.
You can’t go wrong taking advice from Kareem. Well said.
I was talking to one of my favorite people today, Cannabis Nurse Heather. We agreed that the binary choice is this: LOVE vs. HATE. It's just that simple.
Go, Val Demmings! Remove DeJoyless. He has been head of the USPS for far too long.
Thanks for quoting Kareem. He is brilliant.
And I thought Kareem Abdul Jabbar just played basketball. Silly me. Thanks for his wisdom.
There is a vein in Islam that is every bit as contemplative as anything in Judaism or Christianity. These traditions exist outside the popular culture within each religion. To be clear, Christo-Fascism isn't one of them.
Just what I needed to read this morning, TC. Thank you!
This made me think of something I read a long time ago. In an area of mathematics--I'm not a mathematician so I hope I remember this correctly--called set theory, there is an axiom that in an infinite array, every individual member of the array has an equal relationship to the whole array as every other individual member. Now, if you were to group the individuals into finite sets of any size, from one to a bazillion, say, the individual sets would still have an equal relationship with the whole, no matter their composition. Curiouser yet, this would still work if the sets were all infinite. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities, and yet each infinite set has the same relationship to the whole infinite set as all the others. And that, it seems to me, reflects on the apprehension that all people are equal before God. So whenever I read someone quoting Jefferson's affirmation that all men are created equal, I have to think that Jefferson was on to something, the naysayers be damned. I don't think Jefferson was a humble man, but that statement makes me think he must at least have been capable of strokes of humility. I think most people are, actually. The operative word there being "most."
Well, TAFM is one significant spec of dust, TC, always the bearer of evidence-based information promoting the common good. What could be more significant than that?