I was initially drawn to your newsletter because, being a zen Buddhist, I am familiar with the term and the concept. Now, as we’re going through this horrible time in our history, trying to find ways to help as we are being inundated with all the fires and bombs that Trump is burning to make us want to give up, understanding the title of your newsletter is even more vital. I feel like you were able to look into the future. You just don’t know what war against democracy is like until you are immersed in it, witnessing the destruction that can occur in our country. I did believe 2025 would come into being, but not how horrific it is. I’ve gained profound respect and admiration for Ukraine, whose situation is more horrible than ours. And now to read articles about what other countries facing Fascism and authoritarianism have gone through and are still going through. I found lately that after I chop wood I have to sit on my cushion. But after sitting for a time, when I get back up I have the strength to carry water, and repeat that every day.
Amazing post and thank you for the hookup on the district by district estimates of people who will lose insurance - I’m calling Boebert’s office today and everyday until she is defeated anyway now I have stats too!
RFK Jr unilaterally decided to remove Covid vaccines for pregnant women and for healthy children--bypassing the CDC committee that is meeting in June/ACIP. The American College of Ob/Gyn put out a statement of deep concern as pregnant women are high risk and infants are as well. If it is an issue you care about, please voice concern to your representatives.
Thanks for all this, Jess. I'm not sure what messaging will stick but I'm trying them all. Just called my rancid NC senators asking for a town hall and give them the what for and only got voicemail so I'm taking that as a good sign.
I'm one of the organizers of our "No Kings" rally and march here in Durham on Flag Day and we're leaning hard into patriotism and how Democrats are truly the party that embraces the flag and all it stands for while the corrupt GOP embraces the MAGA, Confederate, Nazi, and Gadsden flags. Our theme is "With Liberty and Justice For ALL!" and we are working hard to get folks to recognize that we need to get to 3.5 percent of the country actually hitting the streets to help turn back the tide to facism. And bonus, our keynote speaker is Justice Anita Earls, Allison Riggs' lone ally on the NC Supreme Court. We are also working with a graphic designer to come up with free, printable signs for the event to have visually beautiful, cohesive, G-rated (and thereby broadcastable) messaging.
Here's a link if you want to get an idea of our event. Please scroll down to "Accessibility" to see where we're going. And please share with anyone in the Durham area you might know.
Thanks so much Jessica. You are one of our national heros.
Thank you for everything that you do.
If you find my post useful, maybe you could share it in one of your posts. There are so many people who are discouraged and running out of steam!
Also, if you subscribe, I have an excellent piece on bullying. It helps to put it into perspective, irrespective of bullying coming from the school yard, the office or society at large. Understanding issues helps.
Thank you, Jessica, for your amazing work. I wanted to introduce to you, and your readers, The Civics Center (https://www.thecivicscenter.org/). With a few other activist friends we're helping them to engage high school students to run school-wide voter registration drives. In CA for instance, students can register at 16--but too often kids don't know about these opportunities. And Civics Center, while non-partisan, is inspiring kids to BECOME Civics-minded, and community leaders. I thought you would want to know about them if you didn't already. When we worked yesterday at Venice High with 8 sophomores (16-year-olds) the fire in my belly that was beginning to feel so tamped down was relit...and I was hoping at some point you might let your readers know about The Civics Center. I'm working on getting hundreds of thousands of So Cal students registered--starting at Venice, but moving on to schools across So Cal for fall...
Oh, I'm well aware of them! I've prmoted them many times in this newsletter and even did a Substack Live with Robert Hubbell and their founder Laura Brill. Amazing org. I'll mention them again soon.
Thank you for your interview around trans medical care and the political persecution of trans people for political gain. As a nonbinary person I’m well aware of what’s happening. But it’s clear that so many people don’t understand or know any accurate information on this topic.
I wanted to add to the part of your interview where you spoke of people fleeing states with laws oppressive to trans people or even seeking asylum in other countries. Many people lack the financial means to up and move across the country or to a new country. As bad as it is that people are having to flee, what’s worse is those who cannot afford to flee and must go on living in extremely hostile states that seek to blot them from existence.
Center for Common Ground is a great organization, but they are non-partisan and they remind you of that when you join their phonebanks, as they did yesterday when I joined their phonebank. Its a personal choice, and I have joined non-partisan efforts from time-to-time, but I prefer to put my time into efforts that support my values and political preferences. That's me, but its something to think about.
Yes that's true. They do target their calls in such a way that I feel pretty confident I'm calling people on "our side," but they are, in fact, nonpartisan. I will add that going forward.
Thanks for responding. I hesitated to write the comment, because they are a good organization that does good work. But that's my opinion and my choice.
I encourage you all to check out my brother's xcountry ride to raise $ for Trevor project and Lamda Legal (transamericaride.org), he hopes to raise $, awareness and build community.
Kudos and thanks from a fellow activist (Sister District Project MA-RI)!! You are amazing. Wondering where you got the stat that "over 75% of primary voters return for the general election"?
Use this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
Moveon.org also has billboard campaigns with some overlapping GOP districts, but they are doing Lawler and Mike Johnson.
I've been writing postcards with fieldteam6.org, who had a summit last week that Jess talked at (thank you Jess!). They postcard to people who are not registered, in order to register, and they have campaigns to VA, NJ and PA for their big 2025 races. I do this with my Indivisible group over coffee every week and it's a fun time.
Anyone interested in writing postcards to campaigns, please reply here or message me.
I was initially drawn to your newsletter because, being a zen Buddhist, I am familiar with the term and the concept. Now, as we’re going through this horrible time in our history, trying to find ways to help as we are being inundated with all the fires and bombs that Trump is burning to make us want to give up, understanding the title of your newsletter is even more vital. I feel like you were able to look into the future. You just don’t know what war against democracy is like until you are immersed in it, witnessing the destruction that can occur in our country. I did believe 2025 would come into being, but not how horrific it is. I’ve gained profound respect and admiration for Ukraine, whose situation is more horrible than ours. And now to read articles about what other countries facing Fascism and authoritarianism have gone through and are still going through. I found lately that after I chop wood I have to sit on my cushion. But after sitting for a time, when I get back up I have the strength to carry water, and repeat that every day.
And that's how we're going to get through this. So glad you're here, Bitsy.
Amazing post and thank you for the hookup on the district by district estimates of people who will lose insurance - I’m calling Boebert’s office today and everyday until she is defeated anyway now I have stats too!
It's great, right? Thank you!
I missed that District information and would love to get my hands on it. Can you point me in the right direction? Thank you!
RFK Jr unilaterally decided to remove Covid vaccines for pregnant women and for healthy children--bypassing the CDC committee that is meeting in June/ACIP. The American College of Ob/Gyn put out a statement of deep concern as pregnant women are high risk and infants are as well. If it is an issue you care about, please voice concern to your representatives.
Indeed. I'll get up a script about that for tomorrow.
Thanks: https://www.acog.org/news/news-releases/2025/05/acog-statement-on-hhs-recommendations-regarding-the-covid-vaccine-during-pregnancy
Thanks for all this, Jess. I'm not sure what messaging will stick but I'm trying them all. Just called my rancid NC senators asking for a town hall and give them the what for and only got voicemail so I'm taking that as a good sign.
I'm one of the organizers of our "No Kings" rally and march here in Durham on Flag Day and we're leaning hard into patriotism and how Democrats are truly the party that embraces the flag and all it stands for while the corrupt GOP embraces the MAGA, Confederate, Nazi, and Gadsden flags. Our theme is "With Liberty and Justice For ALL!" and we are working hard to get folks to recognize that we need to get to 3.5 percent of the country actually hitting the streets to help turn back the tide to facism. And bonus, our keynote speaker is Justice Anita Earls, Allison Riggs' lone ally on the NC Supreme Court. We are also working with a graphic designer to come up with free, printable signs for the event to have visually beautiful, cohesive, G-rated (and thereby broadcastable) messaging.
Here's a link if you want to get an idea of our event. Please scroll down to "Accessibility" to see where we're going. And please share with anyone in the Durham area you might know.
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/793310/
Fantastic! Thank you!
I know that many are exhausted. It's part of their strategy, "flood the zone and wear them out."
I've written a popular post that offers a strategy to help us stay resilient. Please share it with anyone who could use the insights.
https://longcovidjourney2wellness.substack.com/p/finding-anchors-in-the-face-of-stress
Thanks this is lovely.
Thanks so much Jessica. You are one of our national heros.
Thank you for everything that you do.
If you find my post useful, maybe you could share it in one of your posts. There are so many people who are discouraged and running out of steam!
Also, if you subscribe, I have an excellent piece on bullying. It helps to put it into perspective, irrespective of bullying coming from the school yard, the office or society at large. Understanding issues helps.
That one is here: https://longcovidjourney2wellness.substack.com/p/bullying
Thank you, Jessica, for your amazing work. I wanted to introduce to you, and your readers, The Civics Center (https://www.thecivicscenter.org/). With a few other activist friends we're helping them to engage high school students to run school-wide voter registration drives. In CA for instance, students can register at 16--but too often kids don't know about these opportunities. And Civics Center, while non-partisan, is inspiring kids to BECOME Civics-minded, and community leaders. I thought you would want to know about them if you didn't already. When we worked yesterday at Venice High with 8 sophomores (16-year-olds) the fire in my belly that was beginning to feel so tamped down was relit...and I was hoping at some point you might let your readers know about The Civics Center. I'm working on getting hundreds of thousands of So Cal students registered--starting at Venice, but moving on to schools across So Cal for fall...
Oh, I'm well aware of them! I've prmoted them many times in this newsletter and even did a Substack Live with Robert Hubbell and their founder Laura Brill. Amazing org. I'll mention them again soon.
Great--sorry to have missed those--I read you, and Robert, almost all the time, but obviously not always. And yes, Laura's great.
Thank you for your interview around trans medical care and the political persecution of trans people for political gain. As a nonbinary person I’m well aware of what’s happening. But it’s clear that so many people don’t understand or know any accurate information on this topic.
I wanted to add to the part of your interview where you spoke of people fleeing states with laws oppressive to trans people or even seeking asylum in other countries. Many people lack the financial means to up and move across the country or to a new country. As bad as it is that people are having to flee, what’s worse is those who cannot afford to flee and must go on living in extremely hostile states that seek to blot them from existence.
100%. Thanks for adding that.
Center for Common Ground is a great organization, but they are non-partisan and they remind you of that when you join their phonebanks, as they did yesterday when I joined their phonebank. Its a personal choice, and I have joined non-partisan efforts from time-to-time, but I prefer to put my time into efforts that support my values and political preferences. That's me, but its something to think about.
Yes that's true. They do target their calls in such a way that I feel pretty confident I'm calling people on "our side," but they are, in fact, nonpartisan. I will add that going forward.
Thanks for responding. I hesitated to write the comment, because they are a good organization that does good work. But that's my opinion and my choice.
I did a ResistBot this morning against HR 1. Here it is if anyone wants to sign. https://resist.bot/petitions/PJOGQG
Thank you!
Great and actionable content. I will help amplify.
Thanks, Charlene!
I encourage you all to check out my brother's xcountry ride to raise $ for Trevor project and Lamda Legal (transamericaride.org), he hopes to raise $, awareness and build community.
Fantastic I will thanks!
Wow, Alice !Your brother is amazing.I wish we were along his route but I don’t blame him for steering clear of Fl.🚴
Kudos and thanks from a fellow activist (Sister District Project MA-RI)!! You are amazing. Wondering where you got the stat that "over 75% of primary voters return for the general election"?
That's from the org that posted the action. So you'd have to ask them.
Thanks! A major focus regarding the BB Bill is its Substantially weakening the authority of the courts
Urge Leader Jeffries to Appoint Jasmine Crockett- Chair, House Oversight Committee
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjQ1dt4e/
Yes I've had all of this in the newsletter repeatedly. (:
Use this spreadsheet as a resource to call/email/write members of Congress, the Cabinet and news organizations. Reach out to your own reps, as well as those in other states on a specific committee important to a topic you’re sharing. Use your voice and make some “good trouble.”
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13lYafj0P-6owAJcH-5_xcpcRvMUZI7rkBPW-Ma9e7hw/edit?usp=drivesdk
I'm donating to Indivisible.org - https://secure.actblue.com/donate/23-web-form - to their billboard campaign in 9 GOP districts. Please help their efforts!
Moveon.org also has billboard campaigns with some overlapping GOP districts, but they are doing Lawler and Mike Johnson.
I've been writing postcards with fieldteam6.org, who had a summit last week that Jess talked at (thank you Jess!). They postcard to people who are not registered, in order to register, and they have campaigns to VA, NJ and PA for their big 2025 races. I do this with my Indivisible group over coffee every week and it's a fun time.
Anyone interested in writing postcards to campaigns, please reply here or message me.
Thanks for providing the link for Indivisible.org for the billboards. I sure hope the billboards tell the people the truth... :)
Thank you Jess, every day..and thank You Bitsy for your comments...You said a lot of what my heart and spirit feel...