HOW TO SURVIVE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW HOW

 

    WE ARE LIVING IN PERILOUS TIMES, THAT IS FOR CERTAIN. WHO COULD HAVE

IMAGINED THAT ELON MUSK WOULD BE THE ACTUAL PRESIDENT,  AND TRUMP

HIS PUPPET? (OR, AS THE BRITS CALL HIM, "PUTIN'S POODLE.") WE WERE SO OPTIMISTIC 

IN THE FALL THINKING THAT HARRIS AND WALZ HAD SUCH A GOOD CHANCE AT 

WINNING. BUT IN FACT, ACCORDING TO SOME VERY GOOD STATS, THEY DID WIN.

 

 CHECK OUT GREG PALAST, A FORENSIC ECONOMIST (WHO KNEW?), AND

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST WHO HAS WORKED FOR THE BBC, THE GUARDIAN, THE 

ACLU, AND THE NAACP. HE HAS DONE A DEEP DIVE INTO VOTING PRECINCTS, EVEN

GOING SO FAR TO PERSONALLY COUNT 138,000 VOTES IN GEORGIA WHICH WERE 

DISCOUNTED FOR VARIOUS REASONS. MANY PROVISIONAL VOTES WERE THROWN OUT 

AS WELL AS WHAT HE CALLS, "VIGILANTE CHALLENGES." WE ARE THE ONLY 

DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY WHICH ALLOWS THIS. AND ADD IN VOTER SUPPRESSION WHICH 

HE CALCULATES LOST US BETWEEN 3-4 MILLION VOTES, YOU SEE HOW THE GOP "WON."

     SAY YOU VOTE AND I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF YOUR VOTE, OR

SIMPLY WANT TO DISCARD IT SO MY PARTY CAN WIN. BY LAW, THE PRECINCT HAS TO 

SEND A POSTCARD TO YOU SAYING THAT YOUR VOTE HAD BEEN CHALLENGED. BUT 

WHO LOOKS AT POSTCARDS THESE DAYS? SO MR. PALAST HAS LOOKED CLOSELY AT 

THESE THREE THINGS WHICH ENABLED TRUMP TO "WIN";

--3-4 MILLION BLACK, HISPANIC, ASIAN, AND YOUTH VOTES SUPPRESSED. HIS FIGURES ARE ACCURATE.

 

--THOUSANDS OF PROVISIONAL BALLOTS DISCOUNTED.

--AND MANY, MANY THOUSANDS OF VIGILANTE CHALLENGES LEADING TO OUR PARTY APPEARING TO BE DEFEATED. (SEE DOCUMENTARY, VIGILANTES, INC.)

    YOU DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT. GOOGLE HIS NAME AND ASK FOR HIS

PODCAST. THEN LOOK FOR HIS DOCUMENTARY, "VIGILANTES, INC." IT ALL ADDS UP

TO THE TERRIBLE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELVES IN NOW. HE ALSO WROTE A BOOK

CALLED, "THE BEST DEMOCRACY MONEY CAN BUY." 

 

   SO WHAT CAN WE DO? BERNIE SAUNDERS SAYS THIS IS NO TIME TO EITHER DESPAIR

OR STICK OUR HEADS IN THE SAND. I AGREE. HERE ARE A FEW THINGS I AM DOING,

BESIDES PRAYING A LOT.

1/ GIVE $$ TO GAY VALONTI'S HOUSE RACE IN FLORIDA.

 

2/ GIVE $$ TO JOSH WEIL'S HOUSE RACE IN FLORIDA.

 

3/ DONATE TO THE NY STATE HOUSE SEAT UP FOR GRABS.

4/ ON FB, CLICK ON THE "SIGN ONTO JUSTICE" SITE AND PRINT OUT THE POSTCARDS 

THEY DESIGNED. THEY ARE SENDING A MASSIVE WAVE OF CARDS ON MARCH 1; 

ANOTHER ON APRIL 1, AND ANOTHER ON MAY 1. (NOTE TO SELF: IF PRINT ON PAPER

HOW WILL THIS GO THROUGH THE MAIL? NEED CARD STOCK.)

5/ CALL THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SWITCHBOARD, DAILY.

6/ SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FOOD PANTRIES, HOMELESS SHELTERS, AND THE TREVOR 

PROJECT. THIS HORRIFYING GOV. IS HARMING OUR TRANS SIBLINGS AND SO

MANY IN THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY.

7/ DUE TO MY DISABILITIES, I CANNOT MARCH OR STAND OUT IN THE COLD TO

PROTEST, BUT I AM TRYING TO DO THE BEST I CAN TO FIGHT FACISM. AND BE AWARE

THAT OUR LEGACY MEDIA IS NO LONGER TRULY FREE. LOOK FOR ALTERNATE SITES 

LIKE DEMOCRACY NOW; THE DAILY SHOW; JAY KUO; THE GUARDIAN; THE PROBLEM 

WITH JON STEWART; HEATHER COX RICHARDSON, THE OTHER 98%,  AND OTHERS.

8/ DO NOT GIVE IN TO DOOM SCROLLING. WE STILL HAVE SOME 

POWER. IF WE CAN TAKE JUST THREE SEATS IN THE HOUSE, THEN HAKEEM JEFFRIES

BECOMES THE SPEAKER INSTEAD OF THAT EVANGELICAL LITTLE DICK, MIKE JOHNSON.

9/ FIND THINGS THAT GIVE GLIMMERS OF JOY:  READING POETRY, LISTENING TO MUSIC,

COOKING, DANCING, WATCHING BIRDS, CALLING FRIENDS, KNITTING, WHATEVER  

WORKS FOR YOU. WE ARE NO USE TO ANYONE IF WE DESPAIR.

 

10/ AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, STAY CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY, WHATEVER IT IS 

FOR YOU.  GO TO CHURCH, TEMPLE, YOUR MOSQUE; SHOW UP AT TOWN MEETINGS. 

HAVE FRIENDS OVER FOR COFFEE AND MUFFINS. GO FOR A WALK AND CHAT UP FOLKS

YOU SEE ON THE WAY. EVEN GROCERY SHOPPING IS A WAY TO BE CONNECTED.

BE KIND.. MOST OF US ARE HURTING IN SO MANY WAYS.

 

11/ AND IF YOU ARE IN MY AREA, COME TO HEAR MY SERMON--"THIS IS NO TIME TO

GIVE UP YOUR ANTIDEPRESSANT!"--THIS FEB. 23RD. I WILL SPEAK ON WAYS TO FIND 

HOPE, ENCOURAGING THE PRACTICE OF GRATITUDE, AND DEVELOPING RESISTANCE.  

AT THE HAYDENVILLE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH IN THE CENTER OF HAYDENVILLE. 

PARKING IS IN THE REAR, AND YOU WILL RECEIVE AN EXTRAVAGANT WELCOME, PLUS 

GREAT MUSIC AND SCRIPTURE. COME ON DOWN! IF YOU CANNOT COME IN PERSON, 

GO TO YOUR FB PAGE, PUT IN "HAYDENVILLE UCC" IN THE UPPER RIGHT SEARCH BAR.

SERVICE BEGINS AT TEN AND SERMON AROUND 10:15 OR SO. STAY STRONG,  MY PEEPS, 

THERE IS STILL TIME TO RESCUE OUR DEMOCRACY, SCARY AS IT SEEMS. KEEP THE 

FAITH, JUST LIKE THOSE COLONISTS WHO DUMPED EVERY TEA CHEST INTO THE 

BOSTON HARBOR. NO KINGS NEED APPLY HERE!