Tyrants are very good at keeping would-be allies at each other’s throats. Online trolling only makes this worse, and we can’t afford that right now. Here are some tools to avoid rancor and hatred, which have become the currency of social media, and turn enemies into allies, even if only on a slim strip of political turf. Step One: Your post gets a hot response, something like, “You are a mouthpiece for a politically … Read More
I first visited Blue Lake, a small town in the heart of the Redwood Empire, 49 years ago. People in Blue Lake fly their colors…
These days, when there is always a bit of news to curdle your stomach and break your heart, I am keeping my sanity by talking, and taking action, with other heart-broken folks with stomach aches. On June 14, that action was being the Emcee for Alameda’s NO KINGS rally. Here are some notes I put on 3×5″ cards and stuffed in my pockets before the rally. As it happened, most of the time I … Read More
After hosting scores of variety shows and circuses, I’m going to emcee my first political demonstration on Saturday June 14! The rally will be at Alameda City Hall and the theme is You are Making a Difference. We’ll have, among others, a former Maryland Senator who now empowers voters in California’s Central Valley, two Poet Laureates, a 21 voice choir, and together we’ll make some phone calls to Washington D.C. Many of the folks … Read More
Thursday, May 1, 2025 (May Day)… …is next major day of protests for a better country. It is a day for all of us to join millions of other people who will cancel everything they can to join fellow citizens in the streets. We will intimidate would-be autocrats with our power, and inspire allies to take larger, riskier actions. I realize that going to a demonstration may feel awkward and scary, especially if you … Read More
I’m turning most of this post over to my cousin Karen K. Bradley (karenkbradley.ca) writing from her home in Musquodoboit Harbour, Nova Scotia. “Yesterday a candidate for the Peoples Party—a right wing group— came by to get signatures to be on the ballot here. I signed. He is a nice guy. We talked about growing stuff, alternative medicine, and ultimately, he said, “We have to work on all this together.” A week ago, I … Read More
It took billions of dollars and dozens of years to dig a huge political trench through America. And right now, all of us – left, right and center – are getting hurt by the folks who dug it. In the coming weeks and months, the conversations you have with folks who voted differently, and the actions you take with your political allies, will help determine what kind of country we live in. Here are … Read More
“If you listen to the lived experiences of someone who may not look like you with an open mind and heart, I promise you’ll learn something useful. You might even make a new friend in the process.” – Shola Richards, author of “Civil Unity” I was at a demonstration (in Dublin, California) against ICE’s plans to use a decommissioned federal prison as a detention center when a couple of pick-ups flying Trump banners pulled … Read More
Here are more actions you can take now, and people you can appreciate and support: 1. A 60 Year Legacy of Heroes Lateefah Simon is my Representative. She recently succeeded her mentor Barbara Lee, who stepped down after 26 years representing Congressional District 12. Barbara Lee, in turn, was mentored by the great Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman in Congress (1968) and the first woman and African American to seek the nomination … Read More
I’m going to send a few more Gazettes in the next couple of months, focusing on practical things you, and anyone else, can do to make your life and the whole country a little better, as well as celebrating the good stuff that’s happening right now. 1) Unlikely Hero Department: “Kansas farmers and grain elevators could be left without a market for last year’s sorghum crop after President Donald Trump dismantled (USAID).” Jason Alatidd, … Read More