(or help someone else run for something)
Want to really make a difference in politics and government? Donāt just march, @runforsomething.
Make sure things are done right. Be the person in charge.
https://t.co/gGCVWFnUo7
Happy New Year šŖ
šš„³
Goodbye 2020 and good riddance.
Thank you all for sharing the journey with me. Thank you for the questions, comments, gifs. We got through 2020. 2021 will be better.
2021 will be the year to Make Democracy Cool Again.
How about a few resolutions?
(or help someone else run for something)
Want to really make a difference in politics and government? Donāt just march, @runforsomething.
Make sure things are done right. Be the person in charge.
https://t.co/gGCVWFnUo7
You can alsoĀ volunteerĀ to help Run for Something screen candidates.
Do you have a talent for organizing? If so, democracy needs you. One reason the Tea Party was successful was that they organized locally and put pressure on local officials.
Start now. It's not too early.
In some states, you can become an official volunteer voter registrar. James Williams in Maryland told how he did it in his state. https://t.co/mv1PtliBuV
How to become a volunteer voter registrar
— 5 DAYS UNTIL THE GEORGIA RUN-OFF. KEEP THE FAITH. (@JamesMWilliam18) May 31, 2019
It is actually very simple. I live in a Maryland suburb, and I called my county Board of Elections to schedule a meeting. Once that was done, I spent about two hours going over the laws, rules and regulations.
Our democratic institutions are under attack. So what should you do? Defend them.
Defend Institutions is #2 on @TimothyDSnyder's list in his book, On Tyranny.
What's an institutionalist and how do you become one? See: https://t.co/GhtIDHIs6D
They are the future. Empower them.
#8: Become a Social Engineer.
What do I mean? See: https://t.co/uEVsJwFaQ5
Support low-cost immigration services, volunteer at an organization such as @CUNYCitizenship, or at organizations that tutor English and civics for the naturalization test.
If everyone does this, lots of money will get pumped into news reporting. We need good reporters.
Here is a photo from my mental health break today ā¤µļø
JJ is working hard though, keeping me safe from seagulls.
We push forward. The reactionaries push backward.
If the universe is unfolding as it should, Trump awakened enough people from complacency and spurred us to treasure our democracy and take the necessary steps to preserve it.
https://t.co/F8RzeQpGaP
Also, bookmarked! What an excellent list. I will never again take our liberty for granted. \U0001f44d
— Sean \u201cQ voted Biden\u201d Resists (@RealSeanFoley) January 1, 2021
More from Teri Kanefield
January 6th will be a freak show. Biden will become president because the only way to stop it would be for the House to agree, and that won't happen.
Going forward, the GOP becomes even more dangerous and radicalized.
A few hopeful points:
The GOP could very well lose control of the Senate.
Because these GOP Senators will force a vote, the GOP may fracture, with moderates forced out. While this radicalizes the party, they lose
A few reasons. As @ProfBrianKalt points out, refusing to seat them because they say the election wasn't valid gives credence to the lie that the election wasn't valid.
Moreover, there's no authority to refuse to seat an elected rep for telling lies. .
. . . which is what refusing to seat them would amount to.
The Democrats say, "You are doing really bad things so we won't seat you."
See the problem with that?
(1) It's illegal. The House doesn't get to decide who is seated. The states send their own reps.
moreover . . .
(2) If you say, "The House gets to refuse to seat a person who tells a lie about the election," where does that lead?
If things continue this direction, the political divide will not longer be liberal v. conservative.
The divide will be pro- democracy v. anti-democracy. . .
Going forward, the GOP becomes even more dangerous and radicalized.
What do you see as an outcome of this Teri?
— AnimalsIntuit (@copplestonearts) January 2, 2021
A few hopeful points:
The GOP could very well lose control of the Senate.
Because these GOP Senators will force a vote, the GOP may fracture, with moderates forced out. While this radicalizes the party, they lose
What do you see as an outcome of this Teri?
— AnimalsIntuit (@copplestonearts) January 2, 2021
A few reasons. As @ProfBrianKalt points out, refusing to seat them because they say the election wasn't valid gives credence to the lie that the election wasn't valid.
Moreover, there's no authority to refuse to seat an elected rep for telling lies. .
Why won\u2019t the Dems in Congress give some consequences? Like refusing to seat those participating in sedition?
— Teacher Sarah (@cmommy77) January 2, 2021
. . . which is what refusing to seat them would amount to.
The Democrats say, "You are doing really bad things so we won't seat you."
See the problem with that?
(1) It's illegal. The House doesn't get to decide who is seated. The states send their own reps.
moreover . . .
(2) If you say, "The House gets to refuse to seat a person who tells a lie about the election," where does that lead?
If things continue this direction, the political divide will not longer be liberal v. conservative.
The divide will be pro- democracy v. anti-democracy. . .
This is what he wants to do.
No matter how this trial plays out, the US will remain divided between those who choose truth, Democracy, and rule of law and the millions who reject these things.
1/
The question is how to move forward.
My mantra is that there are no magic bullets and these people will always be with us.
Except for state legislatures, they have less power now than they have for a while.
2/
The only real and lasting solutions are political ones. Get Democrats into local offices. Get people who want democracy to survive to the polls at every election, at every level.
Itās a constant battle.
3/
Maybe I should tell you all about Thurgood Marshallās life to illustrate how hard the task is and how there will be backlash after each step of progress.
4/
Precisely. That's why Thurgood Marshall's life came to mind.
We are still riding the backlash that started after the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
That's why I keep saying there are no easy
No matter how this trial plays out, the US will remain divided between those who choose truth, Democracy, and rule of law and the millions who reject these things.
1/
Wouldn't he just use this to repeat his Big Lie and have GOP echo him?
— Thel Marquez (@theljava) January 31, 2021
The question is how to move forward.
My mantra is that there are no magic bullets and these people will always be with us.
Except for state legislatures, they have less power now than they have for a while.
2/
The only real and lasting solutions are political ones. Get Democrats into local offices. Get people who want democracy to survive to the polls at every election, at every level.
Itās a constant battle.
3/
Maybe I should tell you all about Thurgood Marshallās life to illustrate how hard the task is and how there will be backlash after each step of progress.
4/
Precisely. That's why Thurgood Marshall's life came to mind.
We are still riding the backlash that started after the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
That's why I keep saying there are no easy
Yep. My relatives continue to support Trump and make false equivalencies as justification. I\u2019ve found it impossible to present factual information that changes minds. Trump\u2019s emotional appeal registers with them: that things were better before civil rights advances.
— Martha Brockenbrough INTO THE BLOODRED WOODS (@mbrockenbrough) January 31, 2021
KM asks why the GOP leadership is terrified of losing.
(Both Lindsay Graham and Matt Gaetz said if the GOP loses this election, they'll never win again.)
GOP is a minority party. If they lose power, they lose the ability to manipulate systems to keep minority control.
1/
The fear is also explained by Richard Hofstader, who wrote the classic workā¤µļø
Hofstadter reviewed American politics from before the founding of the nation through McCarthyism. He noticed a pattern among an impassioned minority on the fringes of the political spectrum.
2/
He called their behavior the āparanoid styleā in politics.
Those embracing the paranoid style of politics believe that unseen satanic forces are trying to destroy something larger in which they belong.
3/
According to Hofstadter, the āsomething largerā to which they belong is generally phrased as āthe American way of life.ā
They āfeel dispossessedā and that āAmerica has been largely taken away from them and their kind.ā
4/
They therefore adopt extreme measures. They will stop at nothing to prevent what they see as an impending calamity.
Remember, Hofstadter published this in the early 1960s.
5/
(Both Lindsay Graham and Matt Gaetz said if the GOP loses this election, they'll never win again.)
GOP is a minority party. If they lose power, they lose the ability to manipulate systems to keep minority control.
1/
Does their life end if they lose an election? Is it worth a complete loss of integrity??
— KM (@Kyarmot) November 10, 2020
The fear is also explained by Richard Hofstader, who wrote the classic workā¤µļø
Hofstadter reviewed American politics from before the founding of the nation through McCarthyism. He noticed a pattern among an impassioned minority on the fringes of the political spectrum.
2/
He called their behavior the āparanoid styleā in politics.
Those embracing the paranoid style of politics believe that unseen satanic forces are trying to destroy something larger in which they belong.
3/
According to Hofstadter, the āsomething largerā to which they belong is generally phrased as āthe American way of life.ā
They āfeel dispossessedā and that āAmerica has been largely taken away from them and their kind.ā
4/
They therefore adopt extreme measures. They will stop at nothing to prevent what they see as an impending calamity.
Remember, Hofstadter published this in the early 1960s.
5/
More from Society
Shall we do a thread of Blue Checks spewing hatred towards Rush Limbaugh and the rest of us on the Right?
https://t.co/eXLNam2gv4
https://t.co/eXLNam2gv4
Good. Fuck Rush Limbaugh, and let the celebration about his death be a reminder to the rest of the racists and bigots that we\u2019ll happily dance on your graves too.
— Chris Kluwe, Irredeemable Pudgy Nobody (@ChrisWarcraft) February 17, 2021
Like most movements, I have learned that the definition of feminism has expanded to include simply treating women like human beings.
(A thread for whoever feels like reading)
I have observed feminists on Twitter advocating for rape victims to be heard, rapists to be held accountable, for people to address the misogyny that is deeply rooted in our culture, and for women to be treated with respect.
To me, very easy things to get behind.
And the amount of pushback they receive for those very basic requests is appalling. I see men trip over themselves to defend rape and rapists and misogyny every chance they get. Some accounts are completely dedicated to harassing women on this site. Itās unhealthy.
Furthermore, I have observed how dedicated these misogynists are by how they treat other men that do not immediately side with them. There is an entire lexicon they have created for men who do not openly treat women with disrespect.
Ex: simp, cuck, white knight, beta
All examples of terms they use to demean a man who respects women.
To paraphrase what a wise man on this app said:
Some men hate women so much, they hate men who donāt hate women
(A thread for whoever feels like reading)
Neighborhood gents, what\u2019s something you\u2019ve learned about feminism (or gained a better understanding of) that you think other men should know?
— feminist next door (@emrazz) February 19, 2021
Note - the quoted is a friendly/good faith replier. https://t.co/048kuxxX6q
I have observed feminists on Twitter advocating for rape victims to be heard, rapists to be held accountable, for people to address the misogyny that is deeply rooted in our culture, and for women to be treated with respect.
To me, very easy things to get behind.
And the amount of pushback they receive for those very basic requests is appalling. I see men trip over themselves to defend rape and rapists and misogyny every chance they get. Some accounts are completely dedicated to harassing women on this site. Itās unhealthy.
Furthermore, I have observed how dedicated these misogynists are by how they treat other men that do not immediately side with them. There is an entire lexicon they have created for men who do not openly treat women with disrespect.
Ex: simp, cuck, white knight, beta
All examples of terms they use to demean a man who respects women.
To paraphrase what a wise man on this app said:
Some men hate women so much, they hate men who donāt hate women
