“Democracy Didn’t Stop When the Polls Closed”

My friend Michael Klaas is usually pretty laid back, but this election and its aftermath brought him out roaring, and he is so, so right. He’s given me permission to share his Facebook post with you.

I’ve been silent on the election so far. Obviously I’m upset, and I have many thoughts, but I simply must address something I’m seeing a lot of from my well-meaning liberal friends:

Many of you are posing things about accepting the results. Giving Trump the chance to lead. Making peace with our new government so that it can get things done.

Friends… THAT IS NOT HOW DEMOCRACY WORKS. It’s always the liberals who make that mistake. Right-wingers get it. They get that democracy is an all-the-time effort, not just something that happens on election day. They’ve stood in opposition to our president for EIGHT YEARS vowing to stop *any* action he chooses to take. The media tutted and dispassionately admonished them for doing this, but ultimately this tactic got the Republicans everything they ever dreamed of. Dems are out of power at ALL LEVELS, from statehouses to the three branches of our federal government.

Continue reading ““Democracy Didn’t Stop When the Polls Closed””

“Democracy Didn’t Stop When the Polls Closed”
{advertisement}

Regrouping

The shock is wearing off. The despair is still there, but anger is quickly overtaking it. Determination is stirring. It’s time.

This blog started during the latter years of the Bush regime. It started as a political blog, where a newborn liberal catalogued the outrages and tried to do her part to fight them.

When Obama became President of the United States, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief, and turn to other things. It’s been a nice eight years, not having to be a political blogger. I had time to become a geology writer. I got settled into my atheism, and learned a few things about social justice, and became a feminist. I tried writing full time, and got some books written. I worked on others, including books on Mount St. Helens, which I haven’t had a chance to finish. I delved into the horrifying world of creationists textbooks. I explored the Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints and their abusive world. I was free to follow a lot of different passions.

That’s over, now. Continue reading “Regrouping”

Regrouping

How to Stand with Standing Rock – And Why We Must

Long story short: white people have spent centuries trying to eradicate Native Americans in order to get their land, their resources, and their wealth. That hasn’t stopped. It’s ongoing today. It’s probably happening in your community without you even realizing. It’s happening in North Dakota, and if you’re not aware of the situation, please remedy that right now.

The Standing Rock Sioux are trying to preserve their land and their water from a pipeline that (overwhelmingly white) Bismarck refused to have passing through their city. You know why they don’t want it: pipelines break. They explode. They spill. And for women, there’s a whole other set of horrific problems that come along with a pipeline.

Image is a map that shows the current Standing Rock reservation and the much larger boundaries of the 1851 treaty.
We have taken so much from these tribes, and now we’re trying to take more, and this is where it needs to stop. It needs to stop for the health and safety of our indigenous peoples. It needs to stop so that corporations and governments no longer assume it’s no problem to take what they want from the reservations without regard to the residents. It needs to stop for the sake of our land, our water, and our air.

This is one of the most important movements for Native American self-determination and survival in our lifetime. The people of Standing Rock need you to stand with them. Here’s how you can do it: Continue reading “How to Stand with Standing Rock – And Why We Must”

How to Stand with Standing Rock – And Why We Must