Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. Even though there are many more which I can’t include. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”
But I’ll have to give them another week off. I have been having such problems with browsers this week I have run out of time just trying to keep up routine. I think I have one now that will work, but it will require more setup time than I have to give today.
I don’t want to leave my friends here high and dry altogether though. I want to address the imminent State of the Union word salad.
Many Congressional Dems are already planning to boycott this non-event. Here are short statement from just two, made available by CREDO.
CREDO is suggesting that all Democrats in Congress should boycott the SotU, and I won’t fight with anyone who agrees and chooses to encourage their own representation to boycott. But there is one Congresswoman who, it seems to me, has come up with the perfect alternative to a boycott.
Rep. Dingell invites wife of deported Michigan dad as her State of the Union guest
When Donald Trump looks out over the audience of his State of the Union address at the end of this month, he’ll see the face of Cindy Garcia, an American whose life and family has been torn apart due to his cruel mass deportation policies:
Rep. Debbie Dingell has invited the wife of Jorge Garcia, 39-year-old father deported to Mexico after living in US for 30 years, as her guest for State of the Union.
If you’re going to go, that’s how you should do it, all right.
That’s almost all I have, but as probably everyone knows, Colorado will elect a new Governor this year, and I am trying to learn about all the Democratic candidates, one of whom is Jared Polis. He copied his whole mailing list on an open letter to his daughter, which I will quote without comment on this day of the Second National Women’s March, since it’s self-explanatory:
Cora,
It’s already been one year — and almost a third of your life so far! — since we participated in the big Women’s March in Washington D.C. I’m excited to have the opportunity to march with you again this year in Denver!
I know at the age of three, you’re only just beginning to sense the importance of the fellowship we shared with millions of civic activists around the country last year, and that we will share again tomorrow. And while I’m sad that the first President you will know is not only an unacceptable role model but in many ways a representative of the past that we thought we’d left behind, I am heartened by how our community is responding and resisting.
I hope that as you grow up, you look back on these marches the same way I look back on the equal rights and anti-war rallies I attended with your grandparents when I was a kid. I hope tomorrow’s march helps open the door for you to a lifetime of joining with others to fight for a better, kinder, more equal world.
For all the great things about the world you were born into, there is still a lot of work to do. We still live in a state where a woman earns 81 cents to a man’s dollar. We still live in a nation where a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions is under attack. We still live in a place where sexual harassment and assault happen, and people blame the victim.
I entered public office because I believe in the power of public policy, changing the laws to reflect our values and create a better future. But policy is not the only thing that matters. Many of the problems we face today will not be solved through legislation or by politicians. They’ll be solved by people from all walks of life coming together to break stereotypes, break cultural barriers, and break glass ceilings.
That’s why we marched last year. That’s why we’re planning on marching tomorrow.
Despite the challenges and uncertainty of this moment in our history, there are reasons for hope all around you. From Susan B. Anthony to Rosa Parks to Dolores Huerta, to Colorado’s own Florence Sabin, we’re inspired by the strong women before you that have paved the path toward equality and justice. I’m proud you can look to your own family including your “Gramma” Susan Polis Schutz, who shattered the societal norms of her time to become a successful business woman and bestselling poet, even if she does feed you ice cream when she’s not supposed to.
This is just the start for you. I look forward to you living your life and building the future you desire. Hopefully the glass ceilings will be shattered by the time you get there. But if not bring a hammer.
Love,
Dad
The Furies and I will be back.
Cross posted to Care2 HERE
TGIF!
