Category: Bulletins & Lists

Politics Bulletin: 004

Friday, January 23 Day of Truth and Freedom March & Rally

No Work. No School. No Shopping.*

Friday, January 23

Day of Truth and Freedom

2 PM – March from The Commons, 425 Portland Ave S to the Target Center

3 PM -Rally at the Target Center (inside)

Day of Truth and Freedom is a statewide day of nonviolent moral action that is being supported by multiple organizations. It is a day for community, conscience, and collective action. As Minnesotans who value truth, freedom and life we ask that:

  • ICE must leave Minnesota now.
  • The officer who killed Renee Good must be held legally accountable.
  • No additional federal funding for ICE in the upcoming Congressional budget and ICE should be investigated for human and Constitutional violations of Americans and our neighbors.
  • We call upon Minnesota and National Companies to become 4th Amendment businesses, cease economic relations with ICE and refuse ICE entry or using their property for staging grounds.

Note that temps are forecast to be sub-zero, and wind chills in the dangerous -40-50 range. We are tough Minnesotans, but understand that in these dangerous conditions, only people in specialized outerwear should be outside for more than a couple of minutes. Prepare accordingly.

*(except for emergency services, immigrant-owned and/or micro-businesses)

Prayer Sessions

In addition to the march and rally, ISAIAH is hosting prayer sessions:

Prepare

Be Ready to Communicate with Groups

Since email, texting/SMS and social media DM’s are not secure or private methods of communicating, many are switching to apps like Signal that encrypt messages.

Download the Signal App on your phone and install it.

If you’re not familiar with the app, someone can help you set it up. Once that’s done, you will find that the app is like texting. Once you’re on Signal, you will be better prepared to help. You’ll be able to join the appropriate groups to receive updates, coordinate and respond.

Know your Rights

Know your rights. No matter how you are plugging in to help, having a grasp of your rights is critical. Print fact sheets and have them ready to share with others.

Join a Group

I’ll keep an ongoing list of groups working for democracy. Below are examples of groups that are organizing.

ISAIAH – We are a statewide multiracial group of faith communities, Black barbershops, childcare centers, and more fighting for racial and economic justice in Minnesota.

Immigrant Defense Network – Once you connect with this organization, they will send you a volunteer application and connect you with multiple ways you can help using the skills you have (organizing events, service work, writing…).

Take Action MN has been hosting Zoom meetings twice a week with updates from different people and groups. Register for an upcoming meeting here.

Engage

In your neighborhood…

Host a Gathering – Whether the purpose is purely to socialize and get to know each other or you want help developing an idea for taking action, take the initiative to invite people to join you.

Call Congress

Call your Congressperson – We must call our representatives on an ongoing basis. It doesn’t matter whether they are Democrats or Republicans. The 5 Calls website is one place to find calling campaigns for different issues. Pick an issue and hammer on it. Every time you see a relevant article, meme or video, tag your representative in whatever social media platforms apply. Or email your representative. Ask where they stand. Ask why they did what they did. Do not let anyone off the hook for anything, regardless of party affiliation.

Tell Rep. Betty McCollum to defund ICE. She lists (651) 224-9191 for “time-sensitive” matters.

After children were taken from their school, including a 5-year-old, Columbia Heights School is asking everyone to call their representatives in Congress to ask for an immediate and peaceful resolution to the occupation of ICE in Minnesota (and elsewhere) and to restore peace in the schools.

We must convince others to contact Congress, especially in red states and districts. So, call your representative. And then call five friends and ask them to call their representatives. Go to the mall and ask people to call their representative on the spot. Film it. Post it on YouTube. Film your book group taking turns to call their representatives. Model democracy. Model engagement. And post it everywhere.

Vote on Tuesday, January 27

In our neighborhood (Merriam Park) and beyond we have a special election on Tuesday, January 27 for the Minnesota Legislature, House District 64A. Even if it looks like the winner is obvious and there is no reason to show up, show up. Lets light up those numbers so that our representatives understand that we’re paying attention. On a related note, congratulations to our neighbor Meg on Iglehart who prevailed in the primary!

Prepare to change social media platforms

It is conceivable that we will need to leave the Zuckerberg nest. For some people, disentangling our lives from his platforms will be difficult. But we must view Facebook, Instagram, etc. as levers of power that we are prepared to pull. With this in mind:

Open a Mastodon account and invite your friends to join you there.

Here’s what was trending there at the time of posting:

Mastodon is a decentralized network of open-source servers that anyone can host. BlueSky is another popular alternative to the Zuckerverse.

Give BlueSky a try.

Prepare to bank elsewhere

Another thing you could do to prepare for possible future action is to:

Open an account at a Credit Union.

Where we bank is another lever of power. It will be easier to pull that lever if we have a plan.

Make a list of the services that you could drop to send a message

We saw how we returned Jimmy Kimmel to network television when we boycotted ABC’s parent company Disney. With that in mind, be prepared to drop similar services. Make a list of subscriptions and streaming services that can be cancelled to make a point. What about a credit card boycott? Take an inventory of where you levers of power are.

Read this article:

Want to Stop ICE? Go After Its Corporate Collaborators.

Boycott The World Cup

In the Star Tribune article Jim Souhan writes:

So what should a sportswriter say about the United States in 2026?

Authoritarian governments love sportswashing — using international events to put a smiling face on their grim realities.

That’s what the United States will try to do this summer with the World Cup.

Eleven U.S. cities are scheduled to play host to World Cup matches this summer.

The United States does not deserve this privilege as long as uniformed thugs are attacking people in the streets with the support of the federal government.

If you live elsewhere, don’t come to the United States.

If you live in the United States, don’t go to the games.

Foreigners would be foolish to visit. Americans would be foolish to attend

Follow

If you want to follow this bulletin (as opposed to the following entire TP&AC blog, which you can do here), the RSS FEED is twopeopleandacat.com/category/politics/feed. If you need a newsreader to subscribe to RSS feeds, try Feedly.com. If you’d rather just get an email notifying you of posts of this political bulletin, send me your email address here. If you would like to submit an item for this bulletin or you have suggestions for how to make it more useful, you can reach me here.

Politics Bulletin: 003

Today is Election Day. In my precinct, there is a mayoral race and two questions on the ballot to consider. Once again, with just hours before the polls open, I checked with neighbors and friends to get their thoughts on the candidates and issues. As of this posting, two have graciously responded. If I hear from others as the day goes on, I will amend this post accordingly.

Sample Ballot

CITY QUESTION 1 (St. Paul)

Referendum on Ord 25-2 amending the City Charter.

Should Ordinance Ord 25-2, amending Chapter 6.03 of the St. Paul Charter, regarding Administrative Citations take effect? Ordinance Ord 25-2 amends the City Charter to authorize the issuance of Administrative Citations that may result in the imposition of civil fines for violations of City Ordinances. Administrative Citations are not Criminal Citations. A “yes vote is a vote in favor of amending the City Charter to allow the City to issue administrative citations. A “No” vote is a vote against amending the City Charter and against administrative citations.

SCHOOL DISTRICT QUESTION 1 (ISD #625)

Approval of New School District Referendum Revenue Authorization

The board of Independent School District No. 625 (Saint Paul), Minnesota has proposed to increase the School District’s general education revenue by $1,073 per pupil, subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation. The proposed new referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2025 for taxes payable in 2026 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.

Comments

Below is what I’ve heard as of this posting. Should I receive more comments, I will add them below.

One trusted neighbor wrote:

Hi Rebekah. I hope you and Brian are well.

I voted for Her but am not as politically active as previously and cannot offer an insider perspective. As my Rep., after redistricting moved me from Dave Pinto territory, Her had the right positions but I find her rather elusive. Compared to Pinto, she is quiet and not strong on outreach. During the mayoral, she seemed to recognize that and emphasize her “get it done,” no show-boating style.

That professed (and maybe real) style served her well in this campaign because more people now realize that Carter is pretty much hot air. His mirco-versions of potential national solutions come as his own city is falling down around him. A quiet yeoman Mayor who will fix the basics sounds pretty good in comparison.

I voted for both ballot questions in spite of my respect for Jane Prince’s warning about limitless administrative citations. I’m assuming there will be penalty guidelines. And I’m in favor of heavy investment in public schools not just for facilities, personnel, and curricula but to fend off the largely right-wing attack on them.

Your newsletter had a welcome section of food shelves. I’ve been delivering groceries from Keystone to homebound individuals in Saint Paul and surrounding territory. Doing a little is alternately satisfying and very troubling for the recognition it affords of how much more is needed. And then there are the fucking Republicans.

Another thoughtful neighbor wrote:

Hi Rebekah,

Two reasons not to vote for Mayor Carter:

  1. He did not bother, despite multiple requests, to respond to a questionnaire from Neighbors for Responsible and Livable Development about a proposed moratorium on the tear-downs of original homes the the neighborhood and their replacement with barn-like structures to be used as private student dormitories. Like I said when we chatted this morning, I don’t oppose greater housing density, but I do oppose perfectly good century-old homes in the neighborhood being demolished and replaced with cheaply built, hideously ugly structures.
  2. He is apparently not in favor of requiring bird-safe glass in new zoning rules for the Mississippi River Corridor. We should all know by now that regular glass is deadly to birds. Requiring bird-safe glass for construction in a city in the Mississippi flyway should be a total no-brainer.

So, who gets my vote? I asked a number of my politically savvy friends about their choices for mayor. Most of them favor Her, with Chen in the #2 ranked choice spot. I am probably going with Her as #1.

My Thoughts

As I watched a debate last night, Brian grumbled with every hostile jab between candidates: “Debates are useless.” He’s right. They lack nuance and the time it takes to tease out viable solutions to problems.

What’s with the hostility?

As for the hostility, I’m worn out by the lack of civility in politics. We can disagree and even correct a statement without resorting to making enemies of each other. Please, to every candidate everywhere: Stop it. To be clear, I’m not arguing against passion. We need people to – for example – stand up for the poor with some vigor. But it’s disheartening to watch politicians who should be allies tear each other down with petty complaints. If I were teaching a debate class, I would ask my students to rewrite this one such that candidates were cordial and made their points without the snark. In my view, Rep. Kaohly Her would need the most editing in this regard. Yan Chen seemed to mainly stay above the fray, while Mayor Carter came across as the most likeable. If I based my decision on this debate alone, he would be my first choice.

Unresponsive government

However, Carter’s unresponsiveness to advocacy groups who oppose tearing down single-family homes, as mentioned above, is very concerning. The current Mayor and the City Council seem intent on bulldozing their way to solutions without acknowledging the harm they are doing to our neighborhoods in the process.

It’s hard to see how tearing down blocks and blocks of quality homes that have lasted over a hundred years and replacing them with cheap eyesores can be a serious response to the “climate refuges” we are expecting. Aside from wasting resources, these buildings are not even a solution to affordable housing for the people who already live here. For example, a neighbor recently became homeless (one crisis away from homelessness is real). She lived within blocks of dense new construction but she couldn’t afford the rent. Meanwhile, college students (who – despite the justifications for doing away with parking requirements – do drive) seem to be able to swing it.

Unlike my friend quoted above, I like that Carter is thinking beyond the “nuts & bolts” and is trying to do what he can to address things like gun violence in the face of failure elsewhere in government. It’s a little ironic to fault him for this while complaining about crime. In any case, anyone who is resisting the Trump administration, which Carter has been doing, deserves some credit, even if there are potholes that need to be filled. There will always be potholes.

If Kamala were president…

At the recent No Kings Day protest near St. Kate’s college, I saw a sign that said, “If Kamala were president we’d all be at brunch.” Like a lot of the signs that day (“Clean up in aisle 47,” “No Faux King Way”), it made me laugh. Brunch did sound good. But the sentiment also points to a problem. To believe that electing Democrats means that we can let our government churn along unattended, as if they too aren’t tainted by corporate money that makes things like universal health care – as then presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar put it – “pie in the sky,” is a mistake. Even today, presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg is singing the same song. Anyone who says that universal healthcare is impossible in America should be disqualified from consideration for any office, let alone the presidency. Now is the time to make this clear. Just like last month was the time to start a discussion with my neighbors about an election that is happening today.

Our collective “brunching” is the reason why our democracy is on the verge of collapse. Thank goodness for the advocates who are keeping an eye on things.

I’m inclined to support them.

As for the questions on the ballot, I’m inclined to support my neighbors who are feeling crushed by their property taxes. May I suggest looking into establishing a state bank, as they have in North Dakota, to finance the public good? In the Minnesota House, there used to be a bill with bipartisan support to establish one. That was a while ago, and I’m not sure where the bill stands today. The ultimate solution is to tax the rich appropriately. In the meantime, as a neighbor suggested, we can try to fund our schools with a tax on plastic bags.

No Kings

Here are some pictures from the No Kings rally that Brian and I attended on October 18.

Protect kids, not guns
Deport Stephen Miller
Don’t obey
Healthcare is a human right
1,000,000 died for our democracy. Don’t let one man take it away.
Only you can prevent fascist liars.
Does this all make my democracy look small?
I thought we settled this in 1945

Politics Bulletin: 002

At a time when our national and international affairs is a source of anxiety, grief and a feeling that democracy in the United States of America might be sunk, people like Heather Cox Richardson have been encouraging us to do two things:

  • Plan for the future
  • Pay attention to local politics

So, it was with some embarrassment that I reached out to friends and neighbors to hear their take on the special election in St. Paul’s Ward 4. As it turns out, a day before the election, Brian and I weren’t the only one’s who were unprepared to vote. Like us, a few were still undecided as of last night. Until I mentioned it, others had forgotten about the election entirely.

First Choice Results

As of now, eleven people answered my survey that had two questions and room to include comments. 1) Who is your first choice for city council person (We have ranked-choice voting in St. Paul); 2) Have you ruled out any of the candidates. 90.9% of the vote for first choice went to Molly Coleman with the rest (1 vote) going to Cole Hanson. Chauntyll Allen and Cole Hanson had a 28.6% elimination rate, while Carolyn Will earned 71.4% for elimination.

In addition to the survey, I’ve heard from nine other neighbors and friends in my ward, most of whom said that they would be voting for Coleman, with some interesting exceptions. A couple of people expressed enthusiasm for Coleman, saying that she’s good on transit and housing. Some liked her political lineage, others held it against her. Most seemed like they were choosing the best from an uninspired lot of candidates. Indeed, as Brian and I looked closer at our choices, we were bummed.

Comments

Here are the comments that I received. Some are edited to take out identifying personal information, shorten, etc.

One trusted neighbor wrote:

I am voting for Molly Coleman. I went to a candidate forum about climate change where I thought she did a good job. Then someone I trust had Molly Coleman answer questions for 90 minutes in her back yard and again Molly did a great job. I wish she was not part of a political family – makes St. Paul feel too insular. I also don’t like her answer about the tear downs and the student overlay district, but I hope to influence her on this.

Carolyn Wills is against the proposed bike plan for Summit. I was involved in two years of public engagement where the decision was make to switch the bike and parking lanes – mostly for safety, esp for children. Tree loss will primarily occur because of new water, sewer, and a needed full reconstruction of the road. There has been a lot of misinformation about this.

On a counter train of thought, another very progressive friend wrote:

I voted for Will and did not rank but am uneasy about it. My neighborhood is threatened by teardowns and student barns. She is the only candidate who showed understanding. I’m uneasy being single issue and she is imperfect in other ways but others just don’t get it.

In response to my friend, I wrote:

We are struggling. No one seems right for different reasons… It’s a united front for Molly Coleman over here (with the exception of Brian who admits that his aversion to a slick dynasty candidate isn’t rational). I’m starting to accept the idea that my vote will be some kind of a statement (that no one will hear)…

To which my friend responded:

“Slick dynasty candidate” is the perfect phrase. I liked C Allen as the opposite. 

If you’re scratching your head wondering on what planet is a liberal voting for a Republican, let’s remember that liberals have a lot of experience voting for Republicans. They either do it or get blamed when the Democrats lose elections. But I digress. Aside from my friend, two others spoke to me about leaning toward supporting Will. One consulted with her brother who is politically connected. The other seems weary of the lack of experience and thoughtfulness that has been driving a blind push toward density.

NOTE: A reader points out that Carolyn Will identifies as a moderate independent.

Another neighbor had this to share:

… I’m affiliated with [progressive organization] who individually interviewed each candidate personally.  Molly has the most cogent approach and would bring legal expertise to the council.  Cole is a Democratic Socialist and may rattle some cages.  Carolyn headed up Save Our Streets and described herself as a “moderate”.  Chauntyll is a school board member and does a good job in that capacity.  Vote for 3 only, ranking favorite 1st.

Other comments included:

I’ve interviewed all candidates and rank them Molly (by a wide margin), then Cole Hanson, and begrudgingly Carolyn Will.

I like the energy Molly Coleman brings to the table. She seems very balanced in understanding everything that’s at stake. She’s definitely well qualified.

Molly is smart and is open to listening. We met with her personally and she listened to what we had to say. Met with Cole and unfortunately he was not open to listening and told us that he was opposed to our concerns.

Where I Stand

As for my vote, given that every candidate is problematic, I’m leaning toward using it to say something about campaign finance reform. At some point, we have to say enough is enough. But at this moment, the polls having already opened, I feel like I’m standing in front of the refrigerator wishing there was something there I felt like eating.

More Thoughts

This just in…

You made me rethink some of my ideas and I have been listening to and watching youtubes, thanks to you, and have kind of rearranged my thinking. Since we have ranked choice, here’s my present lineup: Carolyn Will, Cole Hansen, Molly Coleman, and Chauntyll Allen.  Carolyn because I think she will do her best to try to prevent more of those shipping container apartments and also I think she understands money and where it’s coming from. I am impressed with Cole’s enthusiasm, but I think he’s not ready for this yet–but in the future will be dynamite. I think Molly has raised an awful lot of money and I wonder about some of her priorities. Chauntyll is certainly sincere but I don’t think she has the chops for this. I might switch these last two people and put Molly last. Still, any one of these people would be better than Mitra, but that is setting the bar awfully low.

Links

Naomi Kritzer’s blog post:

Special Elections 2025: Saint Paul City Council, Ward 4

League of Women Voters St Paul candidate forum on YouTube channel.

Interviews on the Wedge Live podcast/YouTube channel:

Chauntyll Allen – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZiVIAS14b8

Molly Coleman – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGIVLrkVJHw

Cole Hanson – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XYIrjaUR98

Carolyn Will – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhImvznYow8

Politics Bulletin: 001

Inspired by my old friend, Charley Underwood who used to publish the Peace Calendar, instead of responding to the latest headline by forwarding every urgent message that I receive, I’m going to resist the temptation and collect information and action items and post them here. For now it’s my answer to managing information such that I’m not peppering my friends with ALERTS. I appreciate receiving such emails (please keep them coming) and have included some things from my inbox below. But when I realized that I was soothing myself with indiscriminately forwarding messages, I thought there should be a better way. This is what I’m trying for now.

This not a to-do list. It is my attempt to organize ideas and resources. I would also like it to be a reflection of what people have been doing, a reminder that we are not alone. To the extent that it’s relevant to current affairs, I will also include art and entertainment items. Mainly, I hope this will be useful to anyone who is looking for concrete ways to be one of the many stewards who will share whatever talent they have to help protect our democracy.

I welcome your thoughts about how to make it better.

Rebekah

Keep in Mind

Nothing is inevitable. We have a say in what happens next.

MN Governor Tim Walz and former Congressman Beto O’Rourke rally in Texas.

“I want to remind us all that the power is with the people. These are very dark days. These are very strange times in this country. We have a president who is pushing our democracy, the rule of law, the very Constitution itself up to the precipice. And I think we all must remember that we can push back.”

-Former Congressman, Beto O’Rourke

I like how Beto O’Rourke and the organization he founded, Powered by People, are focused on registering people to vote. I also appreciate leadership that models taking action.

What can we do?

Learn Something

  • Subscribe to Jim Hightower’s newsletter, Lowdown. Both paid and free subscriptions are available. TIP: To manage your inbox, try reserving a certain time in the week to look through your newsletters.
  • Listen to this podcast episode of the Ralph Nader Radio Hour, D.C. Gutted. Grassroots Galvanized (58 min). It is also available on YouTube.
  • Discuss the above podcast episode (or another podcast, book, etc. of your choosing) with at least one other person. If you can, gather a few people in the same room and see what others think. “One-way communication” in which we listen to a podcast, watch a YouTube video or read something where ideas are promoted without any chance to raise questions or offer suggestions can be frustrating and dispiriting. The solution is to make it a habit (a rule?) to talk with each other about the news.
  • Sharon recommends subscribing to Joyce Vance on Substack. She says, “Joyce Vance is the best. A former US prosecutor and US attorney, she knows the ins and outs of what’s going on, and several times a week posts with enlightening but not overwhelming summaries of current events and what’s important, while staying optimistic and fair.”

If you’re in the Twin Cities…

  • Tuesday April 1, 8, 22, and 29th at 7:00 PM  – Storytelling for Social Change. A four session in-person / hands-on class on how stories can be used for community building and advocacy.  For more information see The American School of Storytelling.
  • Visit the Hennepin County History Museum, which was recently featured on KSTP. The collection of Heart of the Beast Theater puppets that is on display looks amazing! In 1983, the Circle of Water Circus used these huge constructions to raise awareness of the ecological distress of the river, with performers traveling down the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Louisiana.

Be Counted

  • Join the AFSCME UMN rally supporting students targeted by ICE at the University of Minnesota campus on Monday, March 31, 12 PM at 100 Church St SE, East Bank Campus, Minneapolis in front of Morrill Hall.
Join the AFSCME UMN rally supporting students targeted by ICE at the University of Minnesota campus on Monday, March 31, 12 PM at 100 Church St SE, East Bank Campus, Minneapolis in front of Morrill Hall.
  • My neighbor Jill writes: 
"Dear Friends, quick action item, please sign if you can. We need to keep hammering these F-heads until it hurts! I just signed the petition "To President Zelenskyy, From Embarrassed Americans" and wanted to ask if you could add your name too. This campaign means a lot to me and the more support we can get behind it, the better chance we have of succeeding... Thank you!"
  • My neighbor Mary Ann forwarded an idea to contact the president. As of this post, it is past March 15, the date suggested for this action. But if you are so moved to try it, here’s the info:
Dear Family and Friends,

Members of the church of a long time friend, along with people from many other groups, are sending postcards to Trump on March 15 to tell him how we feel about his policies. 

Our friend wrote, "Nothing vile, just the truth.  I said that the way he was treating people made me feel embarrassed to be American.  Spread the word!  We'd like Trump to get an avalanche of a million postcards. You can easily turn any greeting card into a postcard.

(Maybe) Every little bit counts!"

Would you also spread the word via your contacts?

Here's the address:
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Rise up!

Steve
Min: 13:47

Elias: "How [does DOGE] fit into or not fit into the constitutional structure? And...what can people do about it? People are worried that their data has been compromised..."

Raskin: "...the United States District Court for the District of Columbia rendered yet another victory for the forces of democracy and freedom. They found DOGE is in fact a federal agency, something that DOGE was resisting. And yet the federal district court... found that DOGE is a federal agency and is subject to federal law, specifically, The Freedom of Information Act. The last thing I did before I got on this call... I completed filling out a form... demanding of DOGE... in my neighborhood we call it the 'Dissing our Government Employees statute,' I was demanding... that they turn over to me all the data they have on me from the Social Security Department, from the Department of Education, college student loans, anything they would have from any federal department that they've assembled. I want to see it. And guess what? I've got a right to see it... I want to know whether they've made any changes to it. I have a right to determine whether everything in there is accurate... I also want to know whether it's been diverted and leaked out to any third-party source, whether it is Elon Musk's artificial intelligence program... or any other business. I have a right to know that. That's my data. And guess who else has that right? 340,000,000 Americans. And for the cost of a stamp, you can... say give me all this information."
  • My friend Santwana has been hosting gatherings that have been steadily growing. The group has been attending town hall meetings and organizing protests in Richfield, MN.
A protest in Richfield, MN

Be a Campaign Volunteer

This Tuesday, April 1, there is a special election for a supreme court justice in Wisconsin. Once again, Elon Musk is trying to subvert democracy and buy voters so that he can control the courts. This weekend is your last chance to be a campaign volunteer for Susan Crawford who is running against the MAGA candidate. You can “push back” against Musk and join a virtual phone bank to remind Wisconsin Democrats to vote on Tuesday, April 1.

For more information, see the Wisconsin Democratic Party. They could use some help this weekend making calls and knocking on doors. Also, Heather Cox Richardson discussed the urgency of this election with Ben Wikler, Chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party, on her YouTube channel.

Democracy Now: Can Elon Musk Buy Wisconsin?

Take Care of Yourself & Others

De-isolate & Connect

  • Call the friend you’ve been meaning to call.
  • Send a thank you note.
  • Volunteer at a food shelf or other organization where they are helping people who are being negatively impacted by illegal Republican policies and cuts.

Conserve Energy

  • Be selective about your news sources. Don’t let a 24-hour news cycle demoralize you. Do not reward bad actors with your clicks.
  • Limit social media. After reading More Than Words – How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI by John Warner, Brian was inspired to remove social media apps from his phone and to check his social media once a week. In the meantime, I’ve been mostly off of social media since before the pandemic. I’m considering joining Mastodon, which is an open-source federation of social media servers that operates much like what we’re used to, except no one owns it. At the very least, get off Shitter (everyone you were following moved over to BlueSky). Get off of InstaScam and Tic-Toxic. Stop feeding the beast.

This Made me Laugh

A sign in support of Ukraine.

Final Thoughts

There are lots of different ways to gather. The important thing is to find your people and to be with them. Before we can “speak truth to power,” we have to talk to each other.

Questions to Ponder

How much of your daily communication is “one-way?” How can you balance it with conversations in which you are a contributor as opposed to just a consumer?

Jim Hightower feels hopeful about the new National Democratic Party Chair, Ken Martin who is from Minnesota. He thinks it could be a good indication that the party is at least considering returning to its grassroots. At the moment, given that the Democrats are out of power, Martin is the top dog. What should be communicated to him from the grassroots?

Resources

5 Calls is a website that makes it easy to contact elected officials. My friend Santwana mentioned it in an email where she was encouraging people to advocate for a University of Minnesota student who has been detained by ICE.

Follow

If you want to follow this bulletin (as opposed to the following entire TP&AC blog, which you can do here), the RSS FEED is twopeopleandacat.com/category/politics/feed. If you need a newsreader to subscribe to RSS feeds, try Feedly.com. If you’d rather just get an email notifying you of posts of this political bulletin, send me your email address here. If you would like to submit an item for this bulletin or you have suggestions for how to make it more useful, you can reach me here.

Goals & Policies

  • Make an actionable political digest that inspires people to be stewards of our democracy, and to find a way to contribute to the effort that makes the most sense for any given individual.
  • Link to clean websites that are free and whenever possible do not bombard the user with ads.

What people are reading: 001

Book cover: This is Happiness by Niall Williams.

While she does not want to join one, my sister likes to know what her friends are reading in their book clubs. So, when I received a reminder that the Merriam Park Book Club would be discussing This Is Happiness by Niall Williams, it gave me an idea. I thought it might be fun to occasionally assemble a list of books based on the titles that come up in conversations.

From my neighborhood, Susan writes:

“I am currently reading a novel called Stacken (The Colony) by Swedish writer/songwriter-singer Annika Norlin. I am reading it in Swedish for an American Swedish Institute literature class. The online class is very similar to a book club only our discussions are in Swedish. (The reading isn’t too hard for me, but talking about the book in Swedish is a struggle.) The book was a bestseller in Sweden. It is about a burned out go-getter who flees to the northern forest where she encounters a group of people who, for various reasons, have dropped out of mainstream society. The book is weird but very engrossing. It was only recently translated into English.”

Meanwhile, Ann’s book club recently read The BeeKeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri. “It is about a family fleeing Syria during the civil war and trying to get to England as immigrant refugees. Very timely in general.”

Also timely, at the open coffee hour that we host most Saturday mornings, we learned that the young Jacob across the street just purchased George Orwell’s 1984. Apparently, he needed something to cleanse murder from his pallet as he also picked up Crime and Punishment. Upon hearing this, Ralph blurted “Dostoevsky!” The kid’s mother told him that reading it would “make him feel as though he had actually committed the crime and was now suffering through the punishment.” Not to be outdone by the 14-year-old, Ralph recommended Winston Churchill’s The Gathering Storm. It is part of a WWII series and pairs well with the headlines of the day.

At a recent political salon that we hosted, Joel mentioned Arlie Russell Hochschild’s works Stolen Pride and Strangers in their Own Land. Later he wrote: “The librarian in me needs to share these recommendations for understanding the current, angry electorate.” He suggested starting with Strangers in their Own Land.

Joel also shared news that Minnesota Senator John Marty’s father passed away at the age of 97. While I knew of Sen. Marty’s progressive politics, I did not realize that his father, Martin E. Marty, was a prominent religious scholar and, according the New York Times, a “staunch champion of pluralism.” Marty wrote such books as: The One and the Many – America’s Struggle for the Common Good and Modern American Religion, Volume 2, The Noise of Conflict, 1919-1941.

Brian says that More Than Words – How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI by John Warner was a highly energizing book. He liked how Warner “continuously puts human needs first without whining so much about how AI is an affront to this approach…” Knowing my hatred for “content,” he interrupted a YouTube video about toggle bolts to quote from the book:

“The biggest shift over the course of my life as a writer has been the transformation of writing into something known as ‘content’.  Content is anything that can be consumed by an audience via a platform. Content is stuff where the primary purpose is to draw an audience to feed them advertising. Lots of content on the internet is writing, but there is also content made of words that does not qualify as writing. The meaning, purpose, and quality of the content is immaterial, provided it can be monetized through clicks. There is no genuine communicative intent behind content… One of the most immediate and potentially damaging consequences of generative AI is its potential to drown us in content whose only purpose is to capture clicks to generate revenue through online advertising.”

In an age of market-worship, it can be easy for a humanitarian to feel like a dinosaur. So, it’s refreshing to stumble upon anything that affirms a sensibility that says that we’re more than what we can produce and that some of the best things in life are inefficient, and that our humanity is worth preserving.

As for the Williams book that sparked the idea for a post like this, Cheryl writes that This is Happiness is a gorgeous Irish novel with a strong recommendation by all in her book club. “It is lovely and dense and yummy and peaceful.” Next the group will be reading Girl Woman Other by Bernadine Evaristo. “God only knows how we come to our choices,” Cheryl writes. “But it’s always a lively conversation and we have stumbled on some beautiful books.”

Cheryl is herself a debut author. Her book Poised is a story set in 1990s Kentucky where “a naïve but spirited doctor, Shelly Riley, slogs through a two-year fellowship. Continually hampered by chauvinist mentors and exhausting training, she battles for the lives of her cancer patients… Cancer care isn’t funny, but people are…”

Tooting my own horn, Big Talk is a book of 42 Questions in which your friend circles can write in their answers. It tracks with my podcast, QuOTeD – The Question of the Day, in which I ask people one question and then assemble audio montages using their answers. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the answers that my neighbors have supplied in my copy of the book. I self-published it as a way to learn about that process.

If you choose to purchase any of these books, please consider supporting a local bookstore whenever possible. Or find them at your library. You can even check out digital books and audio books using a library app.

Roblyn 21XX – The Podcast

Can we make a podcast based on our neighborhood zine? I make a pilot episode to learn more about it.

Roblyn 21XX, Issue #7, January 17, 2021

Back in September, I started to dread winter. We anticipated feeling even more cramped inside our bubbles, as Dr. Fauci predicted a surge in coronavirus cases. Maybe we would get antsy and panic like a flock of ducks flushed out of the security of the brush. So, Brian and I started hosting Saturday coffees with the idea that by the time winter came, we would have established a routine where we could easily pop out of the house for a quick hello with the neighbors.

That was the plan. And it still is. But there would be no perfect record, as I had hoped. The single digits eventually forced a cancellation of our Saturday routine. More would follow. Though disappointing, the bitter cold gave me an idea. Or it might be more accurate to say that it brought an idea forward. Could we base a podcast on the neighborhood zine that we have been publishing since July? Would this offer some additional connections that might be valuable?

I was adamant that the zine itself should be printed and delivered to households. That’s why I began with what I alone could manage, which was essentially my block. Then a few people offered to print and deliver even more copies. It became the model. The zine would be as big as this volunteer pool would allow. And while we don’t quite cover it at present, I see the natural physical boundaries of the zine to be east of Cretin, west of Cleveland, north of Marshall and south of St. Anthony Avenues.

Though I love the e-newsletter that I produce for my podcast, QuOTeD, The Question of the Day, I was positive that the Roblyn 21XX zine shouldn’t be online. Part of what makes it cool is that you have to live here to get it. (Note: I have mailed hard copies upon request. Most notably my parents are subscribers.) However, I think a companion podcast to the zine is different. Yes, it is online. Yes, there is a screen. Yes there are links to click. But, a podcast like this could also be our private low powered radio station where there is a little more room, like a secret swimming hole before it is discovered by litterbugs. Plus, there is a warmth in hearing a voice. Maybe it can warm us up on those days when it’s too cold to do much else.

So, just as I did with that first issue of the Roblyn 21XX zine, I made a pilot episode of its companion podcast. This could be a one-and-done, a nice idea that doesn’t have legs. That would be fine. Or it might stick and become something even better. Either way, I enjoyed making this episode and hope that you enjoy it too.

Rebekah

Thank You