Inspiration requested.

As expected, things have continued to get worse in the last three days. Marines called in to Los Angeles. Croaky dismissing the entire CDC vaccine advisory committee. Sly Stone, dead.

I now believe WHICH BATHROOM DO CASTRATED REPUBLICANS USE? is the wrong message for the sign I’m making for the Saturday protest. Too flip for a dangerous time (and I’m a big believer in flip). I’m wondering whether STAND! FOR THE THINGS YOU KNOW ARE RIGHT (thanks, Sly) would be better, or the headline on a Michelle Goldberg column earlier this week: THIS IS WHAT AUTOCRACY LOOKS LIKE.

For now, my poster board is blank. Suggestions welcome.

It’s exhausting, being whipsawed between scorching anger, shame and sadness over what’s become of this country. How are we all doing, fellow travelers?

I’m feeling a big blank, myself. So let’s skip to some bloggage, eh?

A scorching, dead-on column from Hamilton Nolan, on Substack. I don’t think it’s paywalled, because I was able to read it, and I’m not a paying customer of Nolan, yet. This was so good, however, I might have to become one:

Yesterday, I went to a union rally in Manhattan in support of David Huerta, the SEIU California president who was arrested while protesting against ICE in Los Angeles. There were hundreds of SEIU members there—32BJ building workers, 1199 hospital workers, everyone. They all came out and showed their faces. Who is more brave, do you think? The immigrant woman who works cleaning up office buildings who is willing to come out to a protest and hold a sign supporting a man who was arrested for opposing injustice? Or the six-foot-tall weightlifting ICE agent with a gun and a badge and the force of law behind him who is so scared of anyone knowing who he is that he has America’s worst Congressmen filing bills to make it a crime to reveal his identity?

I laugh at the cowardly ICE agents. There’s a reason people are yelling at you, man. It’s because you’re being a fucking asshole. Do you know what would constitute bravery? Saying, “No, I am not going to carry out this grotesque and racist government assault on its citizens, because I know it is unjust.” That would be brave. Saying “no.” Putting on your bulletproof vest and breaking up families and shrugging and saying “just following orders” and hiding your face is the most weak-ass thing I can imagine. “I’d rather destroy the lives of entire families than have the fellas make fun of me. I’d rather tear mothers away from their children than get a regular job.” Go fuck yourself man. Because nobody cool is ever going to fuck you. That, I guarantee. Keep on dreaming.

Gift link to The Atlantic, a Tom Nichols piece on the military brass who are struck dumb at the outrage coming from the commander-in-chief. Commenting on you-know-who’s speech at Fort Bragg, he writes:

Trump, himself a convicted felon, doesn’t care about rules and laws, but active-duty military members are not allowed to attend political rallies in uniform. They are not allowed to express partisan views while on duty, or to show disrespect for American elected officials. Trump may not know these rules and regulations, but the officers who lead these men and women know them well. It is part of their oath, their credo, and their identity as officers to remain apart from such displays. Young soldiers will make mistakes. But if senior officers remain silent, what lesson will those young men and women take from what happened today?

The president cares nothing for the military, for its history, or for the men and women who serve the United States. They are, like everything else around him, only raw material: They either feed his narcissism, or they are useless. Those who love him, he claims as “his” military. But those who have laid down their life for their country are, as he so repugnantly put it, just suckers and losers, anonymous saps lying under cold headstones in places such as Arlington National Cemetery that clearly make Trump uncomfortable. Today, he showed that he has no compunction about turning every American soldier into a hooting partisan.

Trump’s supporters and his party will excuse his behavior at Fort Bragg the way they always have, the same way that indulgent parents shrug helplessly at their delinquent children. But senior officers of the United States military have an obligation to speak up and be leaders. Where is the Army chief of staff, General Randy George? Will he speak truth to the commander in chief and put a stop to the assault on the integrity of his troops? Where is the commander of the airborne troops, Lieutenant General Gregory Anderson, or even Colonel Chad Mixon, the base commander?

Check out the pic with it, too, shot from behind Fatass’ ample backside, showing the hooting soldiers who could end up killing their fellow citizens one day. No, I don’t think I’m being dramatic.

OK, then. Off to work and another day in this troubled land.

Posted at 11:08 am in Current events |
 

58 responses to “Inspiration requested.”

  1. Schteaky said on June 11, 2025 at 11:31 am

    The photo toward the end of this post by PZ Myers has a great slogan:
    https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2025/06/11/they-let-tom-cotton-write-another-op-ed/

    “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty”

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  2. Jeff Borden said on June 11, 2025 at 11:58 am

    I may use an Orwell quote: Truth is Treason in a Kingdom of Lies. But I’m told no more than three to five words on a sign lest it go unread. Maybe this: Make Orwell Fiction Again.

    Then again…my feelings are similar to Nancy’s, so a pissier message may be the correct choice. Making fun of tRump and his cult is so easy. I’m torn.

    The performance of tRump and Plastered Pete at Fort Bragg yesterday was atrocious. Everything he touches is corrupted. And, hey white boy, nice re-renaming military bases for Confederate traitors. Right on brand.

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  3. Carter Cleland said on June 11, 2025 at 12:09 pm

    I’m going to be in MI, at St.Joe, on Saturday, and will probably bring some of my already-made signs: It’s Mourning in America, Save The Great Lakes -Close Line 5, I (heart emoji) D.E.I. and Being WOKE, or STOP the GENOCIDE in GAZA.

    Also work-shopping: Alles Gute zum Geburtstag! Il Douche

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  4. ROGirl said on June 11, 2025 at 12:35 pm

    I’m just waiting for him to declare martial law, and then a state of emergency. His generals will be ready to lead the troops into the occupied territories to liberate them from the oppos.

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  5. annie said on June 11, 2025 at 12:42 pm

    is there a humane & workable solution to unrestrained immigration?

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  6. Dave said on June 11, 2025 at 12:57 pm

    And now, Brian Wilson has died at the age of 82, he had a sad life, despite all that success.

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  7. Jakash said on June 11, 2025 at 1:59 pm

    Jeff B. says “no more than three to five words on a sign.” Before one of the big protests, I suggested “F Elon and the FELON.” In the time since, I’ve actually seen folks using that in several photos, which goes to show that most jokes one comes up with are probably not unique.

    Despite Elon transistioning from the administration’s hired hatchet-man to his own warped version of the resistance, it still sums up my feelings pretty well.

    During the orange felon’s first term, at least some of the generals were willing to stand up to him. If that’s no longer the case, things are even more depressing than I thought, which is saying something.

    Aside from that, of folks that I’d have guessed would live to 82, Brian Wilson would not have been one. But what a magnificent artist he was! “Pet Sounds” would be a solid candidate for the Mt. Rushmore of albums. Even though he had a sad life, he brought a lot of joy to many.

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  8. Sherri said on June 11, 2025 at 2:01 pm

    Annie, first define what the problem you want a solution for with unrestrained immigration. I’ve been trying to find what the “border problem” is, and I can’t say what it is.

    I mean, it’s clear what the problem is for Stephen Miller: too many, too brown. But if you’re not racist, and want a humane solution, we have to define the problem.

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  9. Sherri said on June 11, 2025 at 2:39 pm

    I want to go back to Defund the Police. Whenever I say that among people like us, I get Julie’s response: but what if I’m a victim of violent crime? I want the police to respond!

    Of course. But how much do we need to spend for that? Violent crime peaked in the early 90s, and has been in a steady decline since. Cops spend less than 5% of their time on violent crime, and most of that is not a stranger attacking someone, it’s people who know each other.

    Police don’t solve crimes, either. Clearance rates on reported crimes have declined steadily, despite more police officers and larger budgets. And it’s not because we’re “catching and releasing” people; incarceration rates per arrest have not dropped.

    Police do a lot of traffic stops, and unfortunately, too many of them are pretextual and racially biased. These are the pulling someone over for a busted taillight, or some other made up reason. If white people didn’t pitch a fit every time red light cameras went in, we could automate traffic safety a lot more equitably and reliably, but white people don’t like that they might not be able to talk their way out of a ticket.

    Everybody wants to feel safe. I’m claiming that modern US policing doesn’t do much to actually accomplish that.

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  10. Scout said on June 11, 2025 at 2:52 pm

    Sherri @ 9: Agree completely.

    Nancy: WHICH BATHROOM DO CASTRATED REPUBLICANS USE? is brilliant. I’d go with it.

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  11. Sherri said on June 11, 2025 at 3:44 pm

    BTW, I am a paying subscriber to Hamilton Nolan, and if Nancy or anybody else (up to three people) want to try out a subscription, I can gift a month’s subscription free.

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  12. jim said on June 11, 2025 at 5:17 pm

    Meanwhile the Southern Baptists set their sights on Oberfgell: https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/10/us/southern-baptists-gay-marriage-ban-vote

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  13. Sherri said on June 11, 2025 at 6:04 pm

    While the Southern Baptists explicitly called out Obergfell, the same resolution says our culture is “pursuing willful childlessness which contributes to a declining fertility rate”. Are they preparing to go after Griswold?

    https://baptistnews.com/article/sbcs-1000-word-resolution-covers-nine-hot-topics/

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  14. Deborah said on June 11, 2025 at 6:08 pm

    My sign is going to have one word: NOPE. And I’m going to make it in red over a ridiculously ornate crown that I might even bedazzle with a gold metallic marker and glitter. This protest I hope has the biggest crowd ever.

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  15. Deborah said on June 11, 2025 at 6:24 pm

    I decided after reading the full Hamilton Nolan substack piece that I’m going to make another sign by reusing my old Musk Rat sign, I’ll cover the rats face with an image of Stephen Miller’s face from the side and add the word’s “Little Nazi Bitch” or just “Nazi”. I’ll take one sign and my husband will take the other.

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  16. tajalli said on June 11, 2025 at 8:37 pm

    Riffing on Deborah’s idea:

    Nope.
    Peaceful.
    Lawful.
    Committed.

    Using a centered format. Also, organizing ahead of time with adjacent protesters to sit down and lower signs if violence begins to occur to avoid escalation.

    Also, a nice rendition of “All we are saying is give peace/free speech / [whatever] a chance” while seated.

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  17. Deborah said on June 11, 2025 at 11:19 pm

    I finished my Stephen Miller rat face sign this evening, I went with the one word – Nazi in red on it. The second sign I’ll complete tomorrow but I need to purchase some stuff at the art supply store in the loop to get some glitter glue and gold metallic markers, so i don’t get the damn glitter all over our place.

    Hot today in Chicago, but our looonnnngg design meeting was inside in air conditioning.

    My niece in Minneapolis sent me a photo of her sign, which says “Happy Everybody Hates Donald Day”, in the shape of a birthday cake with gold gizmos added for the flames of the candles at the top. It’s well done.

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  18. Kristen said on June 12, 2025 at 5:47 am

    No Faux King Way

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  19. alex said on June 12, 2025 at 7:30 am

    Kristen for the win!

    Well, I’m off to my annual physical with some of the best lab results I’ve had in years. I just hope they don’t kill Obamacare before I’m eligible for Medicare or I’ll be fucked.

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  20. Jeff Gill said on June 12, 2025 at 7:35 am

    From the WaPo story of last night at the Kennedy Center with Trump & most of his cabinet turning out to watch “Les Miserables”:

    “Asked before the show whether he identified more with Jean Valjean, the humble protagonist and former convict trying to redeem himself, or Javert, the inspector who uses strict enforcement of the law to pursue Valjean, Trump responded, “Oh, that’s a tough one … I don’t know.””

    You can’t make this stuff up.

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  21. Julie Robinson said on June 12, 2025 at 8:06 am

    He’s never seen the show and doesn’t know the plot. No matter; given its length, he slept through most of it anyway.

    Congrats, Alex, well done. Colonoscopy day here.

    In Orlando we’re remembering the 49 precious souls taken in the Pulse Nightclub massacre.

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  22. Jeff Gill said on June 12, 2025 at 8:12 am

    Javert is the little girl on the poster, right?

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  23. Icarus said on June 12, 2025 at 9:24 am

    Sherri @9: freakonomics posits that crime went down once we got the lead out of paint.

    This administration is determined to put the lead back into it,so the next generation can expect a spike in crime. I’ll likely be gone but my children will have to endure it.

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  24. Jeff Borden said on June 12, 2025 at 9:50 am

    Another example of how this “presidency” is a really terrible reality TV show. . .

    Many were appalled when tRump and Plastered Pete ranted about political points at Fort Bragg a few days ago with the soldiers shouting, “Hoo–Rah” while mocking Biden, Newsom, etc. It turns out the audience of soldiers was prescreened for fans of tRump. Also, the word was given, “No fat soldiers.” So, only the most physically fit tRumpanzees were seated. This is what our Fearless Leader and his minions do. . .manufacture images for the mouth breathers.

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  25. LAMary said on June 12, 2025 at 11:39 am

    I live about 3 miles away on a steep hill. from downtown LA. There is no sign of a riot or insurrection or anything here or any place I’ve been that’s close to that small area where the bad stuff is going on. There was a demonstration happening before the National Guard arrived
    Then it got a bit nasty but according to a neighbor who was there it looked like the Guard didn’t know what they were expected to do. More demonstrators showed up. More ICE goons. More bullshit from Trump and Hegseth more snagging random Hispanic men and women with no warrants. There are children whose parents are gone. There are people who are here legally who are waiting to be released after being picked up by ICE.
    I only know one neighbor who is cheering for the pro Trump side of this mess and she’s always on the Fox News side of issues. Everyone else I’ve spoken to is outraged.

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  26. Dexter Friend said on June 12, 2025 at 1:31 pm

    Jacob Soboroff reported from abandoned cabbage fields yesterday, with accompany video of ICE agents chasing farm workers out of the field he stood beside. This was in Ventura County. I lived beside the giant lettuce fields near Salinas for a year and the size of the fields was amazing, so much larger than the farm fields I worked in during my days from10 to 17 years of age in Indiana.
    Two days prior, he interviewed Pablo Alvarado at a Home Depot where ICE had chased away day laborers . Roofs will leak, produce will rot in fields, and prices for consumers will skyrocket.
    https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-21/pablo-alvarado-ndlon-eaton-fire

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  27. FDChief said on June 12, 2025 at 1:42 pm

    Re: Dexter’s observations on the effect of hunting down day labor and farm workers reminded me of an old joke.

    The setup is the final evening before the Mexican Army takes the Alamo. Bowie and Travis are leaning over the parapet looking out over the bivouac fires in the darkness beyond.
    Travis takes a drag off his cigar and says “So…you know what’s gonna happen when them hombres get over the wall tomorrow, Jim, right?”
    Bowie thinks this over for a moment and drawls:
    “Yep. Sumbitches gonna have the whole damn place sheetrocked in twenty minutes.”

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  28. FDChief said on June 12, 2025 at 1:48 pm

    Joking aside…strange how none of these farmers, chicken processing plant operators, subcontractors, or hotel managers have been charged with hiring all the desperate criminal aliens, innit! Almost like the rascals were completely, virginally innocent of suspecting that they could pay people starvation wages without losing a day’s work because their staff didn’t dare protest.

    It’s a puzzlement, surely there’s MAGA Magic involved!

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  29. Scout said on June 12, 2025 at 1:48 pm

    Kristen @ 18 – May I please use this one? It’s perfect.

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  30. Kristen said on June 12, 2025 at 2:05 pm

    Scout @29 The sign idea is courtesy of @kris.and.dave’s Instagram, and it was @vickisinnapa who posted it. I think anyone can use it!

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  31. FDChief said on June 12, 2025 at 2:58 pm

    FWIW, a bit of background on my old active Army post (Ft. Bragg)…

    First, Google our boy Braxton Bragg. As traitors go, he was a real prize. Whiny loser, loathed by his own troopers, famously one of the few people GEN Rosecrans, a spectacularly incompetent US general officer, could reliably whip. So the connection with His Imperial Majesty King Porky the Least is a total “no, duh?”. Lame recognize lame.

    That said, the problem was, as I understand it that the renaming process foundered on a pissing contest between the two major tenant units on post; the Airborne mafia wanted one of “their”’guys, while the Special Forces wanted one of “theirs”, and a compromise candidate couldn’t be found so the post ended up as the lame “Ft. Liberty” which sounds like a fucking insurance company.

    So it probably wasn’t hard to find some GIs – MAGAt or not – to cheer the re-renaming back to fucking Traitor Bragg in a way that would have been more difficult had the joint been named for GEN “Jumping” Jim Gavin of WW2 fame.

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  32. Scout said on June 12, 2025 at 3:45 pm

    Thank you, Kristen!!

    My sign is made and I posted a copy of it on Bluesky.

    https://bsky.app/profile/scoutto.bsky.social/post/3lrgonc5h3s23

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  33. Dexter Friend said on June 12, 2025 at 4:14 pm

    Oh, they knew alright, they are event security and allegedly Secret Service and local police, yeah, those thugs knew the man they cuffed and threw to the floor violently was the senior Senator from California, the Honorable Alex Padilla. They fucking knew it so they wanted to show off to Trump by violently attacking a Democrat.
    Schumer and others back in Washington are screaming from the podium for a full investigation with consequences while Noem brushes it all off saying this UNKNOWN man lunged at her. FUCK! This is an outrage.

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  34. Bob (not Greene) said on June 12, 2025 at 4:20 pm

    Did not know about the “Worst General of the Civil War” so I looked him up and, yeah, how did any U.S. Army installation get named after that loser in the first place. Even if you were a Lost Causer, surely you wouldn’t pick THAT guy, but I guess it goes to show just how rotten that cause is.

    Anyway, did a little more poking and when the fort was re-named Bragg, it was apparently named after Pfc. Roland Bragg, a WWII hero.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roland_L._Bragg

    Who knows if they’ve now nixed that too. They do prefer failures.

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  35. Deborah said on June 12, 2025 at 5:03 pm

    We are in uncharted territory now.

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  36. Deborah said on June 12, 2025 at 5:49 pm

    Well, I might as well pitch my new sign out the window because what happened today to senator Padilla just turned everything upside down. I’m so freaking upset, I’m beside myself. It’s all beyond the pale now. Somebody talk me down. Seriously.

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  37. Sherri said on June 12, 2025 at 6:31 pm

    Not only was Sen. Padilla ejected from Homeland Barbie’s press conference and handcuffed, the dog killer also said that they were going to liberate LA from their duly-elected mayor and governor. Regime change, anyone?

    Sure, it’s illegal and unconstitutional, but who’s going to stop them?

    Time for Dem governors and mayors to get creative. What do you provide that the federal government needs? Whoops, sorry that the water supply to that federal building isn’t working. No electricity, either? How did that happen? Oh, sorry about that road construction on every local road surrounding your facility. I’m afraid we can’t allow trucks to make deliveries, you’ll have to haul things in by hand. Yes, I know the construction is going very slowly, but you see, all our workers are union workers, and they’re very upset that you arrested David Huerta.

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  38. Deborah said on June 12, 2025 at 7:06 pm

    I am so freaking mad I can hardly stand it. I’m sick and tired of people being namby pamby about this shit. It’s time to be bold and brash. Speak up, shout, scream, this is not at all normal.

    I remember what I felt like when 9/11 happened. I knew then that life as we knew it wouldn’t be exactly the same again, there would be war, lots of people were going to die (on both sides). All of the young people I worked with had no idea what it was going to be like for our country to be involved in a real honest to goodness war. I remember sitting in the living room of the woman I worked with because we didn’t have a TV in the studio, we all went rushing to her house and watched the towers fall on TV in real time.

    It’s obviously a totally different situation but what is the same is that I feel like this is a period of a complete turn around, 180º. Honestly, I don’t know how to even describe it. I sort of hope that I’m being over dramatic about this, it’s been an exhausting few days with physical labor and creative work, so maybe I’m just fried, but I’ve had it.

    When I heard about the senator being tackled as I said before I felt like throwing my protest sign right out of the 17th floor window, it’s completely irrelevant now. But I’m going to the protest on Saturday and I’ll take my stupid sign and I hope a shit load of people show up, that’s all I’m hoping for now. That’s all I have left in me.

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  39. Jeff Borden said on June 12, 2025 at 7:14 pm

    Sherri makes an interesting point. Why, exactly, do we pay taxes? Oliver Wendell Holmes said paying taxes was his down payment on civilization, but so often, I wonder exactly where my money goes? How much is spent on things that benefit this nation in real ways, i.e., schools, hospitals, medical research, infrastructure, etc. And how much is spent on overpriced weaponry (i.e. F-35), on vanity programs (i.e. War on Drugs), on kabuki theater (i.e. southern border wall), on the coddling of the laziest preznit ever elected in this fair land (i.e. weekend golfing jaunts)? If the five largest blue states withheld their federal taxes, many red states would be plunged into economic ruin because they are absolutely dependent on income from more successful states? California alone sends more than $80 billion to the feds. Meanwhile, more than 50% of the state income of West Virginia comes from federal funds. For every dollar a taxpayer in Kentucky pays in federal taxes, the state receives a whopping $3.35! And Kentucky and West Virginia are among the 10 poorest states. WTF?

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  40. Colleen said on June 12, 2025 at 8:15 pm

    Argh. Lost my post. The condensed version…agree with Deborah…speaking up and screaming need to commence.

    And the House voted to retroactively rescind funding for public broadcasting. So comment sections were full of remarks about how it’s right to not make people who don’t use the service pay for it, that it’s all left leaning garbage, and it will save money in the budget. Yeah, the dollar sixty each taxpayer puts toward public broadcasting is going to really have an impact on the federal budget. Not like there isn’t massive waste every time Orange Hitler goes on a golfing junket…

    I’m furious and exhausted.

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  41. Jeff Borden said on June 12, 2025 at 9:55 pm

    Israel is declaring they’ve attacked Iranian nuclear facilities. Netanyahu may have just initiated the end of the world.

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  42. Peter said on June 13, 2025 at 2:36 am

    Here’s a sign I saw that would work for Saturday: “ICE MELTS UNDER RESISTANCE”.

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  43. Deborah said on June 13, 2025 at 4:29 am

    It’s 3:28am in Chicago, I’ve been awake for hours.

    Good one Peter.

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  44. Deborah said on June 13, 2025 at 4:31 am

    Aaaand, I’m in moderation, must have mistyped my email again.

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  45. nancy said on June 13, 2025 at 11:03 am

    I’m thinking this will be my sign. Some version of:

    MICHIGAN’S WORTHLESS SENATORS:
    SLOTKIN, PETERS

    Or maybe:

    SLOTKIN TO TYRANNY:
    ‘ACT LIKE AN ADULT’
    (JFC)

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  46. Dexter Friend said on June 13, 2025 at 2:36 pm

    Tel Aviv + Jerusalem are currently experiencing incoming fire…blasts heard, smoke on the ground…some missiles are getting through the “dome”.This is a powerful attack, many missiles, Tel Aviv awash in smoke .
    Iran currently has only 3,000 available attack missiles, at least all the west can detect.
    Trump could have stopped this with a red light towards Netanyahu, but he just turned his back and if not a green light, certainly gave a yellow caution. And we all gun it through yellow lights, as did the war criminal Netanyahu. That son of a bitch.

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  47. Deborah said on June 13, 2025 at 8:09 pm

    I’m hearing about more and more people going to protests tomorrow. So hopeful it’s a huge, huge crowd everywhere, it needs to be, it’s critical. Over 2,000 protests happening all over the country, that’s amazing when you think about it. And even people in Europe are talking about joining in.

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  48. susan said on June 13, 2025 at 10:51 pm

    Deborah, check out the NO KINGS map of where organized protests will be, and zoom out. Mexico, a few in Canada, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Bogota, Malawi, all over Europe…. There should be one in Greenland.

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  49. tajalli said on June 13, 2025 at 10:53 pm

    There will be three events – late morning, midday, and early afternoon – in my area so I’m spoiled for choice, as will be many other people in the area. Makes it easy to attend.

    Turn out at area food pantries is low, just like in 2017 after Jan 20th, people are being cautious.

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  50. Jeff Gill said on June 14, 2025 at 4:13 pm

    I wish I’d been clever enough to have thought of this one; as seen thru the Dispatch in Westerville, just west of us (we had 1000 at the Newark OH courthouse).

    https://www.newarkadvocate.com/gcdn/authoring/authoring-images/2025/06/14/NCOD/84206780007-20250614-144939.jpg

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  51. Deborah said on June 14, 2025 at 5:21 pm

    Back from the protest in Chicago, it was well attended, more than the Hands Off protest in April, but the media are saying 15-20,000, while the April one was estimated at 30,000 so something is off.

    My sign worked out perfectly, I was afraid people wouldn’t recognize Stephen Miller’s face that I put on the rat body but I got lots of comments about what a rat he is. Also, a funny coincidence, we were standing near the curb and a couple of guys behind us asked me to put my sign down closer to a dead rat next to the curb and took photos of it, after they did that I’d say about a thousand people asked to take a photo too, seriously so many people took photos of the sign with the gross dead thing next to the curb. Then I spent the rest of the time while speeches were going on (which you can never hear) warning people to watch out for the rat, lots of people, not looking stepped on it anyway, when they realized it they were quite horrified. It was a crazy coincidence to be standing near that with my rat sign.

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  52. Suzanne said on June 14, 2025 at 6:10 pm

    I attended the protest in downtown Fort Wayne and was pleasantly surprised at the size of the crowd. I met a woman who appeared to be older than me, probably in her 70s, and like me, had never been to a protest before and like me, used to be a solid GOP voter. It gave me some hope.

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  53. Deborah said on June 14, 2025 at 7:33 pm

    This is hysterical. The Hollow Men by T.S. Elliot. https://bsky.app/profile/adamjschwarz.bsky.social/post/3lrlzhlecdk2m

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  54. David C said on June 14, 2025 at 8:04 pm

    I’m starting to see photos of Trump’s birthday bash. There’s hardly anyone there. Trump looks pissed in some photos and like he’s going to cry in others. I guess it’s his party and he’ll cry if he wants to.

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  55. Deborah said on June 14, 2025 at 9:01 pm

    Reports on Bluesky say that they played Fortunate Son at the Parade??? Did some resister sneak that in?

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  56. tajalli said on June 14, 2025 at 9:20 pm

    Have deliberately refrained clicking any news featuring the orange diaper’s event – let the internet be overwhelmingly about what the people think and want. Let him suffocate.

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  57. Jeff Gill said on June 15, 2025 at 7:56 am

    The US Army Band “Downrange” plays popular/rock music, and they played across from the reviewing stand during breaks in the narration so well my son thought it was tracks, then realized he couldn’t Shazam any of them because they were live. “Fortunate Son” is in their rep, ironically or not I don’t know.

    https://usarmyband.com/ensembles/the-u-s-army-band-downrange

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  58. Deborah said on June 15, 2025 at 9:51 am

    Apparently there actually were 100,000 people at Trump’s parade but the planning of a mass attendance venue was so poor that it stretched the whole thing out for such a long way that it appeared sparsely attended. They expected 250,000 people but that didn’t happen. Here’s an article that breaks down the logistics https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1934052056878243848.html

    Trump is always so concerned about optics, this poor planning probably pisses him off tremendously.

    Meanwhile the No Kings protests numbered about 4-6 million people nationwide, which is approx 1.5% of the total population. It needs to be 3% to make a dent in effectiveness.

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