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Despite a stressful and unnecessary trip to the Emergency Room precipitated by a lazy Physician’s Assistant and a bitchy secretary in the office of my husband’s orthopedic surgeon, I went to a sign-making event last night.
NO MAD KING
democracy
Artistic Dilemma
I decided to try painting something to submit to an “Art for Democracy” contest being run by my church. It’s open to professional artists throughout New England and there are cash prizes, so I’m not getting my hopes up. I’m thinking of it as an “artistic prompt” (like the daily writing prompt here on WordPress).
Here’s the actual prompt:
Art is a powerful tool for social change. Unbound by age, culture or social location, it sparks the imagination and promotes meaningful dialogue. With the goal of encouraging civic engagement, artists across New England are invited to submit works on the theme of protecting and strengthening American democracy. Artworks should express the goals of promoting unity and the common good, which underscores the American ideals that all voices are important and that our strength lies in welcoming diverse perspectives. Our goal is to spur productive dialogue; showcase the work of New England artists; and celebrate democracy.
Like many people, I was inspired by the people of Minneapolis who bravely stood up to ICE in the frigid cold to try to protect their community, even after Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were assassinated. There was one viral photo by an unidentified photographer that really struck me. A woman went outside in her bathrobe and slippers to join a crowd of others documenting ICE actions in their neighborhood:
So I decided to paint that.
So here’s the dilemma: Should I perhaps leave the two Police/ICE agents as unpainted line drawings? Do you think it might be effective like that? From my perspective, they are unwanted invaders in this community. Maybe the contrast with the good people of Minneapolis would be greater if I leave them unpainted. Ghosts in the Machine, so to speak. OR should I paint them monochromatic in shades of grey? What do you think? Which would make a better painting?
The hardest part about knowing Trumpers
I think the hardest part about having Trump voters/donors in your life is feeling like they don’t know the difference between right and wrong.
Even if it’s someone you thought you knew well, there’s like this suspicion that never really goes away. You’re pretty sure they’d have your back if things got bad. But would they?
If they turned a blind eye to the Access Hollywood tape in 2016 and voted for Trump, do they actually think that women deserve to be treated equally in our society?
If they never said a word of condemnation of the January 6th insurrection, do they really think that every person’s vote should count in America?
If they twist and dispute the most basic facts about climate science or vaccines, do they disbelieve in experts, and therefore education itself?
If they’re OK with a President who posts vile things constantly including a video of Black people as apes, are they really OK to have around your children and grandchildren?
It’s painful to say this but I’m finding that even a lifetime of actions to the contrary cannot erase the doubts introduced by this one thing.
Hoping for the best
A lawless President decided to topple the government of another country of 92 million without authorization from Congress or buy-in from the American people while he was sitting in his beach house in Florida.
Is it all just a distraction from the Epstein files? Maybe. Is the outcome going to involve massive cash windfall to Trump family businesses? Probably.
But what else can we do now but hope for the best? May U.S. military casualties be minimal and a new, free Iran miraculously emerge.
No Kings
Quick update since my last post.
I fit everything I planned onto my poster. It was a tight squeeze, but I did it.
Liberal churches like mine are ready to show up on Saturday – peacefully.
XOXOXO
Mary G,
Retired Grandma
😀 🌈 🦄
No Kings
What’s everyone’s plan for Saturday?
Will you turnout for the largest (hopefully) pro-democracy peaceful protests in history?
I’m going to a poster-making event Wednesday, so I went searching in my basement for poster paint. I found some! Now I just need some normal size lettering brushes. My house painting brushes are too wide.
I’m debating what to put on my actual protest poster. Here’s what I’m thinking:
NO ABORTION BANS
NO Healthcare Hike$
NO Voter Suppression
NO Assault Weapons
NO Kings in America
What’s your sign going to say?
Do something, anything
I fully admit that I have been so grief-stricken and stunned by the second Trump term, I have not done much of anything to resist it. A protest here, a Facebook post there, a small donation now and then. I cancelled my Hulu subscription over the Kimmel thing.
But the fact of the matter is: we are out of time. If the upcoming midterm elections don’t somehow curb his power, it’s “game over” for US democracy as we’ve known it. The Supreme Court is not going to stop him.
Wildly unpopular “Project 2025” is being implemented, despite all claims to the contrary.
The cost of living is out of control, with healthcare costs set to skyrocket next year, and Donald Trump is responding by declaring war on…Chicago.
Women will most certainly be second-class citizens in this far right version of America. A 100% male committee in South Carolina is currently considering an abortion ban so extreme it could threaten women with the death penalty for pregnancy loss.
Our minister left us with the following quote from the Talmud on Sunday.
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
She said that last part twice, so it stuck with me.
Eye color
Is anyone else stumped when they have to choose their eye color for an official document like their REAL ID/Drivers License?
Last time I chose Hazel, but I really don’t think that was right.
The Massachusetts choices are: Black, Brown, Gray, Hazel, Pink, Blue, Dichromatic, Green, Maroon, and Unknown.
Maybe Gray is the closest?
Or basic Blue?
But definitely not Hazel, right? I think I messed up picking Hazel.
It’s not a big deal, but I think this may be the type of thing that concerns me more now that I feel like our country is descending into authoritarianism. In movies, Nazis are always asking people for their papers, Are my papers in order?
Free Gift Article from the NYT
Excerpt: Belarus is a warning that democracy is fragile and that authoritarianism is not a wrecking ball but a hatchet, which slowly chips away until everything is broken beyond recognition.
Rich old white people
I’m losing my patience with rich old white people. And by “rich” I mean comfortable…people who are in absolutely no danger of not being able to pay their monthly bills and buy groceries. People who take vacations—without fail. And by “old” I mean people who were old enough to vote for or against Ronald Reagan at least once. People like me…and my friends..and my parents…and their friends.
We are the privileged. We can say what we want. We can protest publicly without fear. Nobody is going to deport us.
If people in this demographic haven’t publicly taken a side by this point, I really don’t want to sit around and make small talk with them anymore. Politely avoiding the big three (money, politics and religion) is so tedious. I really don’t give a shit if there’s a new Trader Joe’s opening near your house, if you haven’t done one single thing to denounce Trumpism. In fact, if you’ve never made it clear (through conversations, social media posts or other actions) that you do not support Trump, I’m just gonna assume you do. And in that case, I’m really done with you, with very few exceptions.
Other than a handful of federal judges, a couple of law firms, and Harvard University, there is really very little institutional power behind the resistance at the moment. The American people are the only thing that’s gonna stop this train.
And as a reminder, everything that we ever wanted for our children and grandchildren is at stake now—even for the rich white ones.
Public education, our great national parks, scientific research, the planet, equality, freedom, democracy, healthcare, world peace, the rule of law, economic security…we could lose it all.
If you think I’m exaggerating, please read this gift article from today’s NYT.
So, to my fellow old rich white people: be brave, do something, say something, write a blog or a Facebook post, contact your legislators, fly a diversity flag, make a sign, go to a protest (maybe your first!), confront your MAGA relatives, donate to the ACLU or another organization in the fight.
Then, maybe, I’ll be interested to hear a bit more about that new Trader Joe’s and whether or not they carry wine.
Speaking of ChatGPT…
I asked it if the United States is still considered a democracy. Here’s its answer:
As of mid-April 2025, the United States is still officially classified as a democracy by major global indices, but it is experiencing significant democratic backsliding under President Donald Trump’s second term.
Freedom House continues to rate the U.S. as “Free” with a score of 84/100, though this reflects a decline from previous years and ongoing concerns about executive overreach and erosion of civil liberties.
The V-Dem Institute has warned that the U.S. is on track to lose its democracy status within six months if current trends continue, citing actions such as undermining the judiciary, centralizing power, and attacking the press.
Recent developments include the Trump administration’s defiance of a unanimous Supreme Court ruling, raising concerns about the rule of law and the system of checks and balances.
In summary, while the U.S. retains its democratic status, it is undergoing significant challenges that threaten the health and resilience of its democratic institutions.
50 Happens 