You see, fellow-soldiers, that perseverance is more prevailing than violence; and many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little.—Plutarch, Life of Sertorius
The Big Bad Billionaire bill has been signed into law. It added more than $3 trillion dollars to a deficit of already around $33 trillion. But, these additional trillions of dollars aren’t going to help those most in need, they are going to the wealthiest families, the billionaire class. It has cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, programs which helps those most in need. It drastically increases the funding for the American Gestapo (ICE). There are temporary, basically two to three years, of tax breaks for certain people, BUT makes tax cuts to the wealthy permanent.
Along with this harmful bill, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) handed down several rulings that make all of us less safe as they ended their term, along with a few rulings from the shadow docket. Remember the shadow docket gives decisions without hearing any evidence, stating who ruled in what way, nor why a ruling was made.
Some of these dangerous decisions to democracy limit courts from nationwide injunctions when the president steps outside the law. This makes possible that each of the 13 circuits in the U.S. could have its own set of laws. If you travel or move to one part of the country, its laws could be different from where you just left, such as birthright citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment.
Another was allowing the Republican White House to deport people, without due process, to countries that are in the midst of wars or other dangerous conditions. This means someone originally from El Salvador could be deported to the Sudan, a place where that person doesn’t speak the language, has no cultural ties, knows no one. People are just left there to fend for themselves which will almost certainly result in arrest, torture, and even death because of an Administration who cares nothing about human beings.
There was, of course, a ruling that harms women’s health, a common thread in SCOTUS rulings. The majority ruled that states can deny funding to Planned Parenthood because this organization also provides abortion services. They did not take into account, or more likely they don’t care, that Planned Parenthood is also a large provider of health services for women. These clinics are often in health care deserts and often provide services at a far less cost than a private doctor. Millions of women will now have no place to go due to affordability or location.
Two additional rulings of note came out of Tennessee and Virginia, both involving youths. The Tennessee case ruling essentially took away parental rights in the health of their children. Parents no longer have the right to seek medical treatment for their Trans children. Even with all medical and psychological doctors giving the okay along with parental permission, Tennessee has outlawed medical treatment for these youth, thus causing them to live lives in mental anguish.
The Virginia ruling states that parents have the right to opt out of learning about different cultures and families when taught in the classroom. This case was specific to LGBT books, but it could also be used in parents saying their children can’t learn about Jewish families, Muslim families, Black families, Latino families, and so on. Whether one wants to accept it or not, in the United States, we live in a melting pot of different types of families and cultures. It is actually what our great country was built on from the beginning when, unless you are Native American, your family, from the Mayflower on, are immigrants from many different cultures and family types. I don’t understand why this is so hard to accept and live with by so many people.
What does all of this have to do with gumption?
With these rulings, especially the deportation ruling, along with the Republicans wanting to now de-naturalize citizens, are placing military personnel in states, who appear to be helping the American Gestapo kidnap people off the street with no warrant or identification, who are sending people off to concentration camps (yes, that is what they are) or prisons in which the motto for them is that those who enter will never leave. That coupled with the massive harmful cuts to millions of Americans, it is past time for civil resistance.
Many think civil resistance is attending a protest planned by Indivisible, 50501, The Women’s March, or other organizations on certain days and times. These are great starts by all means, but they aren’t enough. Research states for any form of civil resistance to be effective, 3.5% of a country’s population must participate on a consistent and possibly prolonged period of time. For the U.S., that number is 11.55 million. Basically this is a number equal to the number of people living in Los Angeles County. What seems an easy number is not really easy when it means people must leave the comfort of their homes to be seen and heard.
However, attending a protest is not the only way to practice civil resistance, but the other ways are even harder even as they can be done from the couch of our living rooms. Money also talks in terms of protest.
If everyone would stop buying from Amazon for just a month, it would send a message to the billionaire class of the power of the people. Just this one small thing would mean a great deal, but people are so used to convenience, a sort of addiction, that to stop does require will power. It means not receiving an item the same day, searching for an alternate source (which I’ve found can be cheaper than Amazon), and waiting a couple of days longer. To do so, would show we mean business in terms of saving democracy and that we value diversity.
If everyone would stop shopping at Target or Home Depot. Or stop using Uber. Or cancelling subscriptions to Paramount+, Disney, ABC, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, or Washington Post. These would send strong messages.
If we started shopping at locally-owned businesses, joining CostCo, buying more Levi’s, and from other companies standing up and doing what’s right. These would send strong messages.
If we all called in sick on a designated day, or different jobs on certain days. This would send strong messages.
Calling all of your elected officials, from City Council Member to U.S. Senator, to let them know you believe in helping people in need, that women’s health is as important as men’s health, that everyone deserves due process, that no one should be deported to a country in which they will be tortured or killed, and that billionaires need to be highly taxed. These would send strong messages.
The sad part is, I’m not sure, as a nation, we have the gumption, the spine, the grit, to pull this off. It has been decades since anyone has had to truly fight for basic rights, basic human decency, that we have forgotten it takes work and time to accomplish the mission. As a society, I feel we’ve become too complacent, too wrapped up in instant gratification, of thinking a post on Facebook or Bluesky is enough. We also have too many people who are just totally unaware of what is happening, totally don’t care, or believe none of this will affect their lives so why bother.
I hope I’m wrong, so wrong. I hope people will take to the streets. I hope people will stop buying at places that are okay with doing harm to others and will start buying at places that want to help others. I hope people will contact their elected officials and local media to voice their disapproval of the Republican Party decisions.
As importantly, I hope those who sat out the last election show up for each and every election we have between now and November 2028, and beyond, to show their disapproval at the ballot box by voting out all Republicans. This applies even to Democrats who seem to want to sustain the status quo or have done nothing to truly fight for us.
I invite each and every one of you to join me in peaceful civil resistance.
Let’s bring our great country forward in meeting the intent of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Together we can, and will, move our country forward in a positive manner in which we are all able to pursue life, liberty, and happiness while celebrating diversity and our rights, and taking care of those most in need.
I’ve often said we all need to be involved in saving democracy in the ways which fit our lives and our comfort levels. These can be blogging, reposting on social media, calling your elected officials, letters to the editor, donating to organizations, and/or marching in the streets. Nothing is too little or too much. Here are some ways to get involved whether from the comfort of your own homes, or on the streets, over the next few weeks:
- Call your U.S. Senator to demand they fight the Republican administration’s defiance of the court in following laws and the Constitution. The switchboard number is 202-224-3121. They will connect you with the correct senators. If you get their voicemail, which I do often, make sure to leave your name and address for your call to be registered as received.
- Join Good Trouble Lives on occurring on July 17.
- Call your congressional members and let them know as one of the people they represent, it is past time for DOGE to be dismantled. Call this number and the switchboard will connect you to your representative or senator: 202-224-3121. Even if you don’t know who your members are, they will find them for you based on your address, which they will ask you to provide.
- Call the White House switchboard to express your disappointment in what is happening and that DOGE must go: 202-456-1414 (switchboard) or 202-456-1111 (comments). I recommend the switchboard myself.
- Sign up for General Strike and commit to participating.
- Download the app Five Calls to help let your elected officials know you are paying attention and don’t approve. Website: https://5calls.org/
- Join a local group of Indivisible.
- Participate in the action items of50501: 50 Protests, 50 States, 1 Movement.
- Continue to boycott companies who have bent the knee or no longer believe in equality. Don’t buy from national chains or companies, such as Target, Amazon, Tesla, Walmart and any others who are bending the knee and capitulating to authoritarianism and the billionaire class.
- Write letters to your local papers expressing your disappointment and tell your stories of how the Republican administration is harming your families.
- Please say thank you in some way to the universities, law firms, companies, and organizations not bending the knee and capitulating to the fascist-acting Republican Administration.
- Watch for and attend the next big nationwide protest when announced.
- Do something, anything, peaceful to fight back!
Personal Reflections of a Middle-Aged Man 