288 Comments
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Penny Pawl's avatar

I wish I could do more but at almost 89 I can only complain in writing!!!!! Kudos to all who are marching.

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Bob Stromberg's avatar

I'm also unable to successfully march -- back issues. But I assure you that those marching feel our support.

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Francis Patterson's avatar

Dear Penny and Bob. You are fabulous. If you can't march please send a press release as soon as possible to your local TV and radio stations and newspapers.

Today is March 20th and the protest on April 5th is only 16 days away. News outlets prefer to be notified two weeks before an event so they can arrange coverage.

You may be able to see the march on the TV news if you publicize it.

If you don't know how to write a press release just type out:

NAME OF EVENT

TIME Of Event

PLACE

YOUR NAME AND PHONE NUMBER ( so

reporters can verify).

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Penny Pawl's avatar

A few weeks ago I did contact my house rep and two senators. My house rep has been doing alot of outreach and I am proud of him. I will send to my once a week newspaper.

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Penny Pawl's avatar

and received an email from my Senator today on the issues. He is on our side.

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Francis Patterson's avatar

Thanks. It's a great idea to notify small news outlets because often they do not receive press releases.

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David A Pitock's avatar

Yea Bob same affliction I make small donations to leaders like AOC and Bernie Sanders. Marching is out of the question

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Dennis King's avatar

Now is the time to let our lawmakers know our minds and step up! I will get with Sen. Baldwin (D-WI) on Friday. Good luck, Bob & Penny!

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Bob, those marching will feel the support we are giving them, I am sure of it! Sorry about your back. Keep fighting!

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Marguerite M Falango's avatar

I'll march for you Penny your spirit will be there.

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Marguerite M Falango's avatar

Also I will march for Bob, I'm 72 and marching seems to me that most of the protests so far have been mostly made up of Seniors.

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Don McIntyre's avatar

A good use of us retirees who have time to stay informed.

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Carlprn's avatar

Sadly it seems those who have more to lose fiddle on their phones and devices as Rome burns M.

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Bob Stromberg's avatar

OTOH, I'm aware of at least one new, vigorous Indivisible group, Indivisible Albany, with over 600 members, many of them sporting their original hair color (<grin>).

https://indivisiblealbany.org/ and https://bsky.app/profile/indivisiblealbany.org

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Gail's avatar

Sadly, this is true. Not that we can't make a difference, but are younger people too invoved with jobs and family to find the time?

Or do they not share our history of demonstrating for responsible govt.?

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Bob Stromberg's avatar

Please look to the Indivisible movement. Many new groups are forming, and are newly invigorated.

For example, there's one new, vigorous Indivisible group, Indivisible Albany, with over 600 members, many of them sporting their original hair color (<grin>).

https://indivisiblealbany.org/ and https://bsky.app/profile/indivisiblealbany.org

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Well said, Marguerite!

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Hayley Gorenberg's avatar

At 89, writing and calling ain't shabby!

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Barbara Anne's avatar

Thank you for writing! Letters are always needed!!

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Paula R Strawser's avatar

Ah, but you are cheering us on! Thank you!!!

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Kristen Chambers's avatar

Thank you for doing what you can, Penny!

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Meryl's avatar

No, that's not all you can do. You can share this with people. You can talk about it and motivate others to go. You can donate (here or elsewhere). You can call your local tv station and newspaper. Sounds like there is one thing you can't do. You can even ask someone to march for you. Mostly you CAN do things!

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MM Harris's avatar

The resistance requires "hitting them" via every possible avenue. Big need for writing, calling, and sometimes, just providing advice and/or moral support to others in forums like this one!

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David A Pitock's avatar

Your doing what you can and that is important.

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Penny, you keep right on complaining in writing! We all need to keep doing what we can. There are others that can do the marching. What you are doing is just as important. You are using your voice and that's a beautiful thing! Kudos to you, Penny!

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Carol Taylor Boyd's avatar

We do what we can, with what we have to work with! I'm 74 with a sore knee. I might just be writing and calling to. The most important thing is to DO SOMETHING. And you will never know what message or person became the tipping point. Keep fighting the good fight! We are in this together.

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Liz Travers's avatar

If you are able to, phone bank for Susan Crawford! Musk is trying to buy the Wisconsin supreme court election.

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Lois W. Halbert's avatar

Older also so write and try to ca.

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Renee Bruen's avatar

Whatever you do is valuable; thank you.

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Ginny K's avatar

I'll be there in Boston!! Find one near you-- indivisible.org

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Joan Beauregard's avatar

Thanks, Ginny! I’m going to my first protest, John Cornyn’s Houston office March 25! At 81, i think it’s worth trying. I’m so excited!

I’ve been writing that guy for years. Now I’m showing up.

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Punkette's avatar

Yay, Joan! Good on you! 💙 Look out, Cornyn!

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James Konsevich's avatar

We need a million people marching on Washington an d meeting at the Lincoln Memorial.

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Roger Elmore's avatar

Yes!

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Agreed! We probably need 77 million, James!

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Klare K.'s avatar

When are you speaking of? April 5? Is Indivisible's march going to be a million-person march on Washington? Please clarify. Thank you!

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Klare, April 5 there will be marches across the country; however, the million+ march on Washington is not happening yet.

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Klare K.'s avatar

Thank you, Peggy. We should make the April 5 one a march straight up to the White House and drag Trump out while we are at it.

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Oh, that would be lovely!

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Klare K.'s avatar

James, a million people march right up to the White House and drag Trump out while we are at it!!!

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Peter Schnall's avatar

Fight now, vote later

Now is the time to be heard

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Barbara Thompson's avatar

If, by not fighting now, we actually can vote later.

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Betsy L's avatar

I don't think there will be a 2026 election, unless something changes radically. Dumpy is quite capable of ginning up a national emergency as an excuse to cancel an election. Look at his "war" and migrant "invasion" that he's using as an excuse to use the 18th century Aliens Act.

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Robot Bender's avatar

Just as a reminder, Adolph Hitler's birthday is April 20...

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GabrielM's avatar

Perhaps we should be sending 20 April birthday cards to Herr Trumpler?

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Gabriel, he would probably be flattered!

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Klare K.'s avatar

Trump's birthday is June 14, which is Flag Day! Can you imagine??? How can someone like Trump be born on Flag Dag????? And he never even mentions this! You know why -- I seriously doubt he even knows this!!!

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Betsy L's avatar

When he learns about it, he'll brag about it to the world as if he's the first person to ever notice it (because he thinks he is), like when he learned that Lincoln was a Republican. Dumpy knows nothing of the historical context of his "discovery."

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MM Harris's avatar

my thoughts exactly..... also, there is some evidence the Nov 5 election might have been gerry-rigged re some swing state presidential, not down ticket, levels (big surprise) - on TOP of all the efforts to make voting very difficult to do in the first place...... why wouldn't that be the same with the upcoming 4/1 special elections and certainly those in 2026?? -- IF they are held.

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Bill Alstrom (MA/Maine/MA)'s avatar

States, counties, cities and towns run elections.

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MM Harris's avatar

Yep. Waiting for 2026 is old-school thinking. WE DO NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF TIME!!! Elected officials with no sense of urgency need to be removed from their cushy jobs.

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Kathleen K's avatar

Robert Reich, you are so good at communicating with your drawings, have you ever considered creating some posters that people could download (and maybe color?) and take with them to protests? I've spent some time today trying to see if I can get a download of one of the posters that have recently appeared in England, created by a group called "Everyone Hates Elon." One says "Goes from 0 to 1939 in 3 seconds" above an image of Elon giving the Nazi salute above a Tesla. (I'm not terribly creative and have the artistic skill of a kindergartener, so finding an existing image is appealing.)

I'd imagine you could come up with a whole series of good ones in not very much time. Interested?

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Meryl's avatar

What a GREAT idea.

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MM Harris's avatar

YES!! Those UK ones are super clever and simple and eye-catching!!!

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Peggy Freeman's avatar

Excellent idea, Kathleen!

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Carl Selfe's avatar

I am surprised at the worldwide breadth of the hatred for Elon Musk. Simultaneous hatred. And he does not get it. https://hotbuttons.substack.com/p/musk-whines-poor-poor-pitiful-me?r=3m1bs

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Roger Elmore's avatar

What’s not to hate about Musk when his company, Tesla, produces the ugliest vehicle on the planet?

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Carl Selfe's avatar

They burn well. Burning rubber is shown in the post.

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Betty Deese's avatar

Ha!

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MM Harris's avatar

I understand they even ignite themselves at times.... how thoughtful.

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Carl Selfe's avatar

He thinks of everything.

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MM Harris's avatar

lol

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Gary Hanks's avatar

I already signed up for the Hands Off demonstration in Oakland, CA. It's going to be a great day! I urge everyone to get out in the streets on April 5th.

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Richard Perse's avatar

Great piece R.Reich. Waiting for leadership to come from Democratic politicians is a terrible mistake. They seem as cowed as the Repúblicans.

We need leadership from those who have a fire in their belly. Fascism is here. Equivocation and waiting for the “right” strategy is exactly what fascists feast on.

So thank you for exhorting us to fill the streets. Energy creates more energy.

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ShelbyLane's avatar

Show up or Shut up! My new mantra.

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Linda White's avatar

I’m there San Luis Obispo, CA

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Carl B's avatar

Us too, see you in SLO first one is at Tesla second one is at the Courthouse. Thank you!!!

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Tom Kurhajetz's avatar

ORGANIZE ORGANIZE ORGANIZE!!!!!

ORGANIZE OVER THE COMMON GOOD DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM. JUST READ THE PLATFORM BULLET POINTS. ORGANIZE!!!!

ALLEGIANCE TO OUR PLATFORM AND THE CANDIDATE THAT PROMOTES OUR PLATFORM!

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Peggy's avatar

As a Canadian, my relief that some ACTION for Democracy is going to happen. I cannot believe those two and their enablers haven't already been thrown in jail for ignoring the courts, the rule of law, and your Constitution. If it were not for fear I'd be manacled and thrown in jail for daring to cross our very real border, I'd join you!

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Ann Panda's avatar

Thank you, Peggy! I'm so sorry about how the orange menace is treating Canada.

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Rosemary Silva's avatar

I'll march for you, Peggy, on April 5. I'm going to wear my "Canada, Elbows Up" T-shirt, which was made in Canada and which I ordered from an Etsy seller in Alberta.

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Bo Baggs's avatar

I'm in! Here in "more purple than most realize" SE Texas

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Francis Patterson's avatar

Does anyone know of a protest in Amarillo?

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Carl B's avatar

We need people around the world protesting at all the US Embassy’s as well.

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Lark Leonard's avatar

Yes! I will be on the street in Bennington, Vt. I'm making my signs right now. Everyone: please! Get out on April 5th and protest peacefully, but.... Protest!!

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Stan of Stanistan's avatar

I’m going out to stand on the street corner in my hometown this Sunday. Maybe 12 of us will be holding signs. Can’t wait.

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