I Went Down to the Crossroads

“This is a president who, in just over 140 days, has fired government watchdogs that could hold him accountable, accountable for corruption and fraud. He’s declared a war, a war on culture, on history, on science, on knowledge itself. Databases quite literally are vanishing. He’s delegitimizing news organizations and he’s assaulting the First Amendment. And the threat of defunding them. At threat, he’s dictating what universities themselves can teach. He’s targeting law firms and the judicial branch that are the foundations of an orderly and civil society. He’s calling for a sitting governor to be arrested for no other reason than to, in his own words, ‘for getting elected.’ And we all know, this Saturday, he’s ordering our American heroes, the United States military, and forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past. Look, this isn’t just about protests here in Los Angeles. When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard. he made that order apply to every state in this nation. This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next.” Gavin Newsom gave a short, clear speech on Democracy at a Crossroads. (Feels more like Democracy is parked on the tracks at a railroad crossing.)

+ “The president of the United States has been tougher on L.A. than Russia. Remember that two-week deadline he gave Putin to sit down for peace talks with Ukraine? As of tomorrow, it’s two weeks. But by all means, send the Marines to The Grove.” Jimmy Kimmel completely nails it (and hopefully gives a lesson to some in the media) as he outlines what’s really happening in LA. (Jimmy Kimmel fighting the good fight every night makes it a lot easier for some of us to wake up the next morning and do the same.)

+ We’ve got more politicians telling the truth about what’s going on. We’ve got more cultural icons and celebrities telling the truth about what’s going on. But a lot more people have to follow their example. The more people who speak out, the less scary it is to do so. And we need more of our best and bravest to join the chorus. Tom Nichols in The Atlantic (Gift Article) on Trump’s unhinged, politicized speech at Fort Bragg: The Silence of the Generals. “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?”