1. When the actions of our government spark mass protest it is a sign that the democratic process is unwell - that the government is operating well-outside the mainstream. Historically, the reasons differ.
2. Usually, it is because the government is resisting change that is wanted by the majority of the country - as with the Suffrage and Civil Rights movements. It can also be due to a disagreement of the majority with policy - as with the Vietnam War.
3. The mass protests witnessed since 2016 are a bit different. We have seen a majority party not just resisting progress, but wishing to dial it back - fully aware it is against the wishes of the majority of the population.
4. The quest is to UNDO the progress made by a popular, two-term POTUS and shift the country in a regressive direction that appeals to the desires of a minority base - who have been whipped into a frenzy of fear, blame - even hate.
5. Unlike periods of democratic illness in the past, there is scant reason to believe the #GOP is doing any of this in good faith - they are not simply out of step with the wishes of the majority. They are not making choices that are blind to the risks and costs to democracy.
6. They fully knew DT was a terrible choice -clearly evidenced by the statements of so many during the primaries - yes, we remember, @LindseyGrahamSC. They fully knew the horrific message it sent to women to appoint an admitted sexual predator to the highest office.
7. But for @senatemajldr there is no cost too high to offset his singular desire to control the courts and control the course of the laws of our country - mass public opinion be damned. He long ago decided it was only his wishes that matter.
8. And in a course of events that is positively Shakespearean, this singular desire has resulted in the #GOP confirming a man to #SCOTUS that is riddled with questions as to his ethics, partisanship, temperament, and morality.
9. In no stretch of the imagination can this be interpreted as healthy for the American people or our democracy, just as DT, himself, has unleashed wave after wave of toxicity and divisiveness on the people of our country. There is no good faith here.
10. This is a unique scenario - one I don't believe the founders of our government anticipated. Where the party majority would simply ignore the wishes of the people and proceed with their own agenda - with scorn and malice.
11. There is only one redress. On November 6, the people must speak out with their votes. The #GOP must be voted out. We must have a government that listens to the people - that seeks to heal divides and find solutions to allay concerns. That is democracy.
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1. #Millennials we are reaching the final days for Voter Registration! The policy direction determined by the 2018 midterm elections WILL absolutely impact your life choices and options. The #Healthcare vote matters even if you're young and healthy.
2. Company/employee loyalty has become a nominal factor in career trajectory. Boomers lamented how often GenXers would change jobs, but #Millennials have figured out how to make lateral moves work in their favor.
3. Young workers move on from companies relatively quickly, enhancing their resume and generally increasing earning power with each lateral move. Companies are able to keep their employee costs down - for many industries it's a win-win.
1. Mitch McConnell's Legacy. This has been the consistent explanation that has created the backdrop of the past two chaotic years. His desire to leave office having effectively stacked and shaped the Courts to support Right Wing ideology for subsequent generations.
2. In his singular pursuit of this mission, he has shrugged off a barrage of damage to our Democracy. He has supported unfit leaders, ignored breaches of Constitutional and Institutional norms, looked the other way as justice, ethics, truth and faith in our systems are damaged.
3. The reality is that @senatemajldr has already confirmed his legacy with his Faustian approach. That's the problem with 'slippery slopes' - you end up at the bottom. McConnell's gravest error has been trying to force the American people to the bottom with him.
1. As I'm sure many of you have, I often wonder about Post-Trump America. Obviously, there will be the arduous, and likely, long task of repairing policies, foreign relationships and treaties. But, what of our culture?
2. Will this careening journey through the gutter permanently lower the bar? Are our institutions permanently damaged? Our sense of truth permanently broken in a portion of our citizenry? Will class, honor, honesty and respect find their way back as pillars of our offices?
3. Yes, we were never perfect, but there were expectations of behavior. Norms that supported respectful checks and balances. Norms that have been shattered to the extent that we are no longer even shocked by extreme behavior from this administration - a cultural numbing.
1. Scapegoating immigrants and 'valuating'people based on race/ethnicity is not new. I say this to draw attention to the shame that we haven't evolved past this and to remind that, as Americans, we must stand against the hatred that plagued the lives of many of our own families.
2. Are you aware of your genealogy? Are you familiar with the trials and tribulations experienced by your ancestors when they came to this country? If you turn a blind eye to this hatred because it's targeted at POC - are you aware that European immigrants faced hatred also?
3. My mother and father's families both immigrated from Ireland in the early 1850's - fleeing starvation and oppression to a promise of freedom and opportunity in America. My mother's family first went to CO to take their chance at the Gold Rush.
1. We don't actually know if votes were altered or registrations affected by Russians in 2016. There has been no adequate investigation - partially because we don't have a comprehensive way to do so and partially because our gov is probably afraid to look in that dark corner.
2. We do know we were attacked in a sophisticated and multi-pronged military-level campaign. We know people were manipulated through social media and targeted ads, we know individuals and political campaigns were targeted. We also know they're doing it again.
3. The GRU has already inserted itself in Florida election systems - one of it's targets from 2016. Without adequate protection, they are positioned to attack the systems. The government must act...but, what can we do as voters in the face of all this?
1. As activists we fight toward our common goals, side by side, arm in arm. We don’t always know the trials of our individual lives, but our bonds endure. I’m sad to share the passing of one of our own. In March, Erik Landwher, @EJLandwehr, passed away. shar.es/antYW8
2. Erik had become ill, yet had remained positive. I wish with all my heart, we had known when he faced his final hours, but the final moments that he shared with us were upbeat.
3. Erik was more to those of us on political Twitter than a fellow activist. As an adult gay man with autism, he shared his experiences with many of us and offered support as parents and peers. His fight, his powerful voice, and his generous spirit will not be forgotten.