Dear Siblings in Resistance,
Tonight, 45 delivered a speech that cannot go overlooked because normalization is dangerous, but cannot be, in good faith, treated as a surprise. The transcripts will reveal it to have been the most outrageous and libelous State of the Union delivered in US history, certainly in the modern era. The #SOTU invited and furthered grave dangers at the hands of bloodthirsty rhetoricians who simultaneously throw temper tantrums *and* bully whoever they can in service to racist, exploitative, downward punching dark money robber barons.
In light of that, I’d like to take a moment to remind of two things.
First, remember their complicity!
emember that this White House is both a symptom and a cause. There were problems before it and there will be problems after it. It is both unusual in its depravity and eye-opening in how the US arrived at its manifestation.
And it does not go forward without enablers.
Every congressional member who enables this is complicit.
Every rep who wants to privatize and close schools, and shorten the school to prison pipeline into a school to prison hallway, is complicit.
Every rep who poisons the air to line the pockets of plutocrats is complicit.
Every blood-libeling demagogue who tries to throw a rhetorical yoke and policy straitjacket on black and brown communities is complicit.
Every vote suppressor is complicit.
John Cornyn, who flip flops on his wall position, is complicit.
Ted Cruz, who runs racist dog whistles each and every campaign season, is complicit.
Pete Olson, who racially slurred his election opponent last cycle, is complicit.
Randy Weber, whose spokesperson once lied that he had received “the majority of votes from the black community in his district”- is complicit.
Henry Cuellar– who takes money from private prisons and ties hands with hard right wall junkies to reinforce their agenda- is complicit.
Mike McCaul– who allows giant corporations to punch around The People and have their way with their data and privacy- is complicit.
Mitch McConnell– who once accepted an award and took a photo op in front of a Confederate flag and has somehow miraculously managed to escape criticism even in this week’s news cycle- is complicit.
Stephen Miller– the true ideological driver of the presidency- is complicit.
Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick, and others who prop up racist, authoritarian ideas here in Texas- are complicit.
Ken Paxton, who encourages the denial of peaceful methods of change of administration at the ballot box to the best of his failing abilities, is complicit.
Kevin McCarthy is complicit.
Lindsey Graham is complicit.
And the list goes on.
There are certain to be complicit members at the local, state, and national level who you must challenge, pressure, and hold accountable. They can exist in either party, and in varying degrees. A few are outlined above. But no matter what, they are part of the issue, and The Peoples should not, and will not stand for them.
Second, embrace hope!
There is nothing more powerful in history than hope, and there is nothing more powerful in the face of what observers have seen tonight than hope.
Hope rebuilds communities.
Hope protects dignity.
Hope puts racial justice, social justice, and societal harmony first.
Hope gives people what they need to go day by day and do what is best for those around them.
Hope helps volunteers feed and clothe their siblings on Earth, and inspires them to move the heavens if necessary to secure a more equitable future.
Hope brings change because it can change hearts and minds, but can also overcome the attempts of unchanged hearts and minds to dash hope of the future.
Hope is what leads to a new way of looking at things that is so incredibly powerful that it seismically shifts us all past the world of Trumpism. It eclipses the nastiness, hackishness, con artistry and replaces it with the spirit of togetherness, embrace, ingenuity, and wisdom.
Hope has worked. Hope is what called the Administration to carpet for its vicious family separation policy and began to work fervently to do as much good for as many people as possible. Hope punished those who deny access to healthcare based on preexisting conditions. Hope has allowed for some measure of justice to be seen through in the face of extrajudicial violence.
Hope accompanies people to shelters, hearings, public displays and other venues where it is needed.
Hope brings supplies to the border and into communities in need, in urban, rural, and exurban environments.
Hope builds bridges.
Hope busts walls.
There is nothing- NOTHING- more important than hope.
And so as you move forward- as you turn off the pundits analyzing the #SOTU this evening, please keep hope in your hearts.
Hold hope.
Hope comforts those who have lost.
Please love one another.
Please keep fighting.
Please keep up hope.
Solidarity,
Daniel J. Cohen
President, Indivisible Houston
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