[Test Email] If we don’t change direction soon

FIGHTING FOR A FOREVER FREE STATE

#25, March 2025

Elon and Team DOGE Prowl the Halls of the U.S. Treasury by Barry Blitt

If we don’t change direction soon

“If we don’t change direction soon, we’ll end up where we’re going.” — Prof. Irwin Corey

By J. T. Knoll

Last Sunday I went to a protest of Trump’s presidency. As I walked – carrying a large American flag — toward the corner of Fourth and Broadway in Pittsburg, Kansas, I flashed back to the K.S.C. (now Pittsburg State) campus in 1969 where I participated in a protest of the Vietnam war.

Sunday’s rally was focused on mass deportations of undocumented workers. I’m all for deporting national security and public safety risks, but mass deportation of parents, siblings, spouses, children, friends, neighbors and community members — not to mention ending birthright citizenship — is not only troubling but also a huge waste of time, energy, money, and human potential. Let’s give these hardworking people a path to citizenship.

It's distressing … but what happened throughout the rest of this week moved the needle from from distressing to dangerous as Elon Musk and his posse began stopping aid programs and illegally entering the U.S. Treasury.

To quote Heather Cox Richardson, “Far from representing a majority, Musk is unelected, and he is slashing through the government programs he opposes. With full control of both chambers of Congress, Republicans could cut those parts themselves, but such cuts would be too unpopular ever to pass. So, instead, Musk is single-handedly slashing through the government Americans have built over the past 90 years.”

This includes Social Security and Veterans’ benefits, which more than ever are keeping millions of Americans on (or just above) the poverty line. If you’re among them — or have family members among them — I’m guessing that, like me, you’re getting pretty anxious.

Of course, because it’s wildly illegal and there has been a blizzard of lawsuits, it appears the Trump administration is going for the scatter gun approach, i.e. violating so many laws that they’re betting the legal system can’t react to them all before they can get their damage done.

All of which has me thinking about an economics, sociology or government class I took in college back in 1968 or ‘69 in which I learned about ‘general strikes’, in which citizens cease all economic activity, such as purchasing goods and working, to strengthen the bargaining position and achieve a common social or political goal.

These may also include rallies, marches, civil disobedience, non-payment of taxes, and other forms of direct or indirect action. General strikes exclude emergency personnel and care workers, such as police, EMTs, teachers, doctors, and nurses.

It might also include boycotts, which is refusing to buy, use, or participate in something.

Boycotts are already happening. Multiple corporations, including Lego, Nestlé, Tyson Foods, Abbott Laboratories, Colgate-Palmolive, Pinterest and Shell International are participating in an advertising boycott of Musk’s X (formerly Twitter).

Also, Jewish leaders are pushing advertisers to drop Musk's X following his Nazi salutes, as well as pleading for Apple and Google to drop the X app from their stores. There are also calls all around the world for a boycott of Tesla, his electric car company.

What to do? I’m not an X subscriber or Tesla seeker so a boycott’s out — but a call to Senators Roger Marshall (202 224-4774) and Jerry Moran (202 224-6521), as well as Representative Derek Schmidt (202-224-3121) isn’t. I phoned and adamantly asked why they weren’t using the power of checks and balances to challenge Musk and stop him from controlling the purse strings of our nation, lest we find ourselves living in a total kleptocracy.

If you have similar concerns — whether you be Democrat, Republican, Independent, Libertarian or non-affiliated — you might want to do the same.

Getting back to our Vietnam war protest in 1968, it turned out we were on the right side of history … but the in-country deaths and MIAs continued until the war’s end in 1975, followed by the crippling PTSD, homelessness, suicide and moral injury that is suffered by vets and their families to this day.

I pray the hostile policies of the Trump administration and his echo chamber in both houses of Congress can be stopped before they bring about a similar form of long-term anguish and shame.

J. T. Knoll can be reached at 620-704-1309 or jtknoll@swbell.net

Published in the Morning Sun on Feb. 15 in a different form..

Join us at our next meeting

This month’s county party meeting will be on March 16 at 1 pm at the Crawford County Democratic Headquarters. Everyone is welcome to participate.

Please let Emily know if you have any items you'd like to see added to the agenda at emily@crawfordcountyksdems.org

We are hoping to see everyone there!

Radical self reliance: The case for mutual aid

By Thomas Gagnon

It is the year 2025; natural disasters are on the rise, civil liberties are on the chopping block, and centuries worth of carefully built social safety nets are being dismantled brick by brick before our eyes by a squad of baby-faced frat bros.

None of this is fresh news to you, Dear Reader, but I am sure you have caught on by now that this round feels different. Something about how each new year bringing new record heat, storms, and fires – or maybe the radical reshaping of the federal government at lighting speed – gives the general sentiment a sense of renewed urgency.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, that’s the point.

It’s difficult to help your neighbors when you yourself are struggling to cope. It is nearly impossible, in fact, to mount any sort of resistance when survival has to be the immediate priority.

When your very rights seem suddenly vulnerable to destruction, it may be hard, in fact, to figure what action is left to us at all. There, however, is one truth that seems to hold up in trying times: as long as we have each other, we have something.

You might be left wondering, then, how such a simple truth could be in any way radical. Perhaps you’ve been a part of community organizations before; they seem to get a few things done and then fall apart in the face of inevitable obstacles. The commonsense principle of helping others almost always seems to veer into a slump of meetings, red tape, and arguments. This, too, is by design. The bureaucratic machinery itself tends to step on its own feet so often that engaging with it feels futile.

So, what if it didn’t have to be an organization?

What if everyone was a leader? What if we all came together and supported each other in radical ways, without waiting for anyone else to swoop in and scoop us out of this mess? Imagine if we were all so profoundly connected by concern for the life and liberties of our fellow humans that we created an avalanche of direct action.

The unstoppable force we generate by banding together might seem almost mythological in the current political climate – but such discouraging notions are very much the product of adversarial campaigns that seek to divide us in every aspect of American life.

We can take our power back.

At this point you might be wondering how that would work, anyway. What could a mutual aid network have to offer that a traditional organization hasn’t already tried?

The advantage of such a network often isn’t what it is, but rather what it isn’t. Our individual compassion for the vulnerable and right to protest injustice is an extension of our right to free speech. It is just all the more powerful when we do it together.

“Public services are exclusive, insufficient, punitive and criminalizing.” Dean Spade, Building Solidarity During this Crisis (and the Next)

In its most effective form, mutual aid replaces the flawed and crumbling social infrastructure that may now be in jeopardy or consistently failing to adequately serve marginalized people. Practically speaking, that may take a nearly limitless variety of forms.

It may be the creation of a resource map for the underserved, with volunteers who are trained in assisting with applications for benefits or replacement legal documents. It could be assisting with rideshares or childcare for your neighbor so they can attend a protest, community meeting, go to work, or go vote. Mutual aid could also be the distribution of meals to those struggling with hunger, encouraging local self-reliance through gardening and backyard flocks.

We are seeing increasing cuts to the programs and funds that keep society ticking. If you can’t get out in the field and garden, there are other ways to get involved. You may find that your specialized knowledge and personal passions can be a vital element of community education and betterment. Let’s start first and figure it out as we go along.

If this piques your interest at all, please feel free to contact me at thomasmdgagnon@gmail.com with a few words introducing yourself, your interests, and any useful skills you think would benefit community action initiatives.

Dear Jim,

I am a little confused about how to be a progressive in the Democratic Party. Some people say that “progressive” is a fancy word for socialist. Is there an authority somewhere who is in charge of definitions? And what about Progressive Democrats of America? Are they another party or what? And what about Democratic Socialists? What the heck are they. Are they Socialists who have infiltrated the Democratic Party? Are they real Democrats or just pretending?

Dear confused,

I’d like to soothe your worried mind, and to do that I will refer you to an article on “socialism” written Richard D. Wolf and published in the Jan. 31, 2020 issue of YES! Magazine. He explains things much more clearly than I can briefly do here. What I can do is tell you about Progressive Democrats of America (PDA). PDA is a federal Political Action Committee (PAC) whose primary goal is to advance the progressive agenda in Washington D.C. and throughout the country. This is done by educating the membership on the issues, endorsing unapologetically progressive candidates to congress, helping them achieve election to federal office, and helping build a long-term progressive movement for political change. The PDA website is www.pdamerica.org.

Some of the activities of PDA are:

Building chapters
National monthly educate Congress liaison program
National monthly conference calls of the Issue Organizing Teams
Progressive Central gatherings
Statewide elections
Presidential elections-PDA joined other progressive groups to encourage Bernie Sanders to run, starting in late 2013.
Progressive Democrats of America is a 501(c)(4) which allows us to lobby at all levels of government.
Young Progressive Democrats of America (YPDA) is a grassroots, youth-led organization seeking to energize, engage, and activate young Americans to become a political force in the electoral process. YPDA will lead the youth rebellion against a system designed to keep us down. https://ypda.org/

That’s a rough sketch of the organization. PDA works inside and outside of the Democratic Party. It’s not a competing political party. The leadership of PDA has recognized that we have two political parties in this country and working within the Democratic Party will pay off in the long run by being and asset and a champion of policies and candidates who support a progressive agenda.

Join us if you support healthcare as a human right for all, a reduction of the defense budget and redirecting funds that address the needs for affordable and quality public education at all levels, DEI, infrastructure projects that will benefit all citizens, effective policies that acknowledge climate change as a man-made problem due to the over-dependence and exploitation of carbon-based fuels, affordable housing, a minimum wage that allows workers to afford to live, legislation that is able to address the immigrant population’s presence in a humane way, reform of the legal system that uses incarceration as one of it primary tools. This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it exclusive of anyone who is not a Democrat. There is support for most of these issues no matter what the party affiliation. If you would support one or more of these issues there may be a progressive heart beating in your breast.

With the belief that there are progressives in the Pittsburg area that are looking for another way to invest their time, I am in the process of forming a local chapter of PDA. If you are interested in being part of this chapter, contact me at j.orwig@cox.net.

— Jim Orwig

Another of Delma’s Rhymes & Rants

From the Political Rhymes and Rants of an Unapolagetic “Woke” Nonagenarian by Delma Smith-Thompson, 2024

From our new HQ manager

By Sally Harryman

Beginning on March 3 headquarters will be open for usual business Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm and Saturdays as needed. There are several shifts to be filled, so please contact me if you’d like to work for even just a couple hours a month. There’s always something to be done!

Groups and committees that aren’t already regularly scheduled are more than welcome to meet at HQ. Contact me at sally@crawfordcountyksdems.org or the office phone number 620-670-6867 for details and to get on the calendar.

Donations for HQ upkeep and supplies are always appreciated. Small cash donations and checks can be dropped at headquarters or by donating through the county web site at crawfordcountyksdems.org. We need a classroom size bulletin board! Any poster and sign-making supplies would be great, too.

About me: Born in Crawford County on the first day of1975. My entire family is from Girard. My parents moved to Pittsburg in 1982 and put my sister and I to work at Classic Catering which led me to graduating from Kansas State University as registered dietitian in 1999. Worked for Freeman in SW Missouri for a few years. Had my boys, Grady & Gauge Garner and moved ‘home’ shortly thereafter. They’ve both recently graduated from Frontenac High School and are productive members of society leaving me with some spare time. Vote No happened, I got mad, made some calls, catered a couple of fundraisers and now I’m hooked on local politics. When I’m not swiffering HQ I’m trying to make ends meet by providing on-line and in-person nutrition counseling to anyone having trouble managing their weight or other nutrition related diseases.

I appreciate the trust you’ve put in me to do this job, I’ll do the best I can (and probably be asking for a lot of help.)

Book group news

“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts” – Eleanor Roosevelt

After a week delay due to the snowstorm, the book group met Feb. 26 to share a meal, vent, and validate our reactions to the month of disastrous actions by the current administration and their entourage.

Then we settled down to a discussion of our February book selection, The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates. There was unanimous appreciation for Coates’ reflective exploration and introspective maturation through his travels to Dakar, Senegal; Chapin, S.C.; the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Through his travels he realizes that we can read to learn about people and history, but we really are unable to truly understand until we go to where people are and confront the mythology that may mask the realities of people and places. As Coates discusses about how we get caught up in narrow parameters in our thinking and opinions, we also personally acknowledged how we, at times unwittingly, have done so. Thus, it matters to be introspective, to criticize, to reinvent to shift perspectives, and hopefully through that process, become empathic of others we may not agree with or understand.

After our shifting from book discussion to personal sharing, we then selected our book for March based on Jim Orwig’s recommendation connecting to what we are currently experiencing socially, politically, and personally. The March book is Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart by Brian D. McLaren. The book description is quoted from the book jacket: “McLaren defines doom as the ‘unpeaceful, uneasy, unwanted feeling that we human have made a mess’... He explores the complexity of hope, the necessity of grief, and the need for new ways of thinking, becoming, and belonging in turbulent times.”

Weather and schedules permitting, we will meet at 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 19, at the Democratic headquarters. New folks are always welcome to share a tasty potluck meal, conversation, book discussion, (even if you haven’t read or finished reading the book) and enjoy friendly good humor.

— Harriet Bachner

Ladies Who Lunch update

Liberal Ladies met on Wednesday, the 5th of February, at noon, at Dem HQ. Members were encouraged to make recurring donations to county Democrats through Act Blue. Check and make sure your recurring donation didn't have a stop after 12 months. We discussed the rumors about ICE coming to our schools. Sandy M. suggested putting a freeze on your credit to protect us from fraud. Harriet brought up how we can help ourselves by meeting together, and by being activists, writing letters and making phone calls. Do one activist thing a day. Members shared news sources that are reliable, including: Legal AF by MeidasTouch podcast, The Bulwark, Aaron Parnas, MeidasTouch.com, The Coffee Klatch with Robert Reich, David Pakman, Byron Tyler Cohen and Ezra Klein.

Our Feb. 19 meeting was canceled because of the forecast (which came true) of very cold temperatures and 6 to 10 inches of snow! We met again on Feb. 26 at HQ. Dawn McNay came to present info about strategic planning she and Dawn Flores are doing for the Crawford County Democrats. I apologize to Dawn and to those who came early as I missed all the messages about the meeting being changed to 11:30. My best friend from Fort Scott was visiting from Monday to Thursday and I just slacked off. I usually respond to messages so if I don't I haven't been paying attention. I talked to Sally about helping me stay on top of things.

We discussed having a Town Hall just to talk about Medicaid. We will see if Women for Kansas would have a good speaker for that event. I will contact Mary Knecht.

Isaiah Harris, the chairman of the fundraising committee, came to help us plan Pi Day coming up on 3.14. Betty Urich and Kathy Fischer agreed to be the early shift. Isaiah hopes to reach people who might stop in before work by being open at 7 a.m. We'll have free coffee. Dionne is making posters that Janice will distribute. Send us your ideas for the posters that would entice people. There was talk of cutting the pies at home and then again people who buy whole pies might not want them cut. ??? We need to set up a work schedule. Need to know soon (maybe for the posters) what kind of pie you're making. I think Sally is getting disposable pie plates. Prices were discussed. I believe last year it was $3 a piece and $20 a whole pie. The Mall Deli charges $3.50 for their Dutch Apple Pie (I think it's a large piece), with ice cream $4.50. Call or text Isaiah with your ideas at 620/670-0848.

We welcome pies from all Crawford County Dems!!!

We may need another planning meeting for Pi Day. Stay tuned.

March 8 is International Women's Day. Unite and Resist! A National Day of Action! Bring ideas of how to accentuate this concept of Powerful Women!

Our next meeting is March 12th, at noon, at Dem HQ.

— Susy Hammons

We want to hear from you!

Article submissions are needed from Crawford County Democrats and friends about issues and topics we should all be thinking about. Let us publish your thoughts in this Revue, for distribution to county Democrats and others across the state. Back issues of thr newsletter are also on the website at https://www.crawfordcountyksdems.org/newsletter.

Please email your thoughts or those of your caucuses and interest groups for publication in the county party’s newsletter to news@crawfordcountyksdems.org. Accompanying photographs or other ideas for illustrating your articles are also welcome. Feel free to ask questions by text or phone of newsletter crew Harriet at 620-704-8566 or Phil at 708-466-0659. Also please include your phone number with your message in case we have questions for you.

We look forward to hearing from you!

By Crawford County Democratic Party

Dr. Emily Walters, Chair

EDUCATING VOTERS AND WINNING VOTES

Newsletter contacts: Harriet Bachner & Phil Burgert news@crawfordcountyksdems.org