We come from a long line of fighters
We will find peaceful ways to fight for this democracy ... I sincerely hope.
We are fighters! We come from a long line of fighters. Most of our ancestors fought to come to this land, fought to claim this land from a distant king, some fought to protect the beloved land they had lived on for thousands of years, too many fought to survive in the land where they were considered property.
We’ve fought big fights and small ones; we’ve lost some and won more. However, the past 80 years have been peaceful on our own shores. Perhaps, we’ve grown timid.
Perhaps, we’ve forgotten who we are … strong, determined people who came together and built a country that became a shining beacon of democracy and abundance. We have never been perfect, but our Founders gave us ideals to work toward … freedom, justice and liberty for all.
Perhaps we have forgotten that this land was not built by billionaires sitting in tall, golden towers. Millions of men and women built homes and farms and railroads and cities and schools and churches and businesses … and so much more. Millions of men and women went off to wars to protect our homeland. Too many of them did not come back or came back wounded, physically, mentally, or emotionally from their service for us.
“Bread and Roses” is a fight song for decency … fair treatment, justice, and respect. The refrain filled the air during a 1912 strike of textile mill workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts. It’s an inspiring story of women and men … 30,000 strong … braving starvation and the coldest winter on record … working together to fight the wealthy and powerful mill owners who controlled everything, including the police.
For two months, they braved hunger, cold, and attacks, but they stuck together and stayed united. Gradually, public opinion turned against the wealthy mill owners, and finally the workers won!
For more about this powerful story, watch this short video.
Today, we are fighting a battle beyond our prior challenges: an enemy from within, using tactics of disinformation, manipulation, dominance, and vengeance, bankrolled by billionaires determined to control the system that made them wealthy with the objective of making them even more wealthy and powerful … and under the influence of a foreign dictatorship.
The billionaires found a convicted felon they could control … he desperately needed a way to stay out of jail and a platform for his grifting … a perfect match for everyone except US, the people of the United States.
BREAD AND ROSES REVIEW … USA fights for democracy
In my two and a half years here on Substack, I’ve written primarily about gratitude, beauty, and my own journey. Now, I feel called to dedicate this work to the fight for democracy under the banner of Bread and Roses Review for as long as it takes, or for as long as I have.
First task … remind us that we are fighters and together we are strong.
One thing that’s working amazingly well: town halls. As Musk/Trump take a wrecking ball to jobs, healthcare, and our economy, people are starting to push back. Republican leaders are running away from town halls. People are standing up and speaking out at local gatherings.
One of the most elegant and effective town halls I have witnessed was done in Kansas where 34 citizens spoke to their Senator, who was represented by an empty chair. Read this post for more info with specific details on the design of the event.
CHANGE: Over the coming weeks (or months), I will be curating bits of humor and information from the flood flowing through our information channels. These will be gathered into a weekly, digital magazine … and, when we win this fight, all the weekly collections will be gathered into one memory piece of how we survived the greatest challenge ever faced by our democracy.
Here are two samples from this week’s Bread & Roses Review:
While I would have preferred sparking creativity in different ways, it has been sparked and it may be our saving grace.
Here’s this week’s Bread & Roses Review. And, feel free to send me bits you love or comment on anything.
Jim, I understand your unease. I felt my own as I was writing it ... thus my weak nod to the indigenous and the too many brought here as slaves. However we got here though, we're here. We have some fine ideals we've never lived up to. The question is "what do we do now?"
We can moan and groan about how bad we've been and let the corrupt grifters take over ... or we can fight and try to build and rebuild a country that lives up to its ideals. We have done good in the past ... and we've fallen far short. We are now facing a challenge about our future. Will we stand up and fight to create a better future ... or hunker down in fear?
In some ways, our past doesn't matter ... it's what we do with now that will count in the future.
Sorry but I guess we part ways.
‘Perhaps, we’ve forgotten who we are … strong, determined people who came together and built a country that became a shining beacon of democracy and abundance. We have never been perfect, but our Founders gave us ideals to work toward … freedom, justice and liberty for all.”
I see a different country than you do:
1. We didn’t build a country, we stole a country
2. Shining beacon for greed
3. ‘Freedom , justice and liberty for all’ what are you smoking?
4. Founders ideals? Slavery, eradicate natives, build wealth and pay poor to fight against king who wanted too big of a portion of the ill gotten gains.
5. Religious freedom one often hears. Freedom? Yes free to practice one’s religious leaders intolerance, to keep one’s group under tight control where women cook, clean and produce children. Free to create a religion when one lusts after a friend’s wife. Free to hang strange fruit in the poplar trees.
Was this just satire or a Disney fantasy?