10 Comments

I started by writing my Senators and Congressperson asking them to insist that the law be followed before Inspectors General could be replaced- that is make sure the administration gives Congress 30 days notice in writing with a justification for each IG to be replaced and to make sure a need for loyalty was not considered a permissible reason.

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Fantastic! Our legislators at the federal, state, and local levels need to know where we stand. We vote again (mid-terms) in 644 days.

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Small acts, done consistently, add up. I'm calling my congressional reps (all 3 blood red) at least weekly, and posting helpful and hopefully empowering messages where I can. As for marching AGAIN — sigh. The lesson there, I've decided, is that we must decide what we can do with commitment yet WITHOUT being attached to the results. Like the people who built cathedrals, I guess; what we're working on may not be completed in our lifetimes but we keep going. Even though somebody keeps whacking away at what we've already built.

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THIS --> "we must decide what we can do with commitment." (not everyone is a marcher or a writer. I myself learned in this last election that phone-banking was not something I could do "with commitment," so I write, donate, learn, and share ways to take action.

AND THIS--> "WITHOUT being attached to the results" -- agreed. We can't celebrate "victories" of things that ought to be rightfully ours. Whether we win or not, we ARE making progress.

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Your piece brings back memories! I remember demonstrating at age 19 on the anniversary of Roe (1986). It was -40 degrees in Fairbanks. My friend’s car tires were frozen into squares, but we bumped down to the courthouse and waved signs at passing cars, stamping our feet to stay warm. I never dreamed women would still be fighting for these same rights nearly 40 years later.

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A winter protest in Fairbanks -- that's dedication. We'll keep stamping our feet.

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Courage. We're not all in America but we can stand loud and strong beside you. Dark days indeed.

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Thank you, Jan. I'm betting on either humanity or the planet for the win.

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Bravura! For your writing, for your dedication and example, for your choice to inspire our faith in the power of a voice informed by courage and courage informed by power of a voice—thank you. I needed to remember those buses.

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Thank you so much!

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