Week Number…

…Nine and a Half

Mar 24, 2025

To the States or any one of them, or any city of the States, Resist much, obey little.
Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved,
Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city of this earth, ever after-ward resumes its liberty.
—Walt Whitman, To The States from the collection Leaves of Grass

1.
This Saturday March 29th will be the sixth Tucson Tesla protest at River and Oracle. As Mitch Anderson wrote, March 15 was the largest Tesla dealership protest in the country with 1,785 people and it was covered by Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, and Ari Melber on MSNBC. Traction!

The protest this Saturday will start a half-hour earlier at 9am. Spread the word, and as Mitch says, we must continue to persist as well, not to tire, and protest against him (both Musk and *rump). Words to remember: Democracy Unites Us! Solidarity. Courts and Crowds will win the day! Democracy First!

Also, Saturday April 5, Indivisible, 50501, and other national organizations are supporting a massive “Hands-Off” national day of protest, that will be held near the Washington Monument in D.C., as will as in places all around the country. And yes, I know it’s the Folk Festival (I’m on stage with Kevin Pakulis at 3pm that day) but if you can make it, there will be one here in Tucson at Reid Park, 11am-1pm organized by MobilizeTucson. The purpose of the rally is to REMOVE corruption, REVERSE damage, RECLAIM democracy.

The only upside of this administration is that it has awakened a sleeping giant—the populace. 24,000 showed for Bernie, AOC, and Greg Caser last Saturday when they originally planned for 3,000.

I’ve also heard some folks saying that the Bernie event was just “preaching to the choir.” I’ve also had feedback like this from my posts.

My response is that all of the things we are doing right now encourages participation in the makeup and machinery of the society we live in. All of us. Lee Papa also wrote about this and said, "The choir deserves to be preached to. That's why they go to church all the time." If I were to expand on the metaphor, I'd say that there is always a chance that a few sinners will come into the church and get religion. That's not the only reason to preach, but it sure as hell is nice when it happens.

And town halls across the country are in high attendance. They are filled with angry constituents, booing and shouting down their representatives, even when their representatives are missing.

Here Senator Chuck Grassley did show, but has no idea what’s going on. We’re in deep shit.

U.S. representative Glenn S. Grothman from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district also showed but gets an earful.

This one gets pretty interesting around 11:00 in with Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA) in Georgia.

And in Springfield, Oregon, even Democrat Val T. Hoyle isn’t left out of the frustration.

Resist and show up!

2.
Once again here’s Patti Vasquez, host of “Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez” on AM 820 WCPT based out of Chicago, on the power of showing up: When We Show Up, They Cower: Town Halls as the Frontline Against Authoritarianism.

She writes that what's most heartening about the response is that it transcends traditional partisan lines. This isn't just Democrats showing up—it's Republicans, veterans, farmers, educators, and Americans from all walks of life who are concerned about the direction of our country.

These Republicans aren't serving their constituents—they're serving Trump, Putin, Musk, and the oligarchy that has captured our government. When Mark McCormick, a 41-year-old independent voter from Des Moines who used to side with Republicans, says "the party has gone off the rails, and now they're basically OK with fascism, which is crazy," he's articulating what millions of Americans are feeling.

We cannot outsource the preservation of our democracy to the courts alone, nor can we wait for the next election cycle to register our dissent. The time for civic engagement is now, and the battlefield is local.

Town halls are where democracy lives or dies. They're where citizens can look their representatives in the eye and demand accountability. They're where the abstract principles of democratic governance become concrete realities.

3.
Anyone reading this have friends in Wisconsin? The 2025 Wisconsin Supreme Court election will be held on April 1, 2025, to elect a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court for a ten-year term. fElon has sunk millions to elect full-on MAGA extremist Brad Schimel who has openly stated he wants to be part of a "support network" for *rump.

Meidas Media’s Ben Meiselas reports that Schimel’s election would mean a far-right Wisconsin Supreme Court, one that could gut reproductive rights, healthcare access, environmental protections, and public safety laws. This is about more than just one seat—it’s about whether Wisconsin’s highest court protects people or corporate power.

It’s not just about politics—it’s about profit. Judge Crawford explained that Musk has personal financial interests in Wisconsin’s legal system, including a Tesla lawsuit trying to overturn state laws preventing direct car sales. He doesn’t want a fair court. He wants a bought-and-paid-for justice.

Watch his interview with Judge Susan Crawford, Schimel’s opponent in the race, here.

This race is essentially about robber barons vs. all others, who are the majority. Sarah Godlewski writes in the Contrarian that this election might determine the future of liberty. Wisconsin still has a 19th-century abortion ban on the books. Though a lower court has temporarily blocked its enforcement, the conservative movement is eager to see it reinstated. A right-wing Supreme Court could make that wish a reality, stripping reproductive liberty from millions. And as other states look for a model to roll back reproductive rights, the next Wisconsin Supreme Court decision could be their blueprint.

No more elected Republicans! Reach out to anyone you know in Wisconsin to vote, and vote early!

4.
In other Wisconsin resistance news, there’s light being shined on school board elections coming up across the state where many candidates belong to the extremist group called Moms for Liberty. Gawd, just the name…

Kirk Bangstad writes that "Mom's for Liberty is a far-right organization that engages in anti-student inclusion activities and self-identifies as part of the modern parental rights movement. ...they oppose LGBTQ+ and racially inclusive school curriculum, and has advocated books bans." This is according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.