Thousands, and soon millions, are NOT allowing this to happen/continue. To wit: Remember, when you leave your home with your little protest sign--you are not alone. With the anticipated thousands [million+?] of heroic protestors on April 5th (actually any and all days, including Women's March) here's an updated partial list of those fighting back every day [as of 3-30-25). I'm also adding courageous law firms who haven't caved. Besides upstanding lawyers, and law-abiding honorable (present and former) judges (including James Boasberg, chief judge, D.C. District Ct.), here's a growing list of Profiles in Courage men, women, and advocacy groups who refuse to be cowed or kneel to the force of Trump/Musk/MAGA/Fox "News" intimidation:
I'll begin (again) with Missouri's own indomitable Jess[ica] (à la John Lewis's "get in good trouble") Piper/"The View from Rural Missouri," then, in no particular order, Francie Garber Pepper (1940-2025), Heather Cox Richardson/"Letters from an American," Joyce Vance/"Civil Discourse," Bernie Sanders, AOC, Gov. Tim walz, Sarah Inama, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Rev. William J. Barber II, Jasmine Crockett, Ruth Ben-Ghait, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes, Ali Velshi, Prof. Lawrence Tribe, Stephanie Miller, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Beshear, Gov. JB.Pritzker, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Amb. Susan Rice, Mayor Michelle Wu, Jim Acosta, Jen Rubin And the Contrarians, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Jay Kou, Steve Brodner, Rachel Cohen, Brian TylerCohen, Jessica Craven, Scott Dworkin, Brett Meiselas, Joy Reid, D. Earl Stevens, Melvin Gurai, Dan Pfeiffer, Anand Giridharadas Anne Applebaum, Lucian Truscott IV, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, Michael Bennett, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff, Jon Ossoff, Elyssa Slotkin, Tristan Snell, Delia Ramirez,Tim Snyder, Robert B. Hubbell, Ben Meiseilas, Rich wilson, Ron Filpkowski, Jeremy Seahill, Thom Hartmann, Jonathan Bernstein, Simon Rosenberg, Marianne Williamson, Mark Fiore, Jamie Raskin, Rebecca Solnit, Steve Schmidt, Josh Marshall, Paul Krugman, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Danziger, Ann Telnaes,͏ ͏Will Bunch, Jim Hightower, Dan Pfeifer, Dean Obeidallah, Michel Zeitgeist, Liz Cheney, Adam Kimzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson, John Cusack. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Jonathan V Last, Sarah Longwell, Andrew Egger, Aaron Parnas
American Bar Association, 23 blue state Attorney Generals, Indivisible. FiftyFifty one, MoveOn, DemCast, Blue Missouri, Third Act, Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, Democracy Index, Protect Democracy, DemocracyLabs, Fred Wellman/On Democracy, Hands Off, Marc Elias/Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, League of Women Voters, Lambda Legal, CREW, CODEPINK, ACLU, The 19th/Errin Haines, Working Families Party, American Oversight, Every State Blue, Run for Something, Jessica Valenti/Abortion Everyday, The American Manifesto, The Dr. Martin Luther King Center, Bulwark Media, Bill Kristol/all NeverTrumpers
And, as Joyce Vance says, "We're in this together"--or via Jess Piper, from rural Missouri: "Solidarity." FIGHT BACK! WE ARE NOT ALONE! (Latest addition h/t , Robert B. Hubbell: Law firms, see below). All suggestions are welcome.
* Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling have resisted Trump, fighting back with the help of other courageous firms like Williams & Connolly. Per The ABA Journal, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, representing fired inspectors general. (http://law.com/)
Hogan Lovells, seeking to block executive orders to end federal funding for gender-affirming medical care. (http://law.com/)
Jenner & Block, also seeking to block the orders on cuts to medical research funding. (http://law.com/, Reuters)
Ropes & Gray, also seeking to block cuts to medical research funding. (http://law.com/)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, representing the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and others seeking to block funding cuts for immigrant legal services. (http://law.com/)
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer.
Wilmer Hale
Keker, Van Nest & Peters
Southern Poverty Law Center
Perhaps I should add our nation's motto--and on our Great Seal--the phrase "E pluribus unum" (out of many, One ). Ii's 13 letters makes its use symbolic of the original 13 Colonies which rebelled against the rule of the Kingdom of George III . . .And now we protest together against King Donald. As my rural MO. indomitable Jess Piper always says: "Solidarity."
Very good article! I do not believe in nationalism so I have never believed the US was "the greatest nation in the world". In many ways you are right.....America is arrogant. Not all Americans, of course, but certainly those who think we are the "best". I was the first in my family to attend college and I always considered it a privilege. A key factor in whether people go to college is whether their parents valued education. My children have college degrees and my grandchildren were taught critical thinking and law in college. Most of the maga people are not educated and have not even traveled. If a country does not value education, science, art, and healthcare it is easily taken over by a corrupt regime.
Social media. But also reality TV (including prize-based competition shows). There’s an unrealistic expectation-setting on what’s real, should be attainable, and contrived drama consisting of treating people terribly. A warped sense that “loyalty” is somehow a good trait when it comes at backing people regardless of what they do wrong. Call them out and get crushed. Or what should more appropriately be called “friendship subjugation.” All relationships are transactional. A means to a greedy end. Insatiable desire for more and more. A whole generation lives in an imaginary world.
A very good post - it must be as I thoroughly agree with it (!!) - but seriously thank you for encapsulating your thoughts and casting light on the path we follow in the dark.
Spot on. I fear for the future as people don’t seem ready to engage critical thinking. They soak up the bias media and never query the source or veracity or motivation behind what they read. Also as democracy dies the only power left to people is that of their function as a “consumer”. I’ve deleted (my very unused) Twitter account days after Musk started his shenanigans, and went to BlueSky. As the only protest I can make.
Amazing how people I talk to are not prepared to inconvenience themselves one jot, for making a point and exercising their consumer rights. Only by working collectively can the “people“ ever hope to impact these greedy overlords of the global corporate world. How else can us buzzing “flies” ever affect these behemoth corporate turds 💩? Would be interested to hear your views on this!
Thousands, and soon millions, are NOT allowing this to happen/continue. To wit: Remember, when you leave your home with your little protest sign--you are not alone. With the anticipated thousands [million+?] of heroic protestors on April 5th (actually any and all days, including Women's March) here's an updated partial list of those fighting back every day [as of 3-30-25). I'm also adding courageous law firms who haven't caved. Besides upstanding lawyers, and law-abiding honorable (present and former) judges (including James Boasberg, chief judge, D.C. District Ct.), here's a growing list of Profiles in Courage men, women, and advocacy groups who refuse to be cowed or kneel to the force of Trump/Musk/MAGA/Fox "News" intimidation:
I'll begin (again) with Missouri's own indomitable Jess[ica] (à la John Lewis's "get in good trouble") Piper/"The View from Rural Missouri," then, in no particular order, Francie Garber Pepper (1940-2025), Heather Cox Richardson/"Letters from an American," Joyce Vance/"Civil Discourse," Bernie Sanders, AOC, Gov. Tim walz, Sarah Inama, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, Rev. William J. Barber II, Jasmine Crockett, Ruth Ben-Ghait, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, Chris Hayes, Ali Velshi, Prof. Lawrence Tribe, Stephanie Miller, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Beshear, Gov. JB.Pritzker, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Amb. Susan Rice, Mayor Michelle Wu, Jim Acosta, Jen Rubin And the Contrarians, Dan Rather, Robert Reich, Jay Kou, Steve Brodner, Rachel Cohen, Brian TylerCohen, Jessica Craven, Scott Dworkin, Brett Meiselas, Joy Reid, D. Earl Stevens, Melvin Gurai, Dan Pfeiffer, Anand Giridharadas Anne Applebaum, Lucian Truscott IV, Chris Murphy, Jeff Merkley, Michael Bennett, Elizabeth Warren, Tammy Duckworth, Sheldon Whitehouse, Adam Schiff, Jon Ossoff, Elyssa Slotkin, Tristan Snell, Delia Ramirez,Tim Snyder, Robert B. Hubbell, Ben Meiseilas, Rich wilson, Ron Filpkowski, Jeremy Seahill, Thom Hartmann, Jonathan Bernstein, Simon Rosenberg, Marianne Williamson, Mark Fiore, Jamie Raskin, Rebecca Solnit, Steve Schmidt, Josh Marshall, Paul Krugman, Andy Borowitz, Jeff Danziger, Ann Telnaes,͏ ͏Will Bunch, Jim Hightower, Dan Pfeifer, Dean Obeidallah, Michel Zeitgeist, Liz Cheney, Adam Kimzinger, Cassidy Hutchinson, John Cusack. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, Jonathan V Last, Sarah Longwell, Andrew Egger, Aaron Parnas
American Bar Association, 23 blue state Attorney Generals, Indivisible. FiftyFifty one, MoveOn, DemCast, Blue Missouri, Third Act, Democracy Forward, Public Citizen, Democracy Index, Protect Democracy, DemocracyLabs, Fred Wellman/On Democracy, Hands Off, Marc Elias/Democracy Docket, Public Citizen, League of Women Voters, Lambda Legal, CREW, CODEPINK, ACLU, The 19th/Errin Haines, Working Families Party, American Oversight, Every State Blue, Run for Something, Jessica Valenti/Abortion Everyday, The American Manifesto, The Dr. Martin Luther King Center, Bulwark Media, Bill Kristol/all NeverTrumpers
And, as Joyce Vance says, "We're in this together"--or via Jess Piper, from rural Missouri: "Solidarity." FIGHT BACK! WE ARE NOT ALONE! (Latest addition h/t , Robert B. Hubbell: Law firms, see below). All suggestions are welcome.
* Perkins Coie and Covington & Burling have resisted Trump, fighting back with the help of other courageous firms like Williams & Connolly. Per The ABA Journal, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, representing fired inspectors general. (http://law.com/)
Hogan Lovells, seeking to block executive orders to end federal funding for gender-affirming medical care. (http://law.com/)
Jenner & Block, also seeking to block the orders on cuts to medical research funding. (http://law.com/, Reuters)
Ropes & Gray, also seeking to block cuts to medical research funding. (http://law.com/)
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, representing the Amica Center for Immigrants Rights and others seeking to block funding cuts for immigrant legal services. (http://law.com/)
Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer.
Wilmer Hale
Keker, Van Nest & Peters
Southern Poverty Law Center
Perhaps I should add our nation's motto--and on our Great Seal--the phrase "E pluribus unum" (out of many, One ). Ii's 13 letters makes its use symbolic of the original 13 Colonies which rebelled against the rule of the Kingdom of George III . . .And now we protest together against King Donald. As my rural MO. indomitable Jess Piper always says: "Solidarity."
Great writing. Fantastic quote by Vidal. Nauseatingly On point.
Absolutely spot on. greed. Gordon Gecko. There was no turning back from that point in history and we reap the fruits today. 😞
Very good article! I do not believe in nationalism so I have never believed the US was "the greatest nation in the world". In many ways you are right.....America is arrogant. Not all Americans, of course, but certainly those who think we are the "best". I was the first in my family to attend college and I always considered it a privilege. A key factor in whether people go to college is whether their parents valued education. My children have college degrees and my grandchildren were taught critical thinking and law in college. Most of the maga people are not educated and have not even traveled. If a country does not value education, science, art, and healthcare it is easily taken over by a corrupt regime.
Social media. But also reality TV (including prize-based competition shows). There’s an unrealistic expectation-setting on what’s real, should be attainable, and contrived drama consisting of treating people terribly. A warped sense that “loyalty” is somehow a good trait when it comes at backing people regardless of what they do wrong. Call them out and get crushed. Or what should more appropriately be called “friendship subjugation.” All relationships are transactional. A means to a greedy end. Insatiable desire for more and more. A whole generation lives in an imaginary world.
A very good post - it must be as I thoroughly agree with it (!!) - but seriously thank you for encapsulating your thoughts and casting light on the path we follow in the dark.
You know you’re not the only “free” country or the greatest country by a long shot. So that flip side of American arrogance is embodied in Trump.
Canada has some important “cards” to play with Trump. He is testing us and is using his hate to goad us. What an evil man and toddler mentality. Rules
1. Don’t take the bait, stay strong and elbows up.
2. Show him how you have done negotiations with others — he could be allowed to be part of that if he smartens up.
3.Tell him his country is missing out on progress as the stock market slides and people protest in the streets.
I agree with your Dopamine comment. Between that and the Endorphins from fear, he has people hooked like crack.
Spot on
Right on the money. Disappointing but accurate.
Spot on. I fear for the future as people don’t seem ready to engage critical thinking. They soak up the bias media and never query the source or veracity or motivation behind what they read. Also as democracy dies the only power left to people is that of their function as a “consumer”. I’ve deleted (my very unused) Twitter account days after Musk started his shenanigans, and went to BlueSky. As the only protest I can make.
Amazing how people I talk to are not prepared to inconvenience themselves one jot, for making a point and exercising their consumer rights. Only by working collectively can the “people“ ever hope to impact these greedy overlords of the global corporate world. How else can us buzzing “flies” ever affect these behemoth corporate turds 💩? Would be interested to hear your views on this!
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