Also a Montanan here! I guess I wonder if we don't know anyone in a swing state.... What's the point? My mom in Texas fits several of the categories but I firmly believe Texas will go for Trump in a big way. I honestly don't want to alienate my mom for a vote that won't change anything except our relationship.
I wouldn't worry about trying to convince your mom not to vote for Trump if you don't think she's convincible. Save that relationship and have those discussions with people who can be moved. (My mom's in TX too... I get it!)
Yes, it matters. It matters because America tries hard to be fair. It isn’t always accomplished but is a foundational belief for us all. When our country doesn’t play fair, we feel deeply wounded. Even people who who don’t think deserve fair, deserve it. It’s the basis of equality and we cannot all be equal unless the law plays fair.
Since the rise of Trump and the controlling oligarchy, we often don’t see fair. When Republicans push through their tax breaks for the wealthy, fair is never considered, but a self-entitled white person acts like it is. When children go hungry, there is nothing fair about someone not receiving the basic needs for life. Our lists of unfairness are very long in America. But Republicans spread the lies that if only the poor and needy worked harder, had fewer children, didn’t drop out of school and somehow “deserved it.” The power hungry and greedy live by their version of “fair”. Slave owners lived by sick version of fair.
We all have “fairness” as a social and moral internal guide. Little children on the playground understand the need for fair. Kids trying out for a sport wish for fairness. A hard-working Black student may need a level playing field so we a layer some fairness on so they could attend a quality university.
The legal system and our foundational government documents stress fairness even if it took decades to see the wisdom of doing so. We”ve fought wars over fairness. Israelis vs. Palestinians continue to battle over fairness.
America has taken a hard right and fairness is being ignored. The legal system often turns its back on fairness because White men have been beating a drum and chanting how unfair life is for them. MAGA as a group is based on their perceived unfairness. And in fact, they aren’t wrong. They are just going about it by taking someone else’s fair away from them.
There is plenty of fairness to go around because we make it. And we can make mountains of it. We can pass it around but we cannot horde it. Seeing Trump being treated fairly is critical for our emotional health. It’s critical for our children to see it and make some of their own with their friends. We don’t have to like someone to be fair. But we can and should be fair even if no one it looking.
Be fair with someone today even if you’re only sharing a candy bat.
All very good points. To be clear, I wasn't trying to suggest it doesn't actually matter, but refute some of the discouragement I've been hearing lately from friends and family members.
Hi Tiffany! I live down in Salmon. Was pleased to find you! It’s the same here. I was on Main Street headed home after a long day as a volunteer in our River Museum. I heard the news, and just said “Oh my God” over & over. My eyes teared up & I couldn’t catch my breath. I wanted to roll down my windows & yell and honk my horn. But I simply drove home with a little smile on my face looking thru bleary eyes. Thanks for what you do❣️
Really hard to be a blue dot in a very hostile red place sometimes. I'm sure Salmon can feel that way (I was in about an hour and a half away in Hamilton, MT when I heard the verdict). Hang in there!
I always like to focus on the fact that the polls were very close in the first Biden-Trump election, and Trump did even worse than he did against Hillary. So I don't put much faith in the polls. I am much more inclined to believe that this sliver of people you're talking about in the middle are going to be sensible enough to realize that we're better off with an average Joe than with a felon in office. I really wish people would stop saying that Trump has a chance to win, because I don't believe it.
I hope you're right. I also think its kind of silly to put a lot of stock in polls this early in the game. I AM interested in what undecided voters think, but I also doubt they are paying very close attention yet. They're undecided for a reason -- the busyness of life is getting the majority of their attention and politics is too much to pay attention to 24/7 for most people.
I think the personal relationships we have with people will make a bigger impact than anything else. This election will be won over cups of coffee not competing TV spots.
Tiffany, your generation does not understand the necessity of getting out in the street even if it means not getting ahead. I welcome the commitment to sanity recent DIRECT Action efforts by today's generation testify to. YOU can t just talk the talk you've got to walk it right down the sort of mainstreet of Florence.
Hey Jim, I don’t find blanket statements and generalizations like this helpful. I canvassed two weeks ago and there were a hell of a lot of people from “my generation” knocking doors to tell people why this election matters. My generation is also out there signature gathering for a ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in my state constitution. If you’re comment is about not spontaneously marching up and down the street celebrating when Trump’s guilty verdict was announced, no. My generation didn’t do that. Yours didn’t either as it would have been wildly inappropriate.
Tiffany, I was referring to the actions taken by students to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and disinvestment of higher education holdings in Israeli based enterprises. I applaud your efforts on Project 2025. And its good to know you are canvassing. Based on my experience there are, however, steps necessary to bring an issue to a place where activities like canvassing are appropriate -- https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper/4317/ i.e. sometimes there is not a social media substitute for direct action. The year following this riot 800+ marched and there were no hecklers. See article at the bottom of this page -- https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5484&context=studentnewspaper
And in case you missed this, here's the latest on 2025 from Beau, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op0yk50uMlQ a fellow I no longer follow but a good spokesperson for a fairly sizeable vocal constituency.
Also a Montanan here! I guess I wonder if we don't know anyone in a swing state.... What's the point? My mom in Texas fits several of the categories but I firmly believe Texas will go for Trump in a big way. I honestly don't want to alienate my mom for a vote that won't change anything except our relationship.
I wouldn't worry about trying to convince your mom not to vote for Trump if you don't think she's convincible. Save that relationship and have those discussions with people who can be moved. (My mom's in TX too... I get it!)
Yes, it matters. It matters because America tries hard to be fair. It isn’t always accomplished but is a foundational belief for us all. When our country doesn’t play fair, we feel deeply wounded. Even people who who don’t think deserve fair, deserve it. It’s the basis of equality and we cannot all be equal unless the law plays fair.
Since the rise of Trump and the controlling oligarchy, we often don’t see fair. When Republicans push through their tax breaks for the wealthy, fair is never considered, but a self-entitled white person acts like it is. When children go hungry, there is nothing fair about someone not receiving the basic needs for life. Our lists of unfairness are very long in America. But Republicans spread the lies that if only the poor and needy worked harder, had fewer children, didn’t drop out of school and somehow “deserved it.” The power hungry and greedy live by their version of “fair”. Slave owners lived by sick version of fair.
We all have “fairness” as a social and moral internal guide. Little children on the playground understand the need for fair. Kids trying out for a sport wish for fairness. A hard-working Black student may need a level playing field so we a layer some fairness on so they could attend a quality university.
The legal system and our foundational government documents stress fairness even if it took decades to see the wisdom of doing so. We”ve fought wars over fairness. Israelis vs. Palestinians continue to battle over fairness.
America has taken a hard right and fairness is being ignored. The legal system often turns its back on fairness because White men have been beating a drum and chanting how unfair life is for them. MAGA as a group is based on their perceived unfairness. And in fact, they aren’t wrong. They are just going about it by taking someone else’s fair away from them.
There is plenty of fairness to go around because we make it. And we can make mountains of it. We can pass it around but we cannot horde it. Seeing Trump being treated fairly is critical for our emotional health. It’s critical for our children to see it and make some of their own with their friends. We don’t have to like someone to be fair. But we can and should be fair even if no one it looking.
Be fair with someone today even if you’re only sharing a candy bat.
All very good points. To be clear, I wasn't trying to suggest it doesn't actually matter, but refute some of the discouragement I've been hearing lately from friends and family members.
Hi Tiffany! I live down in Salmon. Was pleased to find you! It’s the same here. I was on Main Street headed home after a long day as a volunteer in our River Museum. I heard the news, and just said “Oh my God” over & over. My eyes teared up & I couldn’t catch my breath. I wanted to roll down my windows & yell and honk my horn. But I simply drove home with a little smile on my face looking thru bleary eyes. Thanks for what you do❣️
Really hard to be a blue dot in a very hostile red place sometimes. I'm sure Salmon can feel that way (I was in about an hour and a half away in Hamilton, MT when I heard the verdict). Hang in there!
I always like to focus on the fact that the polls were very close in the first Biden-Trump election, and Trump did even worse than he did against Hillary. So I don't put much faith in the polls. I am much more inclined to believe that this sliver of people you're talking about in the middle are going to be sensible enough to realize that we're better off with an average Joe than with a felon in office. I really wish people would stop saying that Trump has a chance to win, because I don't believe it.
I hope you're right. I also think its kind of silly to put a lot of stock in polls this early in the game. I AM interested in what undecided voters think, but I also doubt they are paying very close attention yet. They're undecided for a reason -- the busyness of life is getting the majority of their attention and politics is too much to pay attention to 24/7 for most people.
I think the personal relationships we have with people will make a bigger impact than anything else. This election will be won over cups of coffee not competing TV spots.
Amen! We should talk about this on a podcast or something.
That would be awesome (wink!)
Tiffany, your generation does not understand the necessity of getting out in the street even if it means not getting ahead. I welcome the commitment to sanity recent DIRECT Action efforts by today's generation testify to. YOU can t just talk the talk you've got to walk it right down the sort of mainstreet of Florence.
Hey Jim, I don’t find blanket statements and generalizations like this helpful. I canvassed two weeks ago and there were a hell of a lot of people from “my generation” knocking doors to tell people why this election matters. My generation is also out there signature gathering for a ballot initiative to enshrine abortion rights in my state constitution. If you’re comment is about not spontaneously marching up and down the street celebrating when Trump’s guilty verdict was announced, no. My generation didn’t do that. Yours didn’t either as it would have been wildly inappropriate.
Tiffany, I was referring to the actions taken by students to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and disinvestment of higher education holdings in Israeli based enterprises. I applaud your efforts on Project 2025. And its good to know you are canvassing. Based on my experience there are, however, steps necessary to bring an issue to a place where activities like canvassing are appropriate -- https://scholarworks.umt.edu/studentnewspaper/4317/ i.e. sometimes there is not a social media substitute for direct action. The year following this riot 800+ marched and there were no hecklers. See article at the bottom of this page -- https://scholarworks.umt.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5484&context=studentnewspaper
And in case you missed this, here's the latest on 2025 from Beau, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op0yk50uMlQ a fellow I no longer follow but a good spokesperson for a fairly sizeable vocal constituency.
The verdict was good news. Being an optimist I am waiting until June 11th to celebrate! 😊
Sentencing is July 11
Oops! Thanks for the correction. That's a long time to hold back. I wonder if I can make it?
I bet you can! Hopefully it will be worth celebrating.