Love this piece. Captures a lot of the themes I've been thinking about as a writer/creative in DC. I don't have any firm answers to your questions, but a few thoughts you'd sparked for me:
= Heather Richardson has pointed out we don't need to look to Nazi Germany or other places to see examples of fascism/authoritarianism—the Jim Crow south is a perfect example of Americans being robbed of their rights every day for decades. We can learn from their experiences if we listen.
= I don't know that we need to look that far to determine if something is "off." The evidence is in the headlines every day: Immigrants being rounded up, plans for detainment camps, federal funding for scientific research paused, etc. I had hoped the new administration might be slow to move, or that Trump would be as lazy as he's always been, but that's not the case so far.
= "Act locally" is the best advice I've seen. National leaders have a huge impact on all of us, but mayors, community leaders, and neighbors often have a bigger impact on our daily lives.
Scott, thanks for this thoughtful reply. Agreed on all points. You know, I think it's because I was just in the U.S. and I reside here in Canada that I'm hooked on the emotional content of things being "off". Things have been off since 2016 but now there is a reckoning and the soul searching that I feel is probably also being felt by so many progressives and liberals. We are not yet acting locally but that's what will and should happen.
Love this piece. Captures a lot of the themes I've been thinking about as a writer/creative in DC. I don't have any firm answers to your questions, but a few thoughts you'd sparked for me:
= Heather Richardson has pointed out we don't need to look to Nazi Germany or other places to see examples of fascism/authoritarianism—the Jim Crow south is a perfect example of Americans being robbed of their rights every day for decades. We can learn from their experiences if we listen.
= I don't know that we need to look that far to determine if something is "off." The evidence is in the headlines every day: Immigrants being rounded up, plans for detainment camps, federal funding for scientific research paused, etc. I had hoped the new administration might be slow to move, or that Trump would be as lazy as he's always been, but that's not the case so far.
= "Act locally" is the best advice I've seen. National leaders have a huge impact on all of us, but mayors, community leaders, and neighbors often have a bigger impact on our daily lives.
Scott, thanks for this thoughtful reply. Agreed on all points. You know, I think it's because I was just in the U.S. and I reside here in Canada that I'm hooked on the emotional content of things being "off". Things have been off since 2016 but now there is a reckoning and the soul searching that I feel is probably also being felt by so many progressives and liberals. We are not yet acting locally but that's what will and should happen.