As a white old lady - 73 - I am deeply ashamed - no! Make that angry! - at the majority of white men (and those white women) who continue to support those whites who don’t give a damn about them. I thought my generation woke up in the 60s, but it’s clear they didn’t. What happened to our professed support of equality, of love for all?
While I agree, I try not to get beaked off at comments unless they are overtly nasty. I speak my mind and some responses are typical MAGA slurs. Gotta let most of those brush off as responding to them begets more nastiness.
I listen to Danielle Moody (podcast “Democracy-ish with cohost Wajahat Ali), who specifically and strategically urged Black listeners to stay home on the “Hands Off” protests of April 5th because she felt certain their presence would embolden retaliatory measures by the police and other state actors (and possibly white nationalists). Erika Robinson (find her at YouTube and Substack “In the Company of Cards”) also explicitly warned Black folks to stay home and “drink their water” so as to stay safe. In addition to protecting our Black brothers and sisters, this warning was calculated to highlight the reality that the administration would not want viral images of police retaliating with violence against white people.
Joy, I just discovered your Substack and became a paid subscriber today, and I am filled with “joy” to find someone who articulates my feelings about the many white people who are now having their “come to Jesus” moment and marching in the streets. Two of my white friends were appalled when I told them I was not participating in any protests. My reasoning was that Trump is an avowed racist who promised to do everything he could to make sure that white people remained at the top of the Caste ladder and that Black people (and others who did not belong here) remained below them in every category. White people understood this clearly, and they also expected that only Black people would be hurt. In other words, they assumed that there would be one line for whites and one line for Blacks when it came to things like funding cuts, job losses, healthcare eliminations, etc. But since they are being bruised and battered by Trump and Musk as well, whites are appalled and fired-up! I bet if there had been a way for Trump and Musk to only single out Black people for their firing squad, there would not be any Hands-Off Protests. Black people would just be told to be calm, not overreact, wait our turn, give him a chance, etc. This is what we have been told for hundreds of years. And the fact that Americans would vote for a white-supremacist, avowed racist, serial liar, convicted felon, over a Black woman who promised to do good by everyone, tells me nothing will change in America. So, I am circling the wagons and doing what I can to help a few vulnerable Black people. I will not be protesting! Thank you so much Joy for all that you are doing.
It makes me so damn mad every time I hear a white person, particularly a white woman excoriating, black and other people of color for not protesting. What the fuck do we white people know? And how dare we how dare we point fingers at BIPOC folks. It makes me sick and angry, so I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a person of color listening to all this BS from White “liberal“ folks. Sorry for taking up airspace I just had to off gas because I felt what you had to say in this post was so powerful and so damn important. I will be sharing it widely.
Janie, I quote Joy from this post: “White Americans need to have some hard conversations with their Republican relatives and friends..” I personally suggest just making connections with other White people based on common values, then move towards those harder conversations. Want change? Then make it happen.
This is trumps Holocaust Plan, Hitler first banned Jehovah Witnesses, then gay men, and Romani, efore going after his main target Jews. We must all fight this fascist, this dictator, this global mafia like s messianic delusional monster in what ever way we can. No one should be made to feel defensive, trump and his ilk believe themselves superior flaming the old wounds of this countries Confederate ideology, To list all he finds inferior is to list the majority of the people around the globe. All who believe in building a country of immigrants who want free from tyranny to form a more perfect union, a multiracial pluralistic democracy where all people are created equal must ban together in opposition and fight in what ever can,
Perhaps I missed something. There seems to be a lot of unhelpful assuming here, Joy. ALL are needed to work towards saving our democracy. Uniting is key. Please consider how this does not contribute towards that common goal. There is a saying, “When you’re explaining, you’re losing.” Let’s avoid that, please.
Black and brown people need to let the white people do the protesting currently because white old people are not currently being targeted by this regime. It doesn't make sense for people who would be targeted directly to put themselves at risk. There are plenty of other ways to protest.
I totally understand that you are fighting for your family and the institutions that are important to you. I miss your community and know that we all will have to fight this wanna be king at some point.!!
Although I understand and experience the need for rest where we are in this coup is too important to me as a Black American to take a rest or to encourage other Black Americans to stay home. Unless there is another more effective way to save our democracy I am taking to the streets with my fellow Americans. I cannot sit by on the ideology that it is White Americans time to lead. The plane is crashing and that is a strategy for when we are at a safe cruising altitude. If the plane goes down and it is headed in that direction especially after yesterday's Oval Office meeting, we are all going down together.
Star.. I feel the same! So angry at the White men and women who couldn't bring themselves to vote for a woman let alone a woman of color, and those who just say home because they didn't like the choices. 🤬
Doing everything in my power to be the change. #HandsOff. #SayNoToTheOligarchy
The big takeaway from all of this was written a few centuries ago by Dante, when he penned these words, which should be the motto of the Democratic Party:
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
Under Bill Clinton, the Democrats abandoned the working class, deregulating the financial "industry" -- which led to the collapse of 2008: Obama saved the banks and let the workers recover and cope slowly - offering a lot of enraging professorial platitudes -- and opening the way to the Tea Party and the kind of racial resentments that are inevitable in America.
Jim Clyburn intercepted Sanders -- leading in the polls -- to back Biden, who delivered one nothing-ball after another and assured a Trump victory.
The Black vote proved crucial for Biden's Victory, and the consultant-dominated, NIMBY-liberal steered selfie-party could rest peacefully having fooled their necessary but always insufficiently recognized voters yet AGAIN.
Mass exodus time, to the ACTUAL left, like out here in Substack where Joy got exiled after she exposed the corrupt "liberal" media by saying too many important truths. Her treatment is the final word on "working inside the system,."
There are any number of GENUINE left parties, including the American Communist Party and numerous revolutionary socialist parties,who would be the natural place for Black people to land politically, not the Democrats -- who are the party of the eternal mirage.
Yeah, I said Communist: Substack replaced my hammer-and-sickle avatar with that meaningless blob: my intention is to always be open and transparent. I'd invite anyone to contrast the growing inequality here with the more than seven hundred million people raised into the middle class by Communist-led China.
Seems to me we could use a little of that stuff.
At the moment, there is no genuine, meaningful opposition to neoliberal capitalist exploitation and fascism in the political system. That will change if significant number of aware, un-fooled Americans join and start to take charge of America's actual left.
As a white old lady - 73 - I am deeply ashamed - no! Make that angry! - at the majority of white men (and those white women) who continue to support those whites who don’t give a damn about them. I thought my generation woke up in the 60s, but it’s clear they didn’t. What happened to our professed support of equality, of love for all?
How can I help you?
You are helping by speaking out, my friend. That's what's needed in this moment!
Joy, such a perfect response! I was harsh and apologize to Starr.
No worries. One gets used to such things.
Well I hope you DON’T! I tend to be too direct sometimes and there are real humans on the other end. Respect is important.
While I agree, I try not to get beaked off at comments unless they are overtly nasty. I speak my mind and some responses are typical MAGA slurs. Gotta let most of those brush off as responding to them begets more nastiness.
Get with White people who don’t share your views.
I'm acquainted with a number of them.
The black boots of racist fascists are stomping on our necks. Democrats need more diversity to contrast with the old white men destroying our country. Female candidates of color will lead us to a progressive future: https://democracydefender2025.substack.com/p/women-will-save-our-democracy
I listen to Danielle Moody (podcast “Democracy-ish with cohost Wajahat Ali), who specifically and strategically urged Black listeners to stay home on the “Hands Off” protests of April 5th because she felt certain their presence would embolden retaliatory measures by the police and other state actors (and possibly white nationalists). Erika Robinson (find her at YouTube and Substack “In the Company of Cards”) also explicitly warned Black folks to stay home and “drink their water” so as to stay safe. In addition to protecting our Black brothers and sisters, this warning was calculated to highlight the reality that the administration would not want viral images of police retaliating with violence against white people.
Joy, I just discovered your Substack and became a paid subscriber today, and I am filled with “joy” to find someone who articulates my feelings about the many white people who are now having their “come to Jesus” moment and marching in the streets. Two of my white friends were appalled when I told them I was not participating in any protests. My reasoning was that Trump is an avowed racist who promised to do everything he could to make sure that white people remained at the top of the Caste ladder and that Black people (and others who did not belong here) remained below them in every category. White people understood this clearly, and they also expected that only Black people would be hurt. In other words, they assumed that there would be one line for whites and one line for Blacks when it came to things like funding cuts, job losses, healthcare eliminations, etc. But since they are being bruised and battered by Trump and Musk as well, whites are appalled and fired-up! I bet if there had been a way for Trump and Musk to only single out Black people for their firing squad, there would not be any Hands-Off Protests. Black people would just be told to be calm, not overreact, wait our turn, give him a chance, etc. This is what we have been told for hundreds of years. And the fact that Americans would vote for a white-supremacist, avowed racist, serial liar, convicted felon, over a Black woman who promised to do good by everyone, tells me nothing will change in America. So, I am circling the wagons and doing what I can to help a few vulnerable Black people. I will not be protesting! Thank you so much Joy for all that you are doing.
It makes me so damn mad every time I hear a white person, particularly a white woman excoriating, black and other people of color for not protesting. What the fuck do we white people know? And how dare we how dare we point fingers at BIPOC folks. It makes me sick and angry, so I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a person of color listening to all this BS from White “liberal“ folks. Sorry for taking up airspace I just had to off gas because I felt what you had to say in this post was so powerful and so damn important. I will be sharing it widely.
Janie, I quote Joy from this post: “White Americans need to have some hard conversations with their Republican relatives and friends..” I personally suggest just making connections with other White people based on common values, then move towards those harder conversations. Want change? Then make it happen.
Yes I co founded a SURJ chapter in our community for that very reason. That’s a long engaged conversation. Thanks for reaching out
This is trumps Holocaust Plan, Hitler first banned Jehovah Witnesses, then gay men, and Romani, efore going after his main target Jews. We must all fight this fascist, this dictator, this global mafia like s messianic delusional monster in what ever way we can. No one should be made to feel defensive, trump and his ilk believe themselves superior flaming the old wounds of this countries Confederate ideology, To list all he finds inferior is to list the majority of the people around the globe. All who believe in building a country of immigrants who want free from tyranny to form a more perfect union, a multiracial pluralistic democracy where all people are created equal must ban together in opposition and fight in what ever can,
Perhaps I missed something. There seems to be a lot of unhelpful assuming here, Joy. ALL are needed to work towards saving our democracy. Uniting is key. Please consider how this does not contribute towards that common goal. There is a saying, “When you’re explaining, you’re losing.” Let’s avoid that, please.
$25,000 per deportee to El Salvador is the most alarming thing!
I read, that's explains a lot. Very much on script for this administration, so far.
Let's do the math...
So, $2 trillion divided by $25,000 equals 80 million. 🚨
Thanks Joy💐
Thank you for calling us out. We have a ways to go.
Do the work. Connect with White people you don’t agree with.
Black and brown people need to let the white people do the protesting currently because white old people are not currently being targeted by this regime. It doesn't make sense for people who would be targeted directly to put themselves at risk. There are plenty of other ways to protest.
Thank you, Joy!
I totally understand that you are fighting for your family and the institutions that are important to you. I miss your community and know that we all will have to fight this wanna be king at some point.!!
Although I understand and experience the need for rest where we are in this coup is too important to me as a Black American to take a rest or to encourage other Black Americans to stay home. Unless there is another more effective way to save our democracy I am taking to the streets with my fellow Americans. I cannot sit by on the ideology that it is White Americans time to lead. The plane is crashing and that is a strategy for when we are at a safe cruising altitude. If the plane goes down and it is headed in that direction especially after yesterday's Oval Office meeting, we are all going down together.
Star.. I feel the same! So angry at the White men and women who couldn't bring themselves to vote for a woman let alone a woman of color, and those who just say home because they didn't like the choices. 🤬
Doing everything in my power to be the change. #HandsOff. #SayNoToTheOligarchy
Thank you for your voice!!!!
The big takeaway from all of this was written a few centuries ago by Dante, when he penned these words, which should be the motto of the Democratic Party:
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."
Under Bill Clinton, the Democrats abandoned the working class, deregulating the financial "industry" -- which led to the collapse of 2008: Obama saved the banks and let the workers recover and cope slowly - offering a lot of enraging professorial platitudes -- and opening the way to the Tea Party and the kind of racial resentments that are inevitable in America.
Jim Clyburn intercepted Sanders -- leading in the polls -- to back Biden, who delivered one nothing-ball after another and assured a Trump victory.
The Black vote proved crucial for Biden's Victory, and the consultant-dominated, NIMBY-liberal steered selfie-party could rest peacefully having fooled their necessary but always insufficiently recognized voters yet AGAIN.
Mass exodus time, to the ACTUAL left, like out here in Substack where Joy got exiled after she exposed the corrupt "liberal" media by saying too many important truths. Her treatment is the final word on "working inside the system,."
There are any number of GENUINE left parties, including the American Communist Party and numerous revolutionary socialist parties,who would be the natural place for Black people to land politically, not the Democrats -- who are the party of the eternal mirage.
Yeah, I said Communist: Substack replaced my hammer-and-sickle avatar with that meaningless blob: my intention is to always be open and transparent. I'd invite anyone to contrast the growing inequality here with the more than seven hundred million people raised into the middle class by Communist-led China.
Seems to me we could use a little of that stuff.
At the moment, there is no genuine, meaningful opposition to neoliberal capitalist exploitation and fascism in the political system. That will change if significant number of aware, un-fooled Americans join and start to take charge of America's actual left.
Regarding the State of the People tour, make sure you visit a city or two in Texas.