Crowned heads heard it and shrieked
I felt this one in my lower back:
Two stages of writing: 1) This shouldn't take too long 2) Oh no
— Neil Renic (@ncrenic.bsky.social) December 4, 2024 at 11:36 AM
I’ve got some work still to do to clarify my goals for this project, to maintain some OFT-work-life balance, and to stave off a cycle of self-judgment.
A bad trajectory
Two weeks ago NYT columnist (and 19th-century American history nerd) Jamelle Bouie shared passages from one of Frederick Douglass’ last speeches (given in Washington DC at the start of 1894).
Douglass had escaped chattel slavery and had witnessed its end in America, but then lived long enough to see the backsliding of progress and the rise of Jim Crow (what Bouie has described as America’s previous experiment with fascism).
Douglass spoke in the context of this retrenchment:
[T]he favor with which this cowardly proposition of disfranchisement has been received by public men, white and black, by Republicans as well as Democrats, has shaken my faith in the nobility of the nation. I hope and trust all will come out right in the end, but the immediate future looks dark and troubled. I cannot shut my eyes to the ugly facts before me.
This column (and this quote) kicked off a conversation with Jamelle Bouie on The Bulwark Podcast this week (YouTube link) about the prospects for the coming years, the challenges for the Democratic Party brand, and the mess TFP has been making of his transition.
At the conclusion of Douglass’ 1894 speech, he affirmed that the idea of America remained powerful despite the emerging reality:
[C]ould I be heard by this great nation, I would call to mind the sublime and glorious truths with which, at its birth, it saluted a listening world. Its voice then was as the trumpet of an archangel, summoning hoary forms of oppression and time-honored tyranny, to judgment. Crowned heads heard it and shrieked. Toiling millions heard it and clapped their hands for joy. It announced the advent of a nation, based upon human brotherhood and the self-evident truths of liberty and equality. Its mission was the redemption of the world from the bondage of ages.
And he suggests that within that idea America may yet (re)emerge.
Recognize the fact that the rights of the humblest citizen are as worthy of protection as are those of the highest, and your problem will be solved; and, whatever may be in store for it in the future, whether prosperity, or adversity; whether it shall have foes without, or foes within, whether there shall be peace, or war; based upon the eternal principles of truth, justice and humanity, and with no class having any cause of complaint or grievance, your Republic will stand and flourish forever.
All the @#$%ing things
Night 29: Canceled my OpenAI subscription
Night 28: Donated money to three orgs
Night 27: Addressed a hazardous tile floor
Night 26: Picked up trash with the Trash Falcons
Night 25: Learned more about Pete Hegseth than I wanted to
Night 24: Canceled recurring subscriptions I no longer need
Night 23: Dwelt in gratitude
Night 22: Picked up pie from a favorite local business
Night 21: Downsized my clothes closet
Night 20: Increased my monthly contribution to the ACLU
Night 19: Deleted a blog from two decades ago
Night 18: Researched nonprofit board opportunities
Night 17: Contributed to Trans Lifeline
Night 16: Spent time together with loved ones
Night 15: Bought from a not-for-profit online store
Night 14: Refined an icon and wordmark
Night 13: Contributed to the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund
Night 12: Contributed to The Guardian
Night 11: Read, reflected, and rested
Night 10: Sent money to support vaccinations in Nigeria
Night 9: Sent money to a friend in need
Night 8: Gave gifts and spoke words of appreciation aloud
Night 7: Contributed to a California-focused nonprofit newsroom
Night 6: Made homemade donuts for my team
Night 5: Opted into a paid Buttondown tier
Night 4: Reviewed my local election results
Night 3: Deactivated my X account
Night 2: Contributed to my local nonprofit newsroom
Night 1: Started by starting
Words, sorts, thinks, and actions by Chris Ereneta, from Oakland, California. Thanks for reading! Consider forwarding this to a friend! Thoughtful feedback and questions are welcomed at that.often@gmail.com