Friday, January 31, 2025

January Vignettes


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Signs of the Times: The 2025 People’s March
Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
Inauguration Day Thoughts
Speaking Truth to Power: Marianne Williamson for DNC Chair
Winter Sunset
“Ice Luminaries” on the Northside
Surrendering in Sacred Trust
Trusting the Flow of Life
Brigit Anna McNeill on “Winter’s Way”
January Vignettes (2024)
Winter Vignettes (2023)
The Light of This New Year’s Day (2023)
Winter . . . Within and Beyond (2020)
Winter . . . Within and Beyond (2019)
Winter . . . Within and Beyond (2017)

Images: Michael J. Bayly.


Speaking Truth to Power


Last night MSNBC hosted a DNC Leadership Forum at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Part of this forum involved a discussion featuring the candidates for DNC Chair.

Among those vying to be the next chair of the DNC is author, activist, and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson (pictured at right with supporters at last night’s forum).

If you’re a regular visitor to The Wild Reed, you would know that I supported Marianne’s 2020 presidential run as well as her 2024 bid. It should come as no surprise then that I’m supporting her campaign to be the next DNC chair.

Indeed, out of all of the candidates, I believe Marianne has the passion, grit, and progressive vision to best help transform the Democratic Party into a winning political party. She’ll do this by facilitating much needed truth-telling and a return to the party’s modern roots – that of being an unequivocal advocate for the working people of the United States.

The DNC membership will be voting on its new leadership tomorrow in National Harbor, Maryland.

Following is a short video of Marianne at last night’s DNC Leadership Forum.





Anthony Pelletier is a young supporter of Marianne. He recently shared the following on social media.


One year ago today, I was campaigning with the Marianne Williamson for President campaign in the New Hampshire primaries [as was I!]. I was out knocking on doors, making phone calls, and attending events. At that time, nobody knew where this election would lead. The Republican Party was pushing Donald Trump to be their nominee, and the Democratic Party was pushing Joe Biden to be their nominee.

I have always admired Joe Biden’s work as president and respected him for beating Trump in 2020, but I also knew it was time for him to step down. That’s why I supported Marianne for president. Her campaign gave me hope for the future, with its focus on climate action, healthcare, education, and so much more.

I’ve had the privilege of speaking with Marianne on many occasions, including tonight, when I participated in an inclusive interview with her and a few other supporters. During this meeting, I had about five minutes to talk with Marianne about where the DNC went wrong in [the 2024] election and how she would change the party if she were elected DNC chair.

Marianne Williamson is someone who truly cares about people and listens to what they have to say. I felt that during my interview with her and while watching the other supporters’ interviews. I am deeply disappointed with how the DNC handled this election – from their funding strategies to their failure to connect with voters. The Democratic Party let us down, and now we will all face Trump 2.0.

After weeks of considering who I want to support for DNC chair, I’ve chosen Marianne Williamson. She will ensure that Democrats are elected up and down the ballot in 2026 and beyond. I truly hope that the 447 voting members agree with me. I know Marianne is the underdog in this race, but I would rather support someone I fully agree with than a frontrunner I only partially agree with.

Anthony Pelletier
via social media
January 18, 2025


Related Off-site Links:
My Plan for the DNC – Marianne Williamson (Transform, January 14, 2025).
Democrats Set to Pick New Chair as Party Grapples With Trump’s Flurry of Actions – Arit John (CNN, February 1, 2025).
Getting Our Power Back: Marianne Williamson at the Third DNC Chair Forum – January 23, 2025.
Marianne Williamson on Reforming the Democratic Party and the Path Forward – Twigg and Jenkins (January 21, 2025).
“This Is Bigger Than The Democratic Party”: Marianne Williamson at the Second DNC Chair Forum in Detroit, Michigan – January 17, 2025.
“Working People Feel Betrayed by Democratic Elites”: An Interview with Marianne Williamson – Rising (January 15, 2025).
Marianne Williamson Speaking to the DNC Labor Council – January 4, 2025.
A Call to Our Better Angels Is Being Made – Suzanne Taylor (Now What?, December 31, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on How Democrats Can Win AgainCNN Newsroom (December 30, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Runs for DNC ChairNewsNation (December 29, 2024).
Marianne Williamson: Democrats Need a “Radical Transformation”Sky News (December 29, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on DNC Run and Why Elon Musk’s Influence Over the GOP Is “Terrifying” – Jason Lemon (Newsweek, December 29, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on Why Americans are Rejecting the Status QuoNewsNation (December 28, 2024).
The DNC Needs Marianne Williamson – Brandon Clark (December 28, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Discusses Her Bid for DNC Chair – Fox News (December 26, 2024).
Who’s Running for DNC Chair? Marianne Williamson Throws Hat in Ring – Monica Sager (Newsweek, December 26, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Discusses Her Bid for DNC ChairABC News Live (December 26, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Is Running for DNC ChairNewsNation (December 26, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on Her Bid to Head the DNC and Reinvent the PartyLA Progressive (December 26, 2024).


UPDATES: Democrats Elect Ken Martin, the Party Leader in Minnesota, as Their National Chair – Steve Peoples (AP News, February 1, 2025).
What to Do – Marianne Williamson (Transform, February 3, 2025).
Liberal Pod Save America Triggered by Stephen A. Smith’s Truth Bombs – Sabrina Salvati (Sabby Sabs, February 21, 2025).

On February 6, 2025, Briahna Joy Gray moderated a spirited discussion on the future of the Democratic Party. Marianne Williamson, along with Our Revolution Chair Joseph Geevarghese, joined Gray’s Bad Faith podcast to give their take on new DNC Chair Ken Martin and whether members of the Democratic Party establishment are taking any accountability for the party’s 2024 electoral failure.





See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Marianne Williamson Wants to Lead the Democrats’ Post-Trump Comeback
Marianne Williamson Makes Her Case for Being the Next DNC Chair
Marianne Williamson Is Seeking to Restore Honesty and Integrity to the DNC
Breaking the Mold: Why Progressives Should Push for Marianne Williamson to Lead the DNC
Marianne Williamson on MSNBC’s The Weekend – 1/12/25
Inauguration Day Thoughts
Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
“A New Chapter of the Democratic Party Needs to Begin”
What the Republican Party Now Stands For
Marianne Williamson on the Kind Mind Podcast – 12/2/24
The Cassandra of U.S. Politics on the “True State of the Union”


Thursday, January 30, 2025

Quote of the Day

Democratic “leaders” rediscovering morality after 16 months of genocide is beyond galling.

Palestine exposed their white supremacy, imperialism, and capitalist neoliberal bankrupcy.

But as soon as Trump is back they reprise the role of morally outraged “good guys” opposite Trump’s villain.

Dr. Butch Ware
Former 2024 Green Party
Vice Presidential Candidate
via Bluesky
January 30, 2025


Above: With Butch Ware in Minneapolis – October 14, 2024.
For The Wild Reed’s coverage of Dr. Ware’s September 8, 2024
meet-and-greet event in Minneapolis, click here.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Caitlin Johnstone: Quote of the Day – January 22, 2025
Something to Think About – December 8, 2024
The Lamentable Legacy of the Biden Administration
The Green Party’s Jill Stein and Butch Ware Give Their First Post-Election Interview
Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
The “Green Smoothie” Option
Jill Stein: “We Give Reasons for People to Come Out and Vote”
We’re Witnessing a Liberal Meltdown Over Jill Stein
Jill Stein in the Twin Cities
Anti-Genocide Presidential Candidate Jill Stein Reflects on the First Anniversary of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza
“This Is a Tragic, Heartbreaking Moment in the History of Humanity”: Butch Ware on the Gaza Genocide
Green Party Vice Presidential Candidate Butch Ware in Minneapolis
Butch Ware: “You Can Actually Vote Your Conscience”
Butch Ware: “I’m Not Here as a Spoiler . . . I am Called Into the Fight for the Struggle for Freedom in Our Time”
Peter Bloom on the Unmasking of the “Democratic Charade”
When Democrats Undermine Democracy
“Americans Deserve Choices”: Jill Stein on Breaking Points – 4/30/24
Progressive Perspectives on the Presidential Nomination of Kamala Harris
Progressive Perspectives On an American Coronation
Demolishing the False Narrative About Jill Stein and the 2016 Election


Tuesday, January 28, 2025

How Empires Are Built and Rebellions Are Born


I continue this evening with my series of posts celebrating what many consider one of the best TV shows ever made; and one that given recent events here in the U.S., powerfully highlights the need for resistance to the rise of auhoritarianism.

The show I’m referring to is Andor, the second season of which returns to Disney+ on Tuesday, April 22.

Andor is a prequel to the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which in turn serves as a prequel to Star Wars: A New Hope (1977).

Andor stars Diego Luna (left), reprising his role as Cassian Andor in Rogue One. Like Rogue One, Andor has a much grittier look and feel, and far more complex characters than any other movie or TV series in the Star Wars franchise. This definitely goes a long way in accounting for my interest in – and appreciation for – both Rogue One and Andor.

I also appreciate the show’s contemporary political resonance. Andor actress Fiona Shaw (right) highlights this resonance when she notes that the show’s writer Tony Gilroy has written “a great, scurrilous [take] on the Trumpian world.”

Shaw goes on to say: “Our world is exploding in different places right now, people’s rights are disappearing, and Andor reflects that. [In the show] the Empire is taking over, and it feels like the same thing is happening in reality, too. . . . I was impressed by Tony’s social-realist intentions. He’s created a whole new morality. It’s very deep and humane – there is grief, mourning, hope, fear. It’s not just primary colours here.”

The first season of Andor was released on the Disney+ streaming platform in 2022, and as I note above, the second (and final) season is scheduled for release three months from now, on April 22.

In the lead-up to season two I’m sharing a series of posts celebrating Andor. Tonight’s installment features an insightful video commentary, the conclusion of which I don’t completely agree with. (Perhops more on this in a later post.) Still, the video as a whole is definitely worth viewing. It’s put together by “Kapil” of the Show Me the Meaning YouTube channel, and in introducing his commentary, Kapil says the following.

Andor is so captivating because it reflects the 2020s in the same way the original Star Wars trilogy reflected the 1970s and ’80s. It’s a product of its age, and not trying to be something from the past. Showrunner Tony Gilroy – famously not a huge Star Wars fan – knew exactly what he was doing in telling a deeply human story that just happened to be set in the Star Wars universe. And in doing so, he explored how a rebellion rooted in hope is created through darkness – and how a tyrannical Empire is actually built by ordinary people. So today, I want to explore the journeys of Cassian Andor, Luthen, Mon Mothma, Dedra and Syril, and what it means to bring Star Wars into the 2020s. I hope you enjoy.





For more about Andor at The Wild Reed, see:
The Revolution Will Be Televised
Andor: The Star Wars Franchise’s “First Piece of Universally Excellent Television”
The Brilliance of Andor
Andor: “A Staggering, Unyielding Masterpiece”



Related Off-site Links:

TRUMP’S ATTEMPTS AT FORGING AN IMPERIAL PRESIDENCY
Donald Trump Is the Empire Unmasked – Caitlin Johnstone (CaitlinJohnstone.com, January 21, 2025).
Energized Neo-Nazis Feel Their Moment Has Come as Trump Changes Everything – Ben Makuch (The Guardian, January 26, 2025).
“Just as Bad as We Feared”: Experts on the Chaos of Trump’s First Week – Chauncey DeVega (Salon, January 28, 2025).
Trump’s Most Lawless Action Yet – David Dayen (The American Prospect, January 28, 2025).
Trump Tries a January Coup – Again: The President Wages War on the Separation of PowersThe Ink (January 28, 2025).
“We Do Not Consent” Says Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Illegal “Power Grab” as Judge Halts Trump Order – Jessica Corbett (Common Dreams, January 28, 2025).
“Trump Is Trying to Collapse Our Economy”: War on “Woke” Revealed as a War on All Americans – Amanda Marcotte (Salon, January 29, 2025).
What Trump’s Pardons and Retribution Say About His Fascist Threat – Chuck Idelson (Common Dreams, January 29, 2025).
Trump Is Clearly Moving in an Authoritarian and Potentially Fascist Direction – John Ripton (Common Dreams, January 29, 2025).
The Hostile Takeover of the United States by Corporate Raiders Has Arrived in Full – Thom Hartmann (Common Dreams, January 29, 2025).
Think Trump’s Tyranny Can’t Be Opposed or Stopped? Think Again – Jeremy Brecher (Common Dreams, January 29, 2025).
Amid Confusion, Panic and Backlash, Trump’s White House Rescinds Funding “Freeze” on Grants and Programs – Chris Walker (TruthOut, January 29, 2025).
Trump’s First Week: “Designed to Destroy the United States From Within" – Chauncey DeVega (Salon, January 30, 2025).
Trump’s Big, Bad, Destructive, and Unpeaceful Imperialism – Phyllis Bennis (Common Dreams, January 31, 2025).

ANDOR
There’s No Hiding From It: The Politics of Andor Look a Lot Like the Type Troubling Our World – Melanie McFarland (Salon, September 23, 2022).
Andor Is Star Wars’ “Scurrilous Take on the Trumpian World,” Says Fiona Shaw – Ben Travis (Empire, August 2, 2022).
The Politics of AndorThe Mehdi Hasan Show (May 4, 2023).
How Andor Redeemed Politics in Star Wars – Andrew McGowan (Collider, November 30, 2022).
There Were No Jedi, and Other Reasons Andor Was Great – Tracy Brown, Matt Pearce and Jamil Smith (Los Angeles Times, November 30, 2022).
Andor: A Marxist Allegory Brought to You by Disney – Damien Walter (Science Fiction with Damien Walter, December 8, 2022).
Evil in Andor: The Banality of EvilThe Canvas (November 27, 2024).
Why Andor Is So Important for Star Wars – Kirk Mihelakos (Designed by Kirk, November 23, 2022).
Andor Is the Best Star Wars Has Been in 40 YearsCleaver Rebooted (November 23, 2022).
Why Andor Feels So Real – Thomas Flight (November 23, 2022).
Why Andor Boldly Goes the Distance While Most High Profile Star Wars Adaptations Fell Short – Melanie McFarland (Salon, November 25, 2022).
Is Andor Actually THAT Good? (Yes, and Here’s Why) – Ben Arndt (A.M. Cinematics, November 28, 2022).
Just Go Watch AndorCameroN xM (December 28, 2022).
How Andor Became My Favorite Star Wars ShowA Short Ginger (January 2, 2023).
Andor Is Star Wars PerfectionCaprisanh (January 6, 2023).
Why Is Andor’s Dialogue So Much Better?The Writer’s Block (January 14, 2023).
The Poetry, Power, and Philosophy of Andor’s MonologuesMaster Samwise (February 21, 2023).
Andor Season 2: Everything We Know – Josh Rosenberg (Esquire, August 12, 2024).
Diego Luna Says Andor Season 2 Turns Rogue One Into a “Different Film” – Dalton Ross (Entertainment Weekly, August 15, 2024).
Everything We Know About Andor Season 2: Release Window, Plot, Cast, and More – Fran Ruiz (Space, October 16, 2024).
Rumor: Andor Season 2 to Bring Back Andy Serkis as Kino Loy – Ishita Verma (Super Hero Hype, October 28, 2024).
Andor Is a Message for the FutureSpaceman (November 21, 2024).
Andor’s Luthen Rael Is Basically the Rebellion’s Emperor Palpatine – Allen Xies (Generation Tech, November 22, 2024).
Andor Season 2 Is About to Break RecordsNyft (November 23, 2024).


Sunday, January 26, 2025

“Ice Luminaries” on the Northside


Last night my friend and downstairs neighbor Joseph and I visited the inaugural “Northside Luminary Light Up!” at the Old Highland Peace Garden at 18th and Emerson Avenues North in Minneapolis.

It was a one night only event, and my friend Brian (pictured below) who lives on the northside was instrumental in making it a reality. And what a beautiful and magical reality it was!

I should also say that taking in the magical beauty of the many ice luminaries last night was just what I needed to revive my spirits after the first week of the second Trump presidency and all it’s ushering in. Perhaps you feel the same way about what’s unfolding in the U.S. If so, I hope my photos from last night will, well, light up and lift your spirits as they did mine.


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Shining On . . . Into the New Year
Aligning With the Living Light
Honoring the Darkness While Remembering the Light
Being the Light
How the Light Comes
In the Chill of Winter, a Prayer of Light and Love
I Need Do Nothing . . . I Am Open to the Living Light
Chadwick Boseman and That “Heavenly Light”
Honoring the Inner Light of the Soul
The Light Within

Images: Michael J. Bayly.


Thursday, January 23, 2025

Marianne Williamson Wants to Lead the Democrats’ Post-Trump Comeback


Earlier today Tess Bonn noted the following when introducing her interview with Marianne Williamson.

Democrats are still reeling from President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. With his flurry of executive orders and pardons, the 45th-turned-47th commander-in-chief’s new administration is taking shape at lightning speed, leaving the left scrambling for a cohesive response.

Kamala Harris’s 2024 defeat has triggered a wave of finger-pointing within Democratic ranks. Senator Bernie Sanders accused the party of abandoning working-class people and depending too heavily on affluent donors. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, on the other hand, blamed the party’s latest electoral loss on former President Joe Biden’s delayed decision to exit the presidential race.

Amid the internal discord, author and two-time presidential candidate Marianne Williamson is calling for bold action. As a candidate for Democratic National Committee chair, she has pledged to “reinvent the party from the inside out.”

Williamson joins a crowded race to succeed outgoing chair Jaime Harrison, including former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party Chair Ken Martin, Wisconsin Democratic Party Chair Ben Wikler, and New York State Senator James Skoufis.

On February 1, DNC members will meet for their winter session to vote on a new chair and other leadership positions. In the days leading up to the election, candidates for DNC chair will take part in four forums, where they will present their visions for the future of the Democratic Party to members.

As she prepares to make her pitch to fellow Democrats, we sat down with Williamson to discuss her vision for the DNC, why she believes she’s the leader Democrats need right now, and how the party can rise to match Trump’s “audacity.” Watch the conversation in the video below, and read transcript highlights here.






NEXT:
Speaking Truth to Power


Related Off-site Links:
My Plan for the DNC – Marianne Williamson (Transform, January 14, 2025).
Getting Our Power Back: Marianne Williamson at the Third DNC Chair Forum – January 23, 2025.
Marianne Williamson on Reforming the Democratic Party and the Path Forward – Twigg and Jenkins (January 21, 2025).
“This Is Bigger Than The Democratic Party”: Marianne Williamson at the Second DNC Chair Forum in Detroit, Michigan – January 17, 2025.
“Working People Feel Betrayed by Democratic Elites”: An Interview with Marianne Williamson – Rising (January 15, 2025).
Marianne Williamson Speaking to the DNC Labor Council – January 4, 2025.
A Call to Our Better Angels Is Being Made – Suzanne Taylor (Now What?, December 31, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on How Democrats Can Win AgainCNN Newsroom (December 30, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Runs for DNC ChairNewsNation (December 29, 2024).
Marianne Williamson: Democrats Need a “Radical Transformation”Sky News (December 29, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on DNC Run and Why Elon Musk’s Influence Over the GOP Is “Terrifying” – Jason Lemon (Newsweek, December 29, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on Why Americans are Rejecting the Status QuoNewsNation (December 28, 2024).
The DNC Needs Marianne Williamson – Brandon Clark (December 28, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Discusses Her Bid for DNC Chair – Fox News (December 26, 2024).
Who’s Running for DNC Chair? Marianne Williamson Throws Hat in Ring – Monica Sager (Newsweek, December 26, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Discusses Her Bid for DNC ChairABC News Live (December 26, 2024).
Marianne Williamson Is Running for DNC ChairNewsNation (December 26, 2024).
Marianne Williamson on Her Bid to Head the DNC and Reinvent the PartyLA Progressive (December 26, 2024).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Marianne Williamson Makes Her Case for Being the Next DNC Chair
Marianne Williamson Is Seeking to Restore Honesty and Integrity to the DNC
Breaking the Mold: Why Progressives Should Push for Marianne Williamson to Lead the DNC
Marianne Williamson on MSNBC’s The Weekend – 1/12/25
Inauguration Day Thoughts
Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
“A New Chapter of the Democratic Party Needs to Begin”
What the Republican Party Now Stands For
Marianne Williamson on the Kind Mind Podcast – 12/2/24
The Cassandra of U.S. Politics on the “True State of the Union”


Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Quote of the Day


If you’ve been ignoring or defending Biden’s genocidal criminality these past 15 months, then I don’t really care what you have to say about Trump or Musk or any of their cohorts. Your criticisms might be 100% accurate, but they’re not coming from a place of truth.

If you moved seamlessly from aggressively attacking Biden’s abuses to aggressively attacking Trump, then you have my attention because I know your criticisms are coming from actual principles and not blind opposition to an opposing political faction. You are standing against tyranny instead of standing with one of America’s two tyrannical parties.

Caitlin Johnstone
via social media
January 22, 2025




See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
Inauguration Day Thoughts
The Lamentable Legacy of the Biden Administration
Signs of the Times: The 2025 People’s March
Neoliberalism vs Neofascism: Cornel West on the State of U.S. Politics
What the Republican Party Now Stands For
Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
Progressive Perspectives on Kamala Harris’ Faltering Presidential Campaign
Elise Labott on How Third Parties Can Revitalize Democracy
When Democrats Undermine Democracy
The “Green Smoothie” Option
“Americans Deserve Choices”: Jill Stein on Breaking Points – 4/30/24
The Green Party’s Jill Stein and Butch Ware Give Their First Post-Election Interview
Butch Ware: Quote of the Day – September 12, 2024
“The Next Step Is a Green Step”

Image: Kristen Solberg.


Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Bishop Budde Confronts President Trump on His Anti-Trans and Anti-Immigrant Policies

At the end of her sermon during today’s inaugural interfaith prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, Episcopal Bishop, The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump.

Recalling Trump’s claim during his inauguration yesterday that he was “saved by God” after a bullet hit his ear in an assassination attempt in July, Budde asked Trump, who was seated in the church with members of his family, “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now.”

Following is the full text of that part of Bishop Budde’s sermon which she directed to Trump.

Let me make one final plea, Mr. President. Millions have put their trust in you, and as you told the nation yesterday, you have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian, and transgender children in Democratic, Republican, and independent families, some who fear for their lives. The people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meatpacking plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the night shifts in hospitals, they may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues, gurdwara, and temples.

I ask you to have mercy, Mr. President, on those in our communities whose children fear their parents will be taken away, and that you help those who are fleeing war zones and persecution in their own lands to find compassion and welcome here. Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land. May God grant us the strength and courage to honor the dignity of every human being, to speak the truth to one another in love, and walk humbly with each other and our God, for the good of all people, the good of all people in this nation and the world. Amen.


Later in the day Democratic strategist Keith Edwards applauded Bishop Budde’s decision to speak directly to the president, calling her “incredibly brave.”

Bishop Budde “confronted Trump’s fascism to his face,” he said on the social media platform Bluesky.





UPDATE:
Bishop Mariann Budde Talks About
Confronting President Trump in Sermon

National Public Radio
January 22, 2025


Related Off-site Links:
Bishop Confronts Trump During Sermon at Inaugural Prayer Service – Jason DeRose and Sarah Ventre (NPR News, January 21, 2025).
“Incredibly Brave” Bishop Asks Trump to Halt Attacks on Immigrants and Trans People – Julia Conley (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
“People Are Afraid”: Immigrant Communities Brace for Raids and Mass Deportation Under TrumpDemocracy Now! (January 21, 2025).
Immigrant Rights Groups Sue Trump Over Attack on Birthright Citizenship, a “Cornerstone of Our Democracy” – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
Impact of Trump Immigration Crackdown Is Swift as Advocates Vow to Fight Back – Julia Conley (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
Migrants Left in Despair at the Border as Asylum System Shuts Down – Eyder Peralta and Lexie Schapitl (NPR News, January 20, 2025).
ACLU’s Chase Strangio: Trump’s Anti-Trans Executive Orders Threaten LGBTQ+ People While Claiming to Defend WomenDemocracy Now! (January 21, 2025).
Alarm Bells Sound as Trump Gets to Work on “Extreme Authoritarian Agenda” – Jessica Corbett (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
Trump Has Pledged an Era of Spectacular Violence. We Can’t Be Passive Onlookers – Khury Petersen-Smith (Truthout, January 19, 2025).
Solidarity Will See Us Through the Second Trump Term – Liza Featherstone (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
We Must Keep a Progressive Vision of the Future Alive in the Trump Era – Bernie Sanders (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).


UPDATES: Trump Demands Apology and Criticizes Bishop’s Prayer Service Remarks – Alex Gangitano (The Hill, January 22, 2025).
Bishop Mariann Budde Tells NPR “I Won’t Apologize” for Sermon Addressing Trump – Alana Wise (NPR News, January 22, 2025).
Trump’s Department of Justice Threatens to Prosecute Local Officials for Resisting Immigration Enforcement – Joel Rose (NPR News, January 22, 2025).
Donald Trump Is Weaker Than He Looks – Branko Marcetic (Jacobin, January 22, 2025).
Ali Abunimah on How the Bishop Who Confronted Trump Contributed to the Enabling of the Gaza GenocideThe Electronic Intifada (January 24, 2025).


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Inauguration Day Thoughts
Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
The Lamentable Legacy of the Biden Administration
Signs of the Times: The 2025 People’s March
Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
Will We Let Fascism Come to America?
Jeff Sharlet on the Fascist Ideology of Donald Trump
Accounting for the Backlash
Angela Kade Goepferd on the “Manufactured Controversy” Targeting Gender-Affirming Care
The Bigger Box of Crayons We All Deserve
Judith Butler on the Reactionary Movement and Fascist Trend Opposed to Diverse Ideas About Gender
Trans 101
Lisa Leff on Five Things to Know About Transgender People
Something to Think About – July 4, 2023
“What We’re Seeing Here Is a Tipping Point”
Opposing the Trump Administration’s Inhumane Treatment of Immigrant Families
The Historical Context of the Trump Administration’s “Pathologically Sick” Anti-Immigrant Agenda
Something to Think About – June 14, 2018
On International Human Rights Day, Saying “No” to Donald Trump and His Fascist Agenda
Quote of the Day – March 12, 2018
2000+ Take to the Streets of Minneapolis to Express Solidarity with Immigrants and Refugees
Trump’s America: Normalized White Supremacy and a Rising Tide of Racist Violence
Rallying in Solidarity with the Refugees of Syria and the World
Something to Think About – May 19, 2012
A Little Something for Columbus Day
May Day 2007

Image: The Right Reverend Mariann Edgar Budde speaks at the inaugural interfaith prayer service on January 21, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: C-Span)


Monday, January 20, 2025

Inauguration Day Thoughts

It’s Inauguration Day, and like a lot of people I’m feeling heartsick at the prospect of a second Trump presidency.

In an effort to be and stay hopeful and proactive moving forward, I shared throughout the day on Facebook today positive and hopeful words and images.

As it’s also Martin Luther King Jr. Day today, I couldn’t think of a better way to start my sharing then with his words!



My second sharing was a meme featuring a quote by writer Madeleine L’Engle.


L’Engle’s words prompted one friend to share the following:

Thanks for what you have posted, Michael. I am sitting here listening to what Trump is saying, and I just want to cry. Much of what is being said is appalling to me. Very uncomfortable. What was I expecting? I should have known better. Has any past President EVER spoken this way at his inauguration?! I make it a practice to never make political commentary, but I just feel sick. I re-read your post multiple times already.


My third sharing today was an inspiration quote from author, activist, and former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, who is currently running to be chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

I supported Marianne’s 2020 and 2024 presidential campaigns. In fact, on this day exactly one year ago, my friend Kate and I travelled to New Hampshire to campaign for Marianne in the Granite State’s “First in the Nation” presidential primary. . . . What a very different president she would have made to the one being inaugurated today.

In honor of Marianne today, the day I would have loved to have seen her sworn in as president, I wore as my undershirt my “Marianne Williamson for President 2024” t-shirt.



Next, another motivating quote. This one by storyteller, author and scholar Michael Meade . . .




My fifth sharing today was Maarva’s posthumous speech from the Star Wars TV series Andor. Her words never fail to move and inspire me. . . . “Fight the empire!”





Now there are many ways to fight the empire, and personally I’m into non-violent resistance. And by “empire” I’m referring to Chris Hedges’s understanding of the American Empire.

It’s the same empire that poet Mary Oliver identifies – one that needs to be named, resisted, and transformed.



My next sharing, which by now was in the late afternoon, was a call to action! It grew out of my becoming today a monthly contributor to (and a “Guardian of Liberty” member of) the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). This sharing consisted of my inviting of my Facebook friends to consider joining me in becoming ACLU members. And I extend this same invitation to you who are reading this!

Click here to make either a one-time or monthly financial contribution to the important work of the ACLU.



I concluded today’s Facebook sharing of hopeful and proactive thoughts by returning to where it all began – the challenging wisdom of Martin Luther King, Jr.


NEXT:
Bishop Budde Confronts President Trump
on His Anti-Trans and Anti-Immigrant Policies


Related Off-site Links:
A New American Era Is Ushered in By a Familiar Trump – James Oliphant (Reuters, January 20, 2025).
Trump’s Inauguration Revealed Whom He Really Serves: the Billionaires and the Crypto Bros – Chris Lehmann (The Nation, January 20, 2025).
Trump’s Supposed Unity Message Is a Gloating Threat of MAGA Triumphant – Jeet Heer (The Nation, January 20, 2025).
“Rewarding Political Violence,” Felon Trump Pardons January 6 Insurrectionists – Jessica Corbett (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
Migrants Left in Despair at the Border as Asylum System Shuts Down – Eyder Peralta and Lexie Schapitl (NPR News, January 20, 2025).
Trump Declares U.S. Will Withdraw from the World Health Organization – Gabrielle Emanuel (NPR News, January 20, 2025).
Trump Rescinds Biden's Census Order, Clearing a Path for Reshaping Election Maps – Hansi Lo Wang (NPR News, January 20, 2025).
Trump Has Pledged an Era of Spectacular Violence. We Can’t Be Passive Onlookers – Khury Petersen-Smith (Truthout, January 19, 2025).
“He Is Who We Think He Is”: Elon Musk Appears to Do Fascist Salutes at Post-Inauguration Celebration – Eloise Goldsmith (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
As Trump Takes Office, It’s Time for a Mass Climate Movement – Jeff Ordower (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
Impact of Trump Immigration Crackdown Is Swift as Advocates Vow to Fight Back – Julia Conley (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
It’s Not That Trump Is Good, It’s That Biden Was Just That Bad – Caitlin Johnstone (CaitlinJohnstone.com, January 20, 2025).
Solidarity Will See Us Through the Second Trump Term – Liza Featherstone (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
We Must Keep a Progressive Vision of the Future Alive in the Trump Era – Bernie Sanders (Common Dreams, January 20, 2025).
Why We Need to Move Closer to King’s Understanding of Nonviolence – Kazu Haga (Waging Nonviolence, January 16, 2020).


UPDATES: Alarm Bells Sound as Trump Gets to Work on “Extreme Authoritarian Agenda” – Jessica Corbett (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
Federal Workers Sue Trump Over Attempt to Create “Army of Sycophants” – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
“A Massive Abuse of Emergency Power”: Legality of Trump’s Move to Deploy Troops to Border Is QuestionedDemocracy Now! (January 21, 2025).
Immigrant Rights Groups Sue Trump Over Attack on Birthright Citizenship, a “Cornerstone of Our Democracy” – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
“People Are Afraid”: Immigrant Communities Brace for Raids and Mass Deportation Under TrumpDemocracy Now! (January 21, 2025).
Trump’s Military Is a Disaster Waiting to Happen – William Astore (The Nation, January 21, 2025).
“Ghoulish”: Trump Expands Federal Death Penalty – Jessica Corbett (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
Trump Rescinds Biden Order Aimed at Lowering Prescription Drug Prices – Jake Johnson (Common Dreams, January 21, 2025).
ACLU’s Chase Strangio: Trump’s Anti-Trans Executive Orders Threaten LGBTQ+ People While Claiming to Defend WomenDemocracy Now! (January 21, 2025).
The Imperial Presidency Marches On – Joe Lauria (Consortium News via ScheerPost, January 21, 2025).
Trump Orders Federal Health Agencies to Suspend Advisories and Scientific Reports – Julia Conley (Common Dreams, January 22, 2025).
Everything Trump Did in the First Executive Orders of His Presidency – Bill Barrow (AP News, January 22, 2025).
Donald Trump Is Weaker Than He Looks – Branko Marcetic (Jacobin, January 22, 2025).
Trump’s Billionaires Will Accelerate American Decline: An Interview with Dr. Richard WolffThe Real News (January 28, 2025).
“Just as Bad as We Feared”: Experts on the Chaos and Carnage of Trump’s First Week – Chauncey DeVega (Salon, January 28, 2025).


See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
Democrat Talk on the Eve of Trump’s Return
The Lamentable Legacy of the Biden Administration
Signs of the Times: The 2025 People’s March
Progressive Perspectives on Where Democrats Went Wrong in the 2024 Election
“A New Chapter of the Democratic Party Needs to Begin”


See also:
Remembering and Emulating the Visionary and Radical Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. and Democratic Socialism
Moderates, Radicals, and MLK
The Good and Just Society
Martin Luther King Jr. on the “Most Durable Power in the World”
For MLK Day