Smile, breathe, and go slowly.
Smile, breathe, and go slowly. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Well, friend – today’s been a day. Every now and then (more often than I like to admit) the day gets away from me, and in the middle of the day I stop myself and ask: how is that I’m behind on everything? ….
Or, at least, it seems that way.
So I’m going to do what I sometimes tell you to do: Take a beat. Take a breath. Give yourself a break.
So I’ll make my words brief. … But not before I acknowledge something that I think is really important.
It’s not just you.
It’s not just the holiday season. It’s not just the rush to get everything done by the end of the year.
You’re not overreacting, or being too sensitive. Things truly are overwhelming right now.
I began the day overwhelmed by the crush of important, high-stakes news. I started yesterday, and the day before, and the day before, similarly.
It’s become nearly impossible to even skim, let alone speak coherently about, all of the massive stories in the news right now. (Heck – it’s hard to even keep all of the former President’s indictments straight!) But this morning, as I sipped my coffee, it struck me as I stared in stunned silence at the mass of articles that I knew I needed to read in order to feel confidently “informed”.
In any other time, any one of those articles would have been emblazoned in 40 point font on the front of every newspaper in the country.
Today? Today they were fighting for the space above the fold.
Honestly, it’s getting harder and harder to decide what to focus on each week, because the fever pitch of emotions and the fever pitch of news stories is … well … as you know, overwhelming.
So perhaps you’ve started your days, or maybe ended them, feeling just as overwhelmed as I did this morning. (I have heard from a few of you who have told me this is the case – and I know you’re not alone).
I think that’s a healthy reaction to the state of the world, and our country, and probably your state and town right now.
(And let’s not forget that it’s the holidays – which are their own next-level of stress.)
Being overwhelmed means you care – and we can use more caring, dedicated souls in this world. But we need to protect that part of ourselves, and not let that feeling of overwhelm drift too far into the burnout category.
So tonight, as the evening closes (and the cats and my boys are begging me to settle in and relax a little) I’m taking the advice I sometimes give you.
I’m giving myself a break, and although our words are somewhat short, the sentiment behind them is no less warm, and no less full of hope.
I hope you can find a place this week or next when you can take a moment of calm for yourself, too.
We all need it these days, don’t we?
Let’s get to work.
Actions for the Week of December 12, 2023
Join Big Tent on Wednesday to Hear from the Authors of Tyranny of the Minority
On Wednesday, Big Tent is hosting a special conversation with Daniel Ziblatt, author of the new book Tyranny of the Minority (the follow-up to the bestselling How Democracies Die) and Protect Democracy Executive Director, Ian Bassin. They will attempt to make sense of how American democracy eroded so fast.
Ziblatt puts forth the argument that the American political system incorporates counter-majoritarian elements designed to prevent the unchecked dominance of the current majority and to provide mechanisms for safeguarding the interests and rights of political minorities. These mechanisms encompass the Electoral College in presidential elections, the Senate’s uneven representation of smaller states, its filibuster rule, and the Supreme Court’s role in judicial review, along with the lifetime appointments of its judges. However, it is worth noting that the apprehension regarding the “tyranny of the majority” has been taken to an extreme, as the tyranny of the minority has become a palpable reality.
In the discussion they will explore the historical rationale behind the inclusion of counter-majoritarian features within U.S. institutions. Additionally, the conversation will delve into how this minority influence has grown so substantially and why it is essential to consider both short-term solutions and long-term reforms to mitigate this phenomenon and ensure a more balanced democratic system.
Daniel Ziblatt is Eaton Professor of Government at Harvard University and director of the Transformations of Democracy group at Berlin’s Social Science Center ( WZB Berlin Social Science Center ). He specializes in the study of European politics, democracy, state-building, and historical political economy.
Ian Bassin is co-founder and Executive Director of Protect Democracy. He previously served as Associate White House Counsel. His responsibilities included ensuring that White House and executive branch officials complied with the laws, rules and norms that protect the fundamentally democratic nature of our government. He is a recipient of a 2023 MacArthur Fellowship, the Skoll Award for Social Innovation.
Register here: https://www.bigtentusa.org/event/tyranny-of-the-minority/
Also on Wednesday: Get Your Hopium On With Simon Rosenberg
Veteran pollster Simon Rosenberg will gather his Hopium community together on Wednesday the 13th to do one last check in on what was a very blue 2023, and to start talking in earnest about 2024. As he says: “Will be great to see everyone – we have a lot to celebrate, and a whole lot to do next year.”
Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mY5uwGs3Sqi_wMulrywM6w?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#/registration
Reminder: Environmental Voter Project Postcard Training Thursday 12/14.
ENVIRONMENTAL VOTER PROJECT‘s next postcard campaign will be into North Carolina. Postcard packages will be mailed to you between the second and third weeks of January with a required mailing date for this campaign of Thursday, February 15. EVP will provide stamps for this program upon request. You must become a trained EVP writer (one-time) to participate in this campaign.
To become a trained EVP writer, you need to attend a new writer orientations. There is one at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, December 14th Register here
H/T Rogan’s List: Stand With Ukraine
I’m aghast that Republicans are wavering in their support for Ukraine, which has quite literally earned them praise and approval from Russian commentators. As I was drafting an action for all of us to call our Reps and Senators to reaffirm our support for Ukraine I saw Rogan’s List put out a similar call. (Yet another great example of folks rowing in the same direction!) So here’s a shout out to the Rogan’s List team – let’s join them and call our elected officials to make sure they know where we stand.
From Rogan’s List: We are on the verge of a horrific betrayal of our allies in Ukraine. Continued support is being held hostage by the right as they demand asylum be gutted for migrants before moving forward, and despite public professions of backing from Republican leaders in both houses of Congress, the House is set to finish their work for 2023 this week without approving more aid – meaning the flow of assistance could stop. Both the Ukrainians and the White House have warned of dire consequences if this comes to pass. Ukraine has slipped from the headlines, and our lawmakers need to know we have not forgotten. Let’s reach out to our representatives and senators and let them we do not intend to stand quietly by while they abandon our friends, and ask them to commit to aggressively and proactively using whatever tactics are available to them to force a standalone vote on aid for Ukraine without any border cruelty – starting with keeping Congress in town until the job is done. Let’s also touch base with the White House and urge them to be creative in ensuring Ukraine gets what they need while this logjam continues. Finally if we’re able we can donate to Come Back Alive and support the war effort directly.
WHEW! GO TEAM!
P.S.: Why don’t you make someone’s day and send this pep talk to a friend or two? I bet they need it.
If you’d like to sign up to get this pep talk and action list in your in-box each week, you can do that here. Welcome, friend!
P.P.S.: If you want to help support this work you can do so via Patreon at
https://www.patreon.com/smalldeedsdone or via paypal at https://www.paypal.me/smalldeeds
My deepest gratitude in advance.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for writing. I read and respond to every email! We’re in this together. Don’t you forget it.