From Cheryl Maranto, co-chair,

As most of you know, both of our amazing newsletter editors, Nancy Kaplan of Grassroots North Shore and Debbie Patel of Worth Fighting For Wisconsin, are recovering from surgery - both are doing well! So I am left to try to fill both pairs of very large shoes for several weeks. Read on!

We have lived through yet another week of a veritable firehose of truly terrible news, and evidence of authoritarian breakthrough. I am not going to recount any of that. Rather, I am going to review the difference between optimism and hope, and why I choose hope - and you should too. Then we'll get into all the ways that you can do something to fight for our country and our democracy. Choose one or more!

If you don't have time to read through all the prose about hope, skip down to THE RESISTANCE and ACTIONS.

HOPE

“Optimism is the belief that things will turn out all right; hope makes no such assumption but is a conviction that one can act to make things better in some way … During the Vietnam War, a U.S. Navy vice admiral who was held for more than seven years in a North Vietnamese prison noticed a surprising trend among his fellow inmates. Some of them survived the appalling conditions; others didn’t. Those who didn’t tended to be the most optimistic of the group. As the vice admiral, James Stockdale, later told the business author Jim Collins, “They were the ones who said, ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas.’ And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go … And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.” https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/09/hope-optimism-happiness/620164/

“Long-term hope is not about looking on the bright side. It is a mindset that helps people endure challenges, tackle them head-on and keep their eyes on the goal—a virtue that Dr. King and other community leaders exemplify.” (Yes Magazine, April 19, 2024)

Here's an extended quote from Marc Elias (as quoted by Jess Craven). 

'Hope is not a naïve emotion. It is a sober responsibility. (emphasis added) Hope is what we do when the odds are long and the options limited. It is the stubborn act of trying when despair feels easier. Rather than a passive optimism, hope is the commitment of those who believe they can make a difference, however small.

I am hopeful when I see everyday Americans stand on street corners, in the heat of summer or the cold of winter, holding signs to protest Trump’s cruel treatment of migrants. They cannot reverse policy alone, but their visible witness matters. It reminds all of us that cruelty is not normal, that silence only benefits the oppressor. (emphasis added)

I feel hope every time an opposition leader — elected or not — stands up to Trump and the GOP, making their efforts to subvert our elections just a little more difficult. Each obstruction slows the march toward authoritarianism. Each act of courage buys time for others to organize, resist, and fight back. (emphasis added)

Most importantly, I have hope when people refuse the cool cynicism of despair. Despair is peddled by the right to convince us that resistance is futile, and it is echoed by too many on the left who would rather sit back and say all is lost. Cynicism asks nothing of us; hope demands everything. When people choose to act rather than surrender, that is what keeps democracy alive." (emphasis added) (Chop Wood, Carry Water, 8/26)

And finally, from the New York Times 5/8/25

"So far, American society’s response to this authoritarian offensive has been underwhelming — alarmingly so. Civic leaders confront a difficult collective action problem. A vast majority of American politicians, chief executives, law partners, newspaper editors and university presidents prefer to live in a democracy and want to end this abuse. But as individuals confronting government threats, they have incentives to appease, rather than oppose, the Trump administration.

Civil society leaders seek to protect their organizations from government attacks: Chief executives need to protect shareholders and future business opportunities, media owners must avoid costly defamation suits and adverse regulatory rulings, and university presidents seek to avoid devastating funding cuts. For any individual leader, then, the price of defiance can often appear unbearably steep. Although they acknowledge that everyone would be better off if someone took the lead and defied Mr. Trump, few are willing to pay the price themselves. This logic has led some of America’s most influential figures, including politicians, billionaires, chief executives and university presidents, to stay on the sidelines, hoping that someone else steps forward.

Strategies of self-preservation have led too many civil society leaders to retreat into silence or acquiesce to authoritarian bullying. ...It usually doesn’t. And acts of individual self-preservation have serious collective costs. For one, acquiescence will probably embolden the administration, encouraging it to intensify and broaden its attacks. Autocrats rarely entrench themselves in power through force alone; they are enabled by the accommodation and inaction of those who might have resisted.  (emphasis added) Appeasement, as Churchill warned, is like feeding a crocodile and hoping to be the last one eaten...

So far, the most energetic opposition has come not from civic leaders but from everyday citizens, showing up at congressional town hall meetings or participating in Hands Off rallies across the country. Our leaders must follow their example. A collective defense of democracy is most likely to succeed when prominent, well-funded individuals and organizations — those who are best able to absorb blows from the government — get in the game.

There are signs of an awakening. Harvard has refused to acquiesce to administration demands that would undermine academic freedom, Microsoft dropped a law firm that settled with the administration and hired one that defied it, and a new law firm based in Washington, D.C., announced plans to represent those wrongfully targeted by the government. When the most influential members of civil society fight back, it provides political cover for others. It also galvanizes ordinary citizens to join the fight.

America’s slide into authoritarianism is reversible. But no one has ever defeated autocracy from the sidelines." (emphasis added)

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/opinion/trump-authoritarianism-democracy.html

*************************************************************

I choose hope because it is my nature. But I am doubling down because I recently learned that I am going to be a grandmother (at last!). I can't bear the thought of my grandchild having to grow up in a fascist dictatorship. And make no mistake - that's where we're headed if we don't work every day to find new ways to resist, to throw sand in the gears of the MAGA machine, to buy time, and to prepare for bold action when the opportunity for breakthrough happens. This is a long-term project.

THE RESISTANCE

The "soft secession" of blue state governors and attorneys general

"Democratic governors have been holding emergency sessions on encrypted apps, attorneys general have been filing lawsuits within hours of executive orders, and state legislatures have been quietly passing laws that amount to nullification of federal mandates. Oregon is stockpiling abortion medication in secret warehouses. Illinois is exploring digital sovereignty. California has $76 billion in reserves and is deciding how to deploy it. Three sources on those daily Zoom calls between Democratic AGs say the same phrase keeps coming up, though nobody wants to say it publicly: soft secession.

Not the violent rupture of 1861, but something else entirely. Blue states building parallel systems, withholding cooperation, and creating facts on the ground that render federal authority meaningless within their borders." (emphasis added)

medium.com/@carmitage/its-time-for-americans-to-start-talking-about-soft-secession-8d0183ac94cf

NOTE:  We have the chance to create a Democratic trifecta in Wisconsin in 2026. Our election work will be critical!

Here's a great example  of resistance from Free DC:

“Instead of joining the crowd decrying our vacuous political leadership, Free DC is pushing them to get better — and aims to ultimately move them. Over the weekend, Free DC sent a letter to politicians telling them what they need to do.

“Remaining silent will tell this administration we consent to their actions,” they wrote. “We do not. … Please speak out against what is happening as soon as you are able.”

"They gave a variety of suggestions, but the key was “don’t act normal.” This is the same lesson taught by our great social leaders who made noncooperation an active practice [like MLK and Ghandi]. 

"When someone does something awful, acting normal normalizes it. Noncooperation from different pillars of support is the antidote. (emphasis added)

"This notion of the “pillars of support” is something Free DC has been teaching about. Rather than seeing a regime as having the power to do whatever it wants, the pillars of support approach sees a regime’s power as being held up by institutions, organizations and groups — such as the military, police, media, business elites and religious bodies. Withdrawing the support of these pillars through nonviolent resistance, a regime can be weakened or even toppled.

"Understanding the pillars of support can help regular folks see that we have real influence. A video from Choose Democracy further explains the tool.” Free DC Models Resistance https://wagingnonviolence.org/2025/08/free-dc-models-effective-resistance-to-trumps-takeover/

So let's end with some good news, and then we offer an array of actions that you can take to make a difference!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE! Hear Heather Cox Richardson recount the story of the passage of the 19^th amendment (on its birthday 8/26/1920 – 105 years ago) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj1UQuJjrXI

ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY SANDWICH? A grand jury of fellow citizens in Wash. DC refused to indict the former DOJ employee for felony assault after he threw a Subway sandwich (I heard tell it was salami) at an ICE officer.

BIG WIN IN IOWA! In 2024, Donald Trump won Iowa’s first state Senate District by 11 points. In this Tuesdays special election, Democratic candidate Catelin Drey won an upset 10-point victory, as the district swung blue by 21 points since the presidential election. Drey defeated Republican Christopher Prosch.  https://newrepublic.com/post/199671/democrats-flip-iowa-seat-district-trump-won-double-digits

COLLINS BOOED - Republican Senator Susan Collins’s ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday turned into a public shaming as more than 200 protestors gathered to jeer her. This was Collins’s first public, press conference-style event in her home state in nearly a decade. Video shows the room erupting in boos as she approached the front of the room to cut the ribbon for a new Main Street in Seaport, Maine. The boos eventually turned into chants of “Shame! Shame!  Shame!”  https://newrepublic.com/post/199666/protesters-susan-collins-shame-boos

And to end this long tome, here is some remarkably, unadulterated amazingly good news that I bet you haven't heard about. Chris Hayes recently interviewed Bill McKibben, the noted climate activist on his podcast "Why is This Happening?" The Chris Hayes Podcast - YouTube. McKibben reports on the revolution in solar energy that gives us the means right now to power the entire planet with zero emissions, transforming our energy system. Solar power is not only the biggest source of new energy now - it's the biggest new source of energy EVER. Even Trump can't stop the inexorable economics of solar energy. The clean energy revolution IS HERE! Listen to the podcast!

Fittingly, the musical number for this week is "Here Comes the Sun" https://youtu.be/KQetemT1sWc?si=S8EP-IAhyCjNHLz0

ACTIONS

SHOW JUDGES SOME SUPPORT AND LOVE - The judicial branch is the ONLY branch of the federal government that is standing up to Trump. Write letters of thank you to the judges who have held firm in upholding the rule of law, and suffered attacks from Trump and threats from his followers, including:

Judge James Boasberg, (Ordered flights to CECOT halted, tried to hold the DOJ in contempt) U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, 333 Constitution Avenue N.W., Wash. D.C. 20001

Judge John McConnell, (tried to block the freeze in federal funding) U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, One Exchange Terrace, Federal Building and Courthouse, Providence, RI 02903

Judge John Coughenour, (blocked Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship) U.S. District Court for the District of Western Washington, 700 Stewart Street, Suite 2310
Seattle, WA 98101

 Or write letters of shame and disappointment to Chief Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street, NE, Washington, DC 20543

You'll never hear from any of them, but they just might read it. And for those under attack, it might help them take heart.

SIGNS OF SOLIDARITY BUSINESS CANVASSING 

Sign up for a Signs of Solidarity canvass to support our immigrant neighbors and stand up to fascist ICE raids. Looking for concrete ways to counter ICE terror? Talk to local businesses about putting up signage to help protect employees from ICE raids and show solidarity with immigrant communities. Our toolkit has all the info and materials you’ll need.

USE THE 5CALLS APP OR GO TO 5CALLS.ORG Demand that your representatives stop the military deployment in DC, Demand general access to updated COVID vaccines, Demand action against gun violence and more. 5 Calls makes it easy! It gives you a script and you can just click to call your reps.

EVENTS

Friday, August 29

Saturday, August 30

Monday, September 1

Wednesday, September 3

Friday, September 5

Saturday, September 6

Sunday, September 7

Save the Date

Wednesday, September 10

Friday, September 12

Sunday, September 14

Sunday, September 21

other important links

Become a Member of Grassroots North Shore	Visit Grassroots North Shore on Facebook and Like Us!
Support Grassroots North Shore	Join us on BlueSky
Milwaukee County Democratic Party	Ozaukee County Democratic Party