“Take A Chunk of the Imagined Future and Put It Into The Present”
~Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Happy New Year!
The month of January is named after the Roman god, Janus. Janus has two heads, one facing the past, the other the future. He was known as the god of transitions, doorways, and dualism—it was thought that he represented the ‘middle ground’ between dualities of the human journey, dualisms such as life and death, beginnings and endings, past and future.
Rabbi Waskow, founder of the Jewish Renewal Movement, also offers a compelling relationship to time when he says to “take a chunk of the imagined future and put it into the present.” So, in this first month of the new year, the contemporary Rabbi and ancient Roman god invite us to not only look to what is behind us or what lies before us, but to bring our preferred future into this moment. As we say goodbye to 2024, let us resolve to bring a piece of what we most desire for the future into these first days of the new year. Tomorrow let’s do it again. And the next day, and the next.
Our team at H4D is resolved to advancing a growing pro-democracy movement in response to forces that try to threaten our freedoms and undermine our democratic institutions—especially in red states. We are happy you are with us!
Did you Know:
On January 20, 2025, the United States will inaugurate a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, and insurrectionist as the 47th President of the United States. The Inauguration of an insurrectionist will take place despite of the disqualification clause of Section III of the 14th Amendment which states that “No person shall … hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” This amendment is a Civil War era clause written to ensure that no person involved in the Confederacy could hold office. This clause is a Constitutional guardrail that could protect our country at this very moment.
However, the Supreme Court of the United States handed down a ruling in March 2024 that makes it difficult to enforce the disqualification clause. Constitutional scholars believe this ruling was judicial overreach. In large part because of the SCOTUS ruling, Trump will not be held accountable for the insurrection that he incited on the United States and will be sworn into the office of President. The irony is breathtaking and heartbreaking.
What It Matters:
Trump is dangerously unqualified and constitutionally disqualified to be president. This incoming regime of MAGA extremists and oligarchs acting as shadow elected officials have sewn chaos during this time of transition. We must resolve not to be passive spectators to this spectacle.
A tactic that the incoming administration will use is to ‘flood the zone’ with chaos. The constant barrage of chaos anesthetizes the public to the mayhem; a classic move for authoritarians. H4D will bring you highlights of the most relevant events, enough to keep you informed but not overwhelmed.
Trump’s chaos ‘du jour’ are his threats against the countries of Panama, Canada, and Greenland, following in Putin’s footsteps of attacking sovereign nations. His threats are threatening international security and sounding alarm bells around the globe. Additionally, his cabinet picks are a gaggle of unqualified individuals, many with sordid histories of alcohol abuse, sexual predation, statutory rape, corruption, and collusion with foreign enemies. He is making a mockery of our government and blatantly undermining the functions of these important agencies. National security, global stability, food safety, infrastructure, health care, education, clean air and water, disaster relief, economic stability, extreme weather forecasting, health insurance, and social safety nets are all at risk if these people are confirmed.
This is where we are. For those of us who have been stealing ourselves for what is to come, what is our work now, at this moment?
What We Can Do:
As citizens of a democracy, we must NOT normalize the inauguration of an insurrectionist who attempted to overthrow our democracy and has given aid and comfort to our enemies. We can choose to engage in nonviolent protest and boycott the inauguration.
The Inauguration coincides with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Attend a commemorative event honoring Dr. King’s life and legacy instead of watching the ceremony on T.V.
You might choose to ignore the television coverage of the event and volunteer in your community or engage in some other civic or humanitarian action during the time of the ceremony. Organize a #helpoverhate event with your local community, church group or civic group.
You might choose to participate in a rally as a sign of resistance and opposition to what is happening. H4D and other civic groups are co-hosting a Resist, Reclaim, Rebuild Rally in Indianapolis on January 20th, 10:00 am to noon. The rally will include faith leaders from the community, music, inspirational readings, and a call to action. Stay tuned for more details.
Join a pro-democracy group that is organizing for activism and resistance. Indivisible is a national organization that is doing amazing work. Here are a few we know of in Indiana:
Download the PDF guide to Democracy on the Brink for a resource on responding to Trump 2.0 and share it with others.
Stay informed and become a part of the alternative information eco-system of Substack and BlueSky. It is our duty to be well informed of the facts and to be information warriors for our friends, family and communities. Legacy media is not standing up for this moment. H4D’s starter pack includes:
Civil Discourse by Joyce Vance (free and paid subscriptions)
Letters From An American by Heather Cox Richardson (free and paid subscriptions)
The Bulwark (free and paid subscriptions)
MeidasTouch Network (free and paid subscriptions)
Indiana Capital Chronicle (free)
Stand resolved and ready to bring chunks of that future you most long for into your everyday actions.
H4D is connecting with other civic and advocacy groups in an effort to build a robust network across the state and we will keep you informed of the good work happening across our various groups. We can do more together than we can alone! We are all in this together.
Share this newsletter and help us grow the pro-democracy movement, especially in red states. We are a reader-supported publication and need your help in growing this movement.
Resolved and Ready for 2025!
The H4D Team!
Note:
A special thanks to our personal friend and sister Substack author Katie Gordon for her beautiful post and for introducing us to Rabbi Arthur Waskow. Rabbi Waskow founded the Jewish Renewal Movement and worked with Rep. Jamie Raskin’s father, Marcus Raskin. Together they co-founded the Institute for Policy Studies in 1963. Rabbi Waskow is an activist, author, and scholar.
I would add another source for those interested in state and federal matters: https://sheilakennedy.net. Sheila has attracted very knowledgeable contributors who provide daily feedback. Well worth your time in the morning!