Stop Playing by the Old Rules, Fascists Aren’t
Authoritarians move fast because they barrel past laws and norms with impunity. Everyone else is left scrambling to stop them while still playing by rules the authoritarians no longer respect.
That’s exactly where we are right now.
Democrats must meet this moment, not cautiously, but boldly, by looking to history for the best practices in toppling fascism.
It’s not creeping in, it’s here. You can’t play small.
The headlines about the attacks on our democratic system are stacking up like Tetris blocks, right before you lose the game.
I keep seeing posts urging teachers, professors, nurses, lawyers, and doctors to “hold the line.” But the line has already been breached. It will take more than those of us working inside the system to keep the structure from collapsing.
We need leaders and lawmakers to rise to this moment, with far more courage, urgency, and numbers than we’re seeing right now.
Sari Beth Rosenberg is a veteran NYC public school history teacher, writer, and democracy defender. A proud graduate of Columbia College and Teachers College, Columbia University, her work has been featured in Time, Newsweek, PBS NewsHour, and NBC’s Today Show. For three years, she was hosted the PBS NewsHour Classroom Educator Voice Series. In addition, she co-founded Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and co-created AI Educator Brain. She is dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices, defending democracy, and making history relevant for today’s world.
This work is getting more dangerous as they start targeting teachers. I’m not going anywhere, but you can support me by upgrading to a paid subscription.
