Yo, Miss! (No. 37)

Hyperbolic?

This week I have seen a lot of people posting about being told they were being hyperbolic in 2016 when Trump won.

We sadly were not being hyperbolic.

We all knew what was on the line.

Honestly, what happened in the four years of the Trump presidency was worse than we could fathom. I’m worried that eight years later, too many people are suffering from amnesia about this recent history.

As a United States history teacher, I will keep reminding people of this with the goal that we don’t repeat it less than a decade later.

The posts about the appropriate terrified reaction to Trump getting elected were in response to the recent news about Kate Cox and Brittany Watts. Both cases are proof that Republicans do not intend to make exceptions with their anti-abortion laws.

The goal is to take away our reproductive rights. Full stop.

So, the moment that you become pregnant in states like Texas, that is the moment when you lose your bodily autonomy and your body becomes a vessel controlled by the state.

And if Republicans fully take over in 2024, they will work to make this a federal law.

I understand that many are frustrated with the United States political system. They might even feel frustrated with the two party system that has been our system since our nation’s inception.

However, it is not hyperbole to say that the future of our democracy is on the line if Trump is re-elected in 2024. I will write more about this soon, but please read about Project 2025:

With a nearly 1,000-page “Project 2025” handbook and an “army” of Americans, the idea is to have the civic infrastructure in place on Day One to commandeer, reshape and do away with what Republicans deride as the “deep state” bureaucracy, in part by firing as many as 50,000 federal workers.

I also highly recommend Charles Blow’s recent Op-Ed for The New York Times, “America’s Thirst For Authoritianism”:

And as people lose faith in these institutions — many being central to maintaining the social contract that democracies offer — they can lose faith in democracy itself. People then lose their fear of a candidate like Trump — who tried to overturn the previous presidential election and recently said that if he’s elected next time, he won’t be a dictator, “except for Day 1” — when they believe democracy is already broken.

We need to take this threat seriously.

As someone who studies and teaches United States History and continues to fight to achieve a multiracial democracy where there is liberty and justice for all, I urge you to make sure we do not let Trump or MAGA Republicans get back in control of the federal government.

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A Few Recommendations and Updates:

1. It was an HONOR to be profiled in this article

2. I am excited about this new series that I am doing with AFT’s Share My Lesson

sharemylesson

A post shared by @sharemylesson

3. I am also so excited to announce our NEW logo and NEW website for Teachers Unify To End Gun Violence

   

4. I recommend this new film:

4. I am currently reading:

I hope you are all having a great holiday season. I am counting down the days until our holiday break! As always, my newsletter is free but if you want to support me you can upgrade to the paid version OR send me money for coffee or a snack here.