#prosecution speech

[trialsinthelateromanrepublic]

(@cardinalvalentino)

trial of Titus Annius Milo

date: 52 BCE, Milo charged on March 26, trial on April 4-7/[8]) charge: lex Pompeia de vi (murder of Clodius) defendant: T. Annius Milo pr. 55 advocates: M. Claudius Marcellus cos. 51 M. Tullius Cicero cos. 63 (Crawford, Orations 72)  prosecutors: M. Antonius q. 51, cos. 44, 34 (subscr.) Ap. Claudius Pulcher cos. 38 (nom. del.) Ap. Claudius Pulcher sen.? (subscr.) P. Valerius Nepos (subscr.)  quaesitor: L. Domitius Ahenobarbus cos. 54 jurors: Q. Petilius M. Porcius Cato pr. 54 (voted A) P. Varius witnesses: Q. Arrius pr. before 63 = ? Q. Arrius pr. 73 C. Causinius Schola of Interamna C. Clodius Fulvia M. Porcius Cato pr. 54 Sempronia residents of Bovillae virgines Albanae 

Cic. Mil.; Liv. Per. 107; Vell. 2.47.4-5; Asc. 30-56; Quint. Inst. 3.6.93, 3.11.15 and 17; 4.1.20; 4.2.25, 4.3.17, 6.3.49, 10.1.23; Plut. Cic. 35; App. BCiv. 2.21-22, 24; Dio 40.54-55.1; Schol. Bob. 111-125St; Schol. Gronov. D 322-323St; see also Cic. Att. 5.8.2-3, 6.4.3, 6.5.1-2

[fireangel]

If you are an American and you value the right to free speech and the right to protest or are a foreigner to the USA who doesn't think that the US government should have the right to prevent you from being able to speak out against something then you need to educate yourself on what the US Govt is currently trying to do to Julian Assange and the real reasons why they are trying to push through KOSA

The goal is to control the flow of information to hide what we could not see when we couldn't watch what they were doing on our phones

If they manage to extradite him to the USA they will be able to do this to any and all Journalists or citizens of other countries. They are attempting to create a situation that will allow them to violate the sovereignty of other nations through something other than lobbying/bribery

This is why the USA does not care about the deaths of journalists in the Occupied State of Palestine who were exposing the war crimes they have been funding and sponsoring via social media

After the International Criminal court is done with Israel it needs to go after the US and British governments for it's complicity in the Genocide in Palestine, but also the other crimes it has committed previously that Assange managed to expose them for in Iraq and Afghanistan

It is my own personal speculation that copies of what was given to Assange by Chelsea Manning that The Guardian was forced to destroy still exist and they are actively trying to prevent it from going to trial

[oopsiemydaisies]

okay i feel like i’m losing my mind reading fan theories after the most recent yj episode please someone tell me you interpreted this the same way as me

i keep seeing people talk about how after ben’s speech it cuts to tai and van and they don’t look as touched by it as the others and instead look angry/upset so that means one of them started the fire. what they fail to mention every single time is that ben said that if he wanted to hurt them he would have outed them to the school and their parents??! like yeah i probably wouldnt be as sympathetic as the others in that situation wtf ben

but NO ONE is mentioning this i am only seeing people use it as reasoning for one of them seting the fire but it just isn’t and i desperately need to not be alone in this

[trialsinthelateromanrepublic]

(@sextuspompey)

would you absolve me in every universe

[noirandchocolate]

For anyone wondering whether the First Amendment protects speech like this—“Threatening” speech is considered “outside” the Amendment, BUT only “true” threats are exempted from protection.

There’s a whole body of law on the topic of what constitutes a true threat. Some info can be found here, at Constitution Annotated, a .gov site maintained by Congress. The ACLU also discusses the subject in this article about Counterman v. Colorado, a US Supreme Court case from last year. This short fact sheet from Georgetown Law also has some cites.

you guys made luigi mangione trend for days and I need to see the same energy for brianna boston. she is a 43 year old mother of three who ended a phone call with blue cross blue shield (after being denied a claim) “delay deny depose, you’re next” and is now being held under a 100,000$ bond and could face FIFTEEN years of prison if charged. she has no weapons, her record is clean, and yet she is being held behind bars. they are afraid of the public and are trying to subdue. do not let them!!!! say her name!!! be outraged that our freedom of speech is being threatened!!!!! deny defend depose! free brianna boston!

[prokopetz]

Today I learned that, as a Canadian, it's technically treasonous for me to advocate cutting King Charles into tiny pieces, but Canadian law stipulates that treasonous speech can only be prosecuted if an arrest warrant is filed within six (6) days of the speech in question, and I'd be fascinated to know how they arrived at that number in particular.

[saywhat-politics]

LONDON -- South Korean prosecutors formally indicted President Yoon Suk Yeol on Sunday, charging him with insurrection over his brief imposition of martial law in December, according to opposition lawmakers and South Korean media.

"The prosecution has decided to indict Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing charges of being a ringleader of insurrection," Democratic Party spokesman Han Min-soo told a press conference, Reuters reported. "The punishment of the ringleader of insurrection now begins finally."

[neil-gaiman]

Hello, I saw your article entitled "WHY DEFEND FREEDOM OF ICKY SPEECH?" And I'd like to ask... Are you normalizing lolicon now? It's not just a made-up story where there's inappropriate content with children, where it's portrayed as something terrible. It's portrayed as something normal and sexy😦

This article?

As I point out in the article, I'd not actually read any lolicon, and 16 years later, I still haven't. As I say in it:

Still, you seem to want lolicon banned, and people prosecuted for owning it, and I don't. You ask, What makes it worth defending? and the only answer I can give is this: Freedom to write, freedom to read, freedom to own material that you believe is worth defending means you're going to have to stand up for stuff you don't believe is worth defending, even stuff you find actively distasteful, because laws are big blunt instruments that do not differentiate between what you like and what you don't, because prosecutors are humans and bear grudges and fight for re-election, because one person's obscenity is another person's art.

Because if you don't stand up for the stuff you don't like, when they come for the stuff you do like, you've already lost.

[breelandwalker]

A Reminder to my U.S. Witches -

Whether you're a private practitioner or a witchy business owner, it is now more important than ever to KNOW YOUR RIGHTS.

Wicca as a religion is officially protected by Freedom of Religion under the First Amendment. This extends somewhat to other less organized pagan religions as well as the general state of Being A Witch, which is also protected by Freedom of Speech.

But we must remember that this only protects you from PROSECUTION, not PERSECUTION.

You have the legal right to present as a pagan or witch in public spaces and technically you cannot be discriminated against in the workplace for such things. However, we all know how that kind of bigotry disguises itself and the way things are going, resources for reporting and resolving such grievances may soon be in short supply.

You also have the right to own and operate a pagan-oriented or witchcraft-related business, provided that you obey all applicable tax codes and consumer protection laws. (This is why we have to mark so many of our goods and services as "For Entertainment Purposes Only," and I strongly suggest updating your disclaimers to include additional language if need be.)

Again, as we've seen, this doesn't always protect business owners from harassment or help them with seeking reparations if there's trouble. But it's important to know, as more and more "proclamations" roll out from the "new management," that executive orders do not immediately or fundamentally change the law.

This is nowhere near a comprehensive explanation of the constitutional rights and laws applicable to witches and pagans currently living in the United States. I urge everyone to familiarize themselves with all applicable laws in their area which deal with public gatherings, small businesses, consumer protection, public transit, loitering, search & seizure / "stop & frisk," and anything related to being detained by law enforcement for any reason.

Familiarize yourself also with social and legal resources in your area, just in case you or someone you know needs them. Talk to the elders in your local LGBTQ organizations as well - we've been there before.

Most importantly, build links and relationships with trusted people around you, whether it's your neighbors or your colleagues or like-minded people in the community. We all need to be looking out for each other and the more we know, the better we can protect ourselves, our homes, our livelihoods, our communities, and our rights.

(If anyone has any applicable links or information, PLEASE add them in comments and reblogs.)

Stay safe!

[saturnisfallingdown]

these tags made me laugh

[ID: A simplistic multi-panel comic of the characters from Sanders Sides, told through screenshots of a Tumblr post.

Panel 1: Janus, dressed in a suit, sits at the prosecution desk from Selfishness vs. Selflessness. The screenshot, a post from @/crustaceousfaggot reads "Is lying ever ethically correct" Panel 2: Extremely simple renditions of Roman, Thomas, and Virgil in their courtroom attire sit on one side of a desk, while Patton, looking worried, sits on the other side. The screenshot is of Tumblr poll results, reading "Yes - 97.6% / No - 2.4%". Panel 3: Logan, sitting in a chair, squints at the scene from a distance. Panel 4: Logan sits in the back of audience seating, surrounded by chairs as well as text reading [chairs]. He speaks with a speech bubble with Tumblr tags in it, reading "#who voted no? immanuel kant isnt going to fuck you" Panel 5: Patton sits in a folding chair leaning forward to hold his head in his hands, in the pose of the Shinji chair meme.

End ID]

[ellipsus-writes]

Each week (or so), we'll highlight the relevant (and sometimes rage-inducing) news adjacent to writing and freedom of expression. (Find it on the blog too!) This week:

Censorship watch: Somehow, KOSA returned

It’s official: The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is back from the dead. After failing to pass last year, the bipartisan bill has returned with fresh momentum and the same old baggage—namely, vague language that could endanger hosting platforms, transformative work, and implicitly target LGBTQ+ content under the guise of “protecting kids.”

… But wait, it gets better (worse). Republican Senator Mike Lee has introduced a new bill that makes other attempts to censor the internet look tame: the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA)—basically KOSA on bath salts. Lee’s third attempt since 2022, the bill would redefine what counts as “obscene” content on the internet, and ban it nationwide—with “its peddlers prosecuted.”

Whether IODA gains traction in Congress is still up in the air. But free speech advocates are already raising alarm bells over its implications.

The bill aims to gut the long-standing legal definition of “obscenity” established by the 1973 Miller v. California ruling, which currently protects most speech under the First Amendment unless it fails a three-part test. Under the Miller test, content is only considered legally obscene if it 1: appeals to prurient interests, 2: violates “contemporary community standards,” and 3: is patently offensive in how it depicts sexual acts.

IODA would throw out key parts of that test—specifically the bits about “community standards”—making it vastly easier to prosecute anything with sexual content, from films and photos, to novels and fanfic.

Under Lee’s definition (which—omg shocking can you believe this coincidence—mirrors that of the Heritage Foundation), even the most mild content with the affect of possible “titillation” could be included. (According to the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, the proposed definition is so broad it could rope in media on the level of Game of Thrones—or, generally, anything that depicts or describes human sexuality.) And while obscenity prosecutions are quite rare these days, that could change if IODA passes—and the collateral damage and criminalization (especially applied to creative freedoms and LGBT+ content creators) could be massive.

And while Lee’s last two obscenity reboots failed, the current political climate is... let’s say, cloudy with a chance of fascism.

Sound a little like Project 2025? Ding ding ding! In fact, Russell Vought, P2025’s architect, was just quietly appointed to take over DOGE from Elon Musk (the agency on a chainsaw crusade against federal programs, culture, and reality in general).

So. One bill revives vague moral panic, another wants to legally redefine it and prosecute creators, and the man who helped write the authoritarian playbook—with, surprise, the intent to criminalize LGBT+ content and individuals—just gained control of the purse strings.

Cool cool cool.

AO3 works targeted in latest (massive) AI scraping

Rewind to last month—In the latest “wait, they did what now?” moment for AI, a Hugging Face user going by nyuuzyou uploaded a massive dataset made up of roughly 12.6 million fanworks scraped from AO3—full text, metadata, tags, and all. (Info from r/AO3: If your works’ ID numbers between 1 and 63,200,000, and has public access, the work has been scraped.)

And it didn’t stop at AO3. Art and writing communities like PaperDemon and Artfol, among others, also found their content had been quietly scraped and posted to machine learning hubs without consent.

This is yet another attempt in a long line of more “official” scraping of creative work, and the complete disregard shown by the purveyors of GenAI for copyright law and basic consent. (Even the Pope agrees.)

AO3 filed a DMCA takedown, and Hugging Face initially complied—temporarily. But nyuuzyou responded with a counterclaim and re-uploaded the dataset to their personal website and other platforms, including ModelScope and DataFish—sites based in China and Russia, the same locations reportedly linked to Meta’s own AI training dataset, LibGen.

Some writers are locking their works. Others are filing individual DMCAs. But as long as bad actors and platforms like Hugging Face allow users to upload massive datasets scraped from creative communities with minimal oversight, it’s a circuitous game of whack-a-mole. (As others have recommended, we also suggest locking your works for registered users only.)

After disavowing AI copyright, leadership purge hits U.S. cultural institutions

In news that should give us all a brief flicker of hope, the U.S. Copyright Office officially confirmed: if your “creative” work was generated entirely by AI, it’s not eligible for copyright.

A recently released report laid it out plainly—human authorship is non-negotiable under current U.S. law, a stance meant to protect the concept of authorship itself from getting swallowed by generative sludge. The report is explicit in noting that generative AI draws “on massive troves of data, including copyrighted works,” and asks: “Do any of the acts involved require the copyright owners’ consent or compensation?” (Spoiler: yes.) It’s a “straight ticket loss for the AI companies” no matter how many techbros’ pitch decks claim otherwise (sorry, Inkitt).

“The Copyright Office (with a few exceptions) doesn’t have the power to issue binding interpretations of copyright law, but courts often cite to its expertise as persuasive,” tech law professor Blake. E Reid wrote on Bluesky.As the push to normalize AI-generated content continues (followed by lawsuits), without meaningful human contribution—actual creative labor—the output is not entitled to protection.

… And then there’s the timing.

The report dropped just before the abrupt firing of Copyright Office director Shira Perlmutter, who has been vocally skeptical of AI’s entitlement to creative work.

It's yet another culture war firing—one that also conveniently clears the way for fewer barriers to AI exploitation of creative work. And given that Elon Musk’s pals have their hands all over current federal leadership and GenAI tulip fever… the overlap of censorship politics and AI deregulation is looking less like coincidence and more like strategy.

Also ousted (via email)—Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. According to White House press secretary and general ghoul Karoline Leavitt, Dr. Hayden was dismissed for “quite concerning things that she had done… in the pursuit of DEI, and putting inappropriate books in the library for children.” (Translation: books featuring queer people and POC.)

Dr. Hayden, who made history as the first Black woman to hold the position, spent the last eight years modernizing the Library of Congress, expanding digital access, and turning the institution into something more inclusive, accessible, and, well, public. So of course, she had to go. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The American Library Association condemned the firing immediately, calling it an “unjust dismissal” and praising Dr. Hayden for her visionary leadership. And who, oh who might be the White House’s answer to the LoC’s demanding and (historically) independent role?

The White House named Todd Blanche—AKA Trump’s personal lawyer turned Deputy Attorney General—as acting Librarian of Congress.

That’s not just sus, it’s likely illegal—the Library is part of the legislative branch, and its leadership is supposed to be confirmed by Congress. (You know, separation of powers and all that.)

But, plot twist: In a bold stand, Library of Congress staff are resisting the administration's attempts to install new leadership without congressional approval.

If this is part of the broader Project 2025 playbook, it’s pretty clear: Gut cultural institutions, replace leadership with stunningly unqualified loyalists, and quietly centralize control over everything from copyright to the nation’s archives.

Because when you can’t ban the books fast enough, you just take over the library.

Rebellions are built on hope

Over the past few years (read: eternity), a whole ecosystem of reactionary grifters has sprung up around Star Wars—with self-styled CoNtEnT CrEaTorS turning outrage to revenue by endlessly trashing the fandom. It’s all part of the same cynical playbook that radicalized the fallout of Gamergate, with more lightsabers and worse thumbnails. Even the worst people you know weighed in on May the Fourth (while Prequel reassessment is totally valid—we’re not giving J.D. Vance a win).

But one thing that shouldn't be up for debate is this: Andor, which wrapped its phenomenal two-season run this week, is probably the best Star Wars project of our time—maybe any time. It’s a masterclass in what it means to work within a beloved mythos and transform it, deepen it, and make it feel urgent again. (Sound familiar? Fanfic knows.)

Radicalization, revolution, resistance. The banality of evil. The power of propaganda. Colonialism, occupation, genocide—and still, in the midst of it all, the stubborn, defiant belief in a better world (or Galaxy).

Even if you’re not a lifelong SW nerd (couldn’t be us), you should give it a watch. It’s a nice reminder that amidst all the scraping, deregulation, censorship, enshittification—stories matter. Hope matters.

And we’re still writing.

Let us know if you find something other writers should know about, or join our Discord and share it there!

- The Ellipsus Team xo

[trialsinthelateromanrepublic]

(@hoeratius)

trial of Marcus Caelius Rufus

date: 56 BCE, trial held on April 3 and 4 charge: lex Plautia de vi (civil disturbance at Naples, assault on Alexandrians at Puteoli, property damage to Palla, murder of Dio, receiving gold for the murder of Dio, attack on a senator, plot to murder Clodia) defendant: M. Caelius Rufus pr. 48 (spoke pro se [for himself], ORF 102.III) advocates: M. Licinius Crassus cos. 70, 55, cens. 65 (ORF 102.IV) M. Tullius Cicero cos. 63 (Sch. 34) prosecutors: P. Clodius = ? Pulcher aed.cur. 56 (ORF l64.I) (subscr.) L. Herennius Balbus (ORF 163.I) (subscr.) L. Sempronius Atratinus cos. suff. 34 (nom. del.) praetor or iudex quaestionis [presiding magistrate]: Cn. Domitius iud. quaest. 56?, pr.? 54 = ? Cn. Domitius Calvinus cos. 53, 40 witnesses: ? C. Coponius pr. 49 ? T. Coponius Q. Fufius Kalenus cos. 47 ? familiares Clodiae [friends/family of Clodia] (Cael. 66)

Cic. Cael.; Strab. 17.1.11; Quint. Inst. 4.2.27, 11.1.51 and 68; Suet. Gram. 26; Dio 39.14.3

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Like her or not, we're now on the same side and this woman knows what she's talking about. She suggests actionable steps steps we must take to win ourcountry back from the fascists.

From Liz Cheney

Dear Democratic Party,

I need more from you. You keep sending emails begging for $15,while we’re watching fascism consolidate power in real time. This administration is not simply “a different ideology.” It is a coordinated, authoritarian machine — with the Supreme Court, the House, the Senate, and the executive pen all under its control. And you? You’re still asking for decorum and donations. WTF. That won’t save us. I don’t want to hear another polite floor speech. I want strategy. I want fire. I want action so bold it shifts the damn news cycle — not fits inside one. Every time I see something from the DNC, it’s asking me for funds.

Surprise. Those of us who donate don’t want to keep sending money just to watch you stand frozen as the Constitution goes up in flames — shaking your heads and saying, “Well, there’s not much we can do. He has the majority.” I call bullshit. If you don’t know how to think outside the box… If you don’t know how to strategize… If you don’t know how to fight fire with fire… what the hell are we giving you money for? Some of us have two or three advanced degrees. Some of us have military training. Some of us know what coordinated resistance looks like — and this ain’t it. Yes, the tours around the country? Nice. The speeches? Nice. The clever congressional clapbacks? Nice. That was great for giving hope. Now we need action.

You have to stop acting like this is a normal presidency that will just time out in four years. We’re not even at Day 90, and look at the chaos. Look at the disappearances. Look at the erosion of the judiciary, the press, and our rights. If you do not stop this, we will not make it 1,460 days. So here’s what I need from you — right now:

⸻

1. Form an independent, civilian-powered investigative coalition.

I’m talking experts. Veterans. Whistleblowers. Journalists. Watchdog orgs. Deputize the resistance. Build a real-time archive of corruption, overreach, and executive abuse. Make it public. Make it unshakable. Let the people drag the rot into the light. If you can’t hold formal hearings, hold public ones. If Congress won’t act, let the country act. This isn’t about optics — it’s about receipts. Because at some point, these people will be held accountable. And when that day comes, we’ll need every name, every signature, every illegal order, every act of silence—documented. You’re not just preserving truth — you’re preparing evidence for prosecution. The more they vanish people and weaponize data, the more we need truth in the sunlight.

⸻

2. Join the International Criminal Court.

Yes, I said it. Call their bluff. You cannot control what the other side does. But you can control your own integrity. So prove it. Prove that your party is still grounded in law, human rights, and ethical leadership. Join. If you’ve got nothing to hide — join. Show the world who’s hiding bodies, bribes, and buried bank accounts. Force the GOP to explain why they’d rather protect a war criminal than sign a treaty. And while you’re at it, publicly invite ICC observers into U.S. borders. Make this administration explain — on camera — why they’re terrified of international oversight.

⸻

3. Fund state-level resistance infrastructure.

Don’t just send postcards. Send resources. Channel DNC funds into rapid-response teams, legal defense coalitions, sanctuary networks, and digital security training. If the federal government is hijacked, build power underneath it. If the laws become tools of oppression, help people resist them legally, locally, and boldly. This is not campaign season — this is an authoritarian purge. Stop campaigning. Act like this is the end of democracy, because it is. We WILL REMEMBER the warriors come primaries. Fighting this regime should be your marketing strategy.

And let’s be clear:

The reason the other side always seems three steps ahead is because they ARE. They prepared for this. They infiltrated school boards, courts, local legislatures, and police unions. They built a machine while you wrote press releases. We’re reacting — they’ve been executing a plan for years. It’s time to shift from panic to blueprint. You should already be working with strategists and military minds on PROJECT 2029 — a coordinated, long-term plan to rebuild this country when the smoke clears.

You should be publicly laying out:

• The laws and amendments you’ll pass to ensure this never happens again• The systems you’ll tear down and the safeguards you’ll enshrine • The plan to hold perpetrators of human atrocities accountable • The urgent commitment to immediately bring home those sold into slavery in El Salvador You say you’re the party of the people? Then show the people the plan.

⸻

4. Use your platform to educate the public on rights and resistance tactics.

If they’re going to strip us of rights and lie about it — arm the people with truth. Text campaigns. Mass trainings. Downloadable “Know Your Rights” kits. Multilingual legal guides. Encrypted phone trees. Give people tools, not soundbites. We don’t need more slogans. We need survival manuals.

⸻

5. Leverage international media and watchdogs.

Stop hoping U.S. cable news will wake up. They’re too busy playing both sides of fascism. Feed the real stories to BBC, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, Reuters, Der Spiegel — hell, leak them to anonymous dropboxes if you have to. Make what’s happening in America a global scandal. And stop relying on platforms that are actively suppressing truth. Start leveraging Substack. Use Bluesky. That’s where the resistance is migrating. That’s where censorship hasn’t caught up. If the mainstream won’t carry the truth — outflank them. Get creative. Go underground. Go global. If our democracy is being dismantled in broad daylight, make sure the whole world sees it — and make sure we’re still able to say it.

⸻

6. Create a digital safe haven for whistleblowers and defectors.

Not everyone inside this regime is loyal. Some are scared. Some want out. Build the channels. Encrypted. Anonymous. Protected. Make it easy for the cracks in the system to become gaping holes. And while you’re at it? Stop ostracizing MAGA defectors. Everyone makes mistakes — even glaring, critical ones. We are not the bullies. We are not the ones filled with hate. And it is not your job to shame people who finally saw the fire and chose to step out of it. They will have to deal with that internal struggle — the guilt of putting a very dangerous and callous regime in power. But they’re already outnumbered. Don’t push them back into the crowd. We don’t need purity. We need numbers. We need people willing to burn their red hats and testify against the machine they helped build.

⸻

7. Study the collapse—and the comeback.

You should be learning from South Korea and how they managed their brief rule under dictatorship. They didn’t waste time chasing the one man with absolute immunity. They went after the structure. The aides. The enforcers. The loyalists. The architects. They knocked out the foundation one pillar at a time — until the “strongman” had no one left to stand on. And his power crumbled beneath him. You should be independently investigating every author of Project 2025, every aide who defies court orders, every communications director repeating lies, every policy writer enabling cruelty, every water boy who keeps this engine running. You can’t stop a regime by asking the king to sit down. You dismantle the throne he’s standing on — one coward at a time.

⸻

Stop being scared to fight dirty when the other side is fighting to erase the damn Constitution.

They are threatening to disappear AMERICANS. A M E R I C A N S. And your biggest move can’t be another strongly worded email. We don’t want your urgently fundraising subject lines. We want backbone. We want action. We want to know you’ll stand up before we’re all ordered to sit down — permanently. We are watching. And I don’t just mean your base. I mean millions of us who see exactly what’s happening. I’ve only got 6,000 followers — but the groups I’m in? The networks I touch? Over a quarter million. Often when I speak, it echoes. But when we ALL speak, it ROARS with pressure that will cause change. We need to be deafening. You still have a chance to do something historic. To be remembered for courage, not caution. To go down as the party that didn’t just watch the fall — but fought the hell back with everything they had.

But the clock is ticking.

And the deportation buses are idling.

* * * *

UPDATE AND NOTE:

I have received (what seems like) several hundred copies of a document allegedly authored by Liz Cheney entitled, “Democrats, I need more from you.” The “letter” was not authored by Cheney, but by someone who does not appear to have a readily identifiable profile as a pro-democracy activist. The purported author, “Dr. Pru Lee,” may not be the real identity of the author.

Setting aside the mysterious source of the letter, it has struck a chord with many Democrats. Indeed, many of the copies forwarded to me are accompanied by emails that express some sense of satisfaction that the author has criticized the Democratic Party for its failures and laid out a sensible plan for a path forward.

I suspect the letter was written by a Democratic consultant or insider who is upset with the progressive wing of the party and/or the grassroots movement. The author says, in part,

Yes, the tours around the country? Nice. The speeches? Nice. The clever congressional clapbacks? Nice. That was great for giving hope. Now we need action Don’t just send postcards. Send resources.

Many of the “recommendations” in the letter aren’t realistic—either in a reasonable timeframe or ever. For example, the letter demands the Democratic Party

Form an independent, civilian-powered investigative coalition. Deputize the resistance. Join the International Criminal Court. Fund state-level resistance infrastructure. Stop campaigning. You [the Democratic Party] should be publicly laying out: • The laws and amendments you’ll pass to ensure this never happens again • The systems you’ll tear down and the safeguards you’ll enshrine • The plan to hold perpetrators of human atrocities accountable.

I endorse the author’s passion and understand how the author has managed to channel the anger of rank-and-file Democrats toward their party. But it simply isn’t productive or helpful during this moment of crisis to devote our resources to attacking the Democratic Party.

Here’s a thought experiment: If you have forwarded the above letter to your closest one hundred friends and relatives, try drafting a sequel that begins, “Dear Republicans, I need more from you . . . .”

The virtue of the “Dear Republicans” version of the letter is that it shifts the focus to where it belongs: On those who are enabling Trump, rather than on those who are resisting him.

Is the resistance perfect? No. Is the Democratic Party perfect? No. Are congressional Democrats perfect? No. But compared to their Republican counterparts, Democrats look like heroes of democracy, warts and all.

Democrats aren’t the problem. They are the solution. Be part of the solution. We can sort out the credits and debits after we reclaim democracy!

[Robert B. Hubbell]

[cathrine-rose]

The 25th of May is eternal

The demands of the Treacle Mine Road Republic resonate strongly in the Roundworld of today 25/5/25 Truth- The demand that the people should be told the truth by those in power, Kings or Presidents, politicians or journalists. As I was told when I was a small child; What you do isn't as important as the fact you need to tell the truth when you are asked about it Justice- Equal justice under the law, that crimes should be prosecuted with equal justice (and with the corollary of equal mercy) regardless of the background of the accused Freedom- The four freedoms, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion (or association), Freedom from Want, Freedom from Fear Reasonably priced love- Service providers are entitled to set a fair wage, and just because you can get a service for free somewhere else does not entitle you to demand that service from someone making their living providing it for a price. Whether it's sex work, emotional labor or art. And a hard-boiled egg-I think of this as similar to Bread and Roses. It's not enough to have the staples but also the small things that get you through the day. "But...well, Reg, tomorrow the sun will come up again, and I'm pretty sure that whatever happens we won't have found Freedom, and there won't be a whole lot of Justice, and I'm damn sure we won't have found Truth. But it's just possible that I might get a hard-boiled egg."

[thequeenofsastiel]

Decided to watch "Who is Luigi Mangione" on MAX, despite my reluctance given the fact that I believe in "innocent until proven guilty", and it was one of the most irresponsible pieces of propaganda I've ever seen. The whole thing was clearly an attempt to carry water for the prosecution. They had people go on and on about what a "good man" Brian Thompson was and all the good he could do in life. They very briefly touched on the fact that he was being investigated for insider trading and that UHC had the highest denial rate among "health" insurance companies, before going back to talking about how wonderful he and his family were. They didn't mention once that when he became CEO his actions shot up the number of denial claims, to the point that the company went from making $12 billion dollars in profit to $16 billion in four years. A small amount of time was spent on people discussing the harms of the "health" insurance industry, but it amounted to maybe two minutes of the 42 minute episode. They acted like killing Brian Thompson was completely irrational and that he was a mere scapegoat, instead of what he actually was, which was one of the biggest examples of corporate greed in the "health" insurance system in the United States.

When it comes to Luigi, they not only portrayed him as unequivocally guilty(though they had a couple of people throw in the word "alleged" with heavy sarcasm), but they also did their best to portray him as mentally unstable, calling him a narcissist. The show also didn't bother to question the evidence, such as the backpack that was supposedly left in Central Park full of monopoly money, but also happened to be with Luigi when he was arrested?? Or the different jacket?

They also didn't mention how fucked up it is that so much media and governmental attention was paid to this one murder simply because the guy was rich and powerful. People are shot dead in the streets all the time in this country. But because it was a rich, white CEO, everyone has fallen all over themselves to bring attention to it.

It was disgusting, and clearly only got created in a ploy to influence potential jurors. It's hard, because free speech is a thing in this country, but it feels like that sort of propaganda designed to convict a possibly innocent man shouldn't be allowed.

*Sigh*

Then again, there have been plenty of jokes about it on YouTube and TikTok, and lots of social media posts pointing out everything I'm saying. Still, none of those things have gotten the backing of a huge media company. Which shouldn't be astonishing, rich people like to look out for other rich people during a peasant revolt.

It's just all garbage.

[puff-world]

Trump has so far:

Attacked Americans right to speech and assembly (first ammendment)

Given ice and other law enforcement agencies the ability to violate your privacy (fourth ammendment)

Is arresting and prosecuting people without charge nor trial (fifth ammendment)

Once again trials being denied and the ones that do happen do not feature a jury nor an attorney (sixth and seventh ammendment)

Has sent Americans to hellish prisons in El Salvador where they will suffer cruel and unusual punishment (8th ammendment)

Denied trans and neurodivergent citizens and people of color several rights along with other rights I have forgotten (9th ammendment)

And aside from the fiasco that is in simple terms an American holocaust

He's killed the economy both with tarrifs and by letting elon destroy any government service that is not "needed" ie profitable

Has removed several people from their jobs on the excuse that they got their job on dei or without merit based on their race when really he's disregarding skill entirely and focusing solely on race, what anti dei is supposed to be, when really what hes doing is just resegregation

And other bone headed and buffoonish decisions that I have ommited