Drew Downs

Our saints are the antidote — Revealing God’s dream The saints help us see the alternative vision that Jesus offers: that we can actually love as we are loved and give as God gives.

They are getting their joy now, at the world’s expense. At the expense of our future.
drewdowns.net/2025/11/02/o...

The Interview — What we can learn from it.

#dreaming #substack

open.substack.com/pub/drewdown...

Even if it’s negotiable, that makes it a negotiation. Just because a president crossed the line and people voted for him doesn’t change the line. Nor does it suggest we should accept where they want to place the line. It isn’t dependent on partisanship, but on common behavior. 2/2

One should not take it as given that the plurality that has accepted things that are over the line should be able to dictate where a hypothetical new line should be drawn. 1/2

the lesson of the kimmel thing is that a corporation that previously caved to trump was forced by its audience to defy him.

they're afraid of him but they're more afraid of you.

Using him, not to make the world a better place for everyone. But to push for conservative hegemony.

In short, journalists are putting the cart before the horse when talking about Kirk and influence. And because of that, it makes the whole spectacle look opposite to what it is. This isn't a movement inspired by Kirk. It is a movement who are using him in death as a martyr.

This is often how journalists cover people because their influence is usually measurable in direct impact on their community. But when one is a product of a system, is given wealth and status within it, and builds up a corner of the movement, the influence goes the other way.

This isn't to say it isn't aligned with Kirk's agenda, it totally is. The point is that this is clearly not a spontaneous reflection of how powerful this one man was. Like he was the centerpiece of an upstart thing called the conservative movement. And now they're just following his lead.

They are giving the man credit for influence that came from being part of a movement machine. And the canonization of him has to at least be considered an intentional amplification of their own agenda.

It is frustrating to hear journalists talk about the right's championing of Kirk as a reflection of his influence. Where is the incredulousness? Isn't it more likely, given the character of the individuals involved, that they are using him as a reflection of their movement?

STEWART: “Comedy doesn’t change the world, but it’s a bellwether— we’re the banana peel in the coal mine… authoritarians are the threat to comedy, music, art, thought… progress.”

Nailed it.

Want proof that the right doesn't care about free speech atm? They want to define "celebrating" for the rest of us.

Want proof that the center doesn't get that it's being played?
They keep going along with the right's definition like it is consistent.

Like, he could really be just killing for the killing and not know it is also what fascists want from him. And people are out here thinking there’s a true, draw the dividing line with a sharpie and I’m like, you’re literally giving the fascists what they want.

Whether or not we ever come to a satisfying motivation for the Kirk shooter kind of misses the point. The White Power ideology we see in the Groyper community is so cross-pollinated with brain rot that a young man could be doing it for the lolz and be a fascist.

I keep seeing people post that Kirk was a champion of lively debate. What ignorance! He was an intolerant bigot who championed political power and bullying others. May God have mercy on his soul.

Writing is the work.

open.substack.com/pub/drewdown...

#substack #writing #living #creativenonfiction #writersblock

Prayer isn’t just a wish that things be different. It is the active desire to become different.
#substack #Faith #prayer #peace #genocide

open.substack.com/pub/drewdown...

It is the fate of all libertarians to rail against decency, empathy, "wokeness" et al as constrictive and oppressive, posit being totally rude and edgy and whatever man as true freedom, helping pave the way for someone to take away that decency; and then the libertarians go "aww no wait this sucks"

On having fun and needing time to have more fun.

#substack #travel #sabbath #home #life

open.substack.com/pub/drewdown...

Devastating New Poll Shows Almost Everyone Is Unhappy Under Trump Donald Trump has gotten a brutal performance review.

Within the first 7 months, Trump has managed to add trillions to the deficit, eviscerate agencies, rattle the economy, shake our strongest alliances, build concentration camps for his deportation program, and strip popular social programs like Medicaid from millions.

What we’re supposed to do right now Or: why the actual goal is the goal

I have issues with "supposed to do" but the thing about the thing is that it is supposed to distract us from the big thing that we actually want to do.

#substack #dreaming #justice #living #doinggood

lol. daddy told alphas to get it to his desk before 7/4.
what were they supposed to do, say no? exert their constitutional authority?

Johnson talking a big game about a self-imposed deadline when, you know, they could've simply come back next week. maybe do it better.

Cable and X-Force (2012) started off interesting, but a detour into the future made Hope's part in the the concluding arc feel disconnected. But glad it is done. Finally. #MarvelCatchUP

Psylocke wrestling with her place and her relationships is some of the most compelling of the #MarvelNow storylines, IMHO.
#MarvelCatchUP

Uncanny X-Force (2013) is an odd book, in some ways taking the wetworks team in a new, more mature direction in the real sense of the word — as in dealing with growing up and over immaturity and choices of the past. It serves as an interesting alt to the main stories.
#MarvelCatchUP

Of course, I’m assuming that part of the arc is done and we can get back to Hope being the Neo of the mutant race. Which is not my favorite storyline either.
#MarvelCatchUP

Even so, it’s hard to buy that Cable didn’t prepare Hope for life in the “real” time. Yeah, warrior, survival, etc. But it undermines the “father/daughter” dynamic if he isn’t also planning for her “real” future.
#MarvelCatchUP

Hope’s character always had a deus ex machina vibe from the outset. And the story of living by hopping in the future was a stretch.
#MarvelCatchUP

#MarvelCatchUp #MarvelNow
The two X-Force lines finely bring an end to the Cable/Hope/Bishop storyline and thank God because the whole thing was ridiculous. But I could have lived with it if Hope's personality wasn't a mix of all of the things I can't stand about Cable's.