Leslie Blue in a Red State

November 3, 2025 At the end of her interview with President Donald J.

open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...

Me too.

"I think both sides are bad I'm staying out of it" same as "I am comfortable here and you aren't worth fighting for"

Or am I just paranoid

At this point, I'm starting to feel like they won't bother reopening the gov't.
I mean, why bother? They're doing what they want, without any oversight or accountability. Ditto bringing the house back. Gov't working for the people just wastes money that could go into the oligarch's pockets.

Or am I paranoid 🧐

We were just notified that cell-site simulators were used during the No Kings protests in several cities. Fortunately, we planned for this. Portland, Houston, Philadelphia, and Chicago were among the targeted locations. If you’re attending protests, please remember to follow protocol.

October 25, 2025 Yesterday the Trump administration said it would not use any of the approximately $6 billion the U.S.

What are we doing here?
open.substack.com/pub/heatherc...

Casually drawn person figure, holding a stick. They are poking an NRA badge. Says, "C'mon, do a Resist Tyranny"

Tyranny requires your silence and your compliance. Democracy requires your courage. -Governor JB Pritzker Picture of Governor Pritzker

I don't know when the next day of action will be, but I'm already planning.
I have 2 more people coming. While I was thinking it over, I thought, can we all do that? Can we bring just 2 more people?
I don't care how great your sign is, if you got the last frog costume.
Can you bring 2 more people?

My feelings, exactly.

I did the math. Fort Worth TX has over a million people, their turnout was ~9000, Fort Wayne was ~8000 with a population of 274000.
Both red states.
Let's go Fort Wayne!

Visit #NoKingsSmallTowns
These may not have been counted in the totals, (I haven't a clue) but small towns represent!

Any of you 7 million people know how
I get my Antifa check? Is it direct deposit or...?
#nokings

My saving grace when right wing-nuts yelled hate today:
Yelled back, "Best wishes, warmest regards!"
I'm smiling now just thinking about it.😊

10.18.2025 "We Say No Kings" White lettering on a black background. A stylized crown with a red 'X' through it to the right of the lettering.

No Kings II in the books.
I am so grateful and inspired by the turnout in our red red state.
I don't have pictures, I spent so much time reading signs, waving my flag and jaunting about with my sign. Indivisible and friends understood the assignment.
I'm not crying, you're crying

Attended No Kings in Fort Wayne Indiana today. Very red state and can’t even squeak out a dem congress person. June had about 5000 attend. Local paper estimated today’s rally had 8000!

Now we need to turn rally goers into voters.

Bold black letters on a yellow background "Everyone who is afraid to join a No Kings or other protests needs to understand this; You're afraid of the wrong thing. You should be afraid of what will happen if we stay at home." Credit threads.com/caroline467792

Note: if you are in an at risk demographic I don't mean this for you.
Privilege: I ~might~ get hurt or arrested. >zero chance of being deported to a country where I know no one, have no resources, and don't speak the language.
Please. It's important. Find the time, make the time. Show up.
#NoKings

Thoughts from a mutual over at Mastodon

Find a way to let right-leaning friends/family know you went.
It will change the way they see the news, as they try to place you, a person they know/like/love in some fashion, as a part of that story.
"How extreme could it be if (you) was there?"

#NoKings

October 18 is a day to stand tall against tyranny. No Crowns. No Thrones. #NoKings. Join the movement—find a No Kings Day protest near you and make your voice heard. nokings.org

💯 🎯

#NoKingsDay

"It is the eternal struggle between these two principles — right and wrong. The one is the common right of humanity, and the other the divine right of kings...[When] a king seeks to bestride the people of his own nation, it is the same tyrannical principle."

-- Abraham Lincoln

#NoKings

We love America. We're not giving up our weekends to say we hate anything. We are supporting vital pieces of our government that are being dismantled without our consent. We are supporting our friends, family and neighbors who are being persecuted and disappeared.
#NoKingsInAmerica
#NoKings

A black and white picture of Isaac Asimov, an older man with white hair, black framed glasses and his hand on his chin. "When stupidity is considered patriotism, it is unsafe to be intelligent." -Isaac Asimov

I'm giving this some thought today. As a woman, it has frequently been unsafe for me to be intelligent. I have been harassed and bullied for 'acting' smarter than... whoever I pissed off. And tho it's mostly men, I have had women bully me as well.
Today's public climate feels unsafe. Again. Still.😡

The Cost of Trump’s Politicization of the Military They’ve crossed one line after another since January - and we must not become numb to the mounting damage to our military and national security.

open.substack.com/pub/petebutt...

Do your best on Saturday.

Above ALL else stay calm.

It’s going to be so hard.

You’re going to get pissed.

You’re going to want to lash out.

Don’t do it.

Stay together.

Be safe.

If all else fails just walk away.

I don’t want to hear about any of you getting hurt.

Why Stories Make You Smarter Than Self-Help Books The Smartest People You Know Still Read Novels

Per@Daojoan@mastadon.social :
Nonfiction gives you information.
Fiction gives you pattern recognition.
One teaches facts.
The other teaches life.
www.joanwestenberg.com/p/why-storie...

There’s a common feeling across the U.S. right now, a sense of helplessness. Many people want to do more but feel like they can’t. Remember: every action you take pushes the resistance forward.

Circular image resembling a campaign button. A portion of the American flag is showing on the right hand side. Text reads: Fed up? Show up! Oct. 18 National Peaceful Protest Go to www.NoKings.Org to find a time and place near you!

Emerging from the darkness of this era will require us to acknowledge that the previous status quo, including many institutions that may have served us well in another era, have been failing for my entire lifetime.