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10/18/2025

Today’s blog

Lynn Murphy Mark

Revolution

If you know Tracy Chapman’s music, you are familiar with her song, “Talkin ‘Bout a Revolution.” 

“Don’t you know

They’re talking about a revolution?

It sounds like a whisper…”

I think today’s “No Kings” protest will be louder than a whisper, but words first have to start with quiet thoughts. I believe the origin of this idea was from something called “50501”: 50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement. It is a progressive, grass-roots effort to demonstrate against 47’s second term in office. The group has already organized many events, starting with February 5 anti-47 rallies. These were followed up by April 5 “Hands off protests” and June 14^th’s first “No Kings” rallies around the country. 

47 wasn’t in office a month before people gathered in large crowds to display concern over the takeover of our government by unelected Elon Musk and DOGE. Suddenly organizations that contribute to the health of American people, that protect our wildlands and national parks, that are repositories of our most private information were all under attack. Those attacks continue today. It is true that some of the “efficiency tactics” of getting rid of federal employees have had to be reversed. 

The latest round of layoffs took place at the CDC on Friday, October 10, when about 1,300 employees were laid off. Less than 24 hours later approximately 700 staff members were reinstated. The remaining 600 people are still gone. It seems that incorrect notices were sent to employees – due to a coding error on the notices, whatever that means. An employee who resigned under protest said, “It’s pure managerial incompetence. I used to think that chaos was the byproduct of this managerial incompetence. Now I start to wonder whether the chaos is the point.” Dr. Nirav Shah wrote.

It’s impossible to get a firm figure for the numbers of people who turned out on June 14. Most sources say it was over 5 million people. There were more than 2,000 events planned and carried out. Today it is estimated that 2,500 locations will contain even bigger crowds. I have been getting emails from the organizers with safety tips and reminders that this is intended to be a peaceful protest. Yesterday another email came with instructions on what to do if confronted by aggressive people trying to disrupt the occasion, or if confronted by unfriendly law enforcement agents (aka ICE goons).

Some governors have mobilized their National Guard, among them Greg Abbott of Texas. Of course he did. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the Unhouse, has called today a “hate America rally.” He’s trying to blame the continuing government shut down on the protests. Never mind that republican house members have been on a three week paid vacation, avoiding any work to be done in Washington, DC. Instead,  protesters are being labeled as members of “antifa”, or terrorist organizations,  even a pro-Hamas wing.  Treasury Secretary Bessent says the rallies will feature the “most unhinged in the Democratic party.”

OK. I’m proud to be unhinged these days. There is a lot to be disturbed about. Call me deranged, manic, or unbalanced if I worry about the violence we are perpetrating in the Caribbean. Last night some news show talking heads surmised that we might be preparing to go to war with Venezuela. What? Why?

I firmly believe that all this nonsense is intended to delay or stop completely the release of the Epstein files. Witness Mike Johnson refusing to swear in the latest congressperson, Adelita Grijalva, mostly because she represents the final vote needed to compel the release of the files. I’ll buy that. This is such an outlandish delay that even Marjorie Taylor Green is speaking up against Johnson’s tactics. I never thought I would have a positive thought about MTG but here we are.

So, I have my sign ready. Jan and I are picking up my friend Jane. We hope to meet up with other friends who are planning to be on South Lindbergh this morning. The weather reports say severe storms are not expected before noon. Hopefully that’s accurate but we do have rain jackets. I won’t carry an umbrella for fear of poking someone in the eye while crowded together on the sidewalk. So let it rain if it must. We can use the moisture.