I (petulantly) swore off protesting when Trump was reelected, figuring all the time I'd already spent milling around in crowds with clever signs in the ultra-liberal Bay Area had added up to nothing. But when I heard about the Tesla Takedown, I will admit that I thought, maybe this could actually make a difference. Nobody's going to be able to go in and shop for a Tesla if there are a bunch of people protesting outside. And indeed, the Berkeley Tesla showroom is now closed on Saturdays because of the protests. There were about 1,000 of us in the street last Saturday (blocked off at both ends of the block by motorcycle cops, who seemed pretty chill). I had made a sign that said BAD DOGE with an illustration of the Shiba Inu memecoin. There was a band playing, which was neat.
I guess Saturday is a big day of action, and there's going to be a demonstration at noon in front of my town's City Hall. Not sure yet whether I'll go—at least it's within walking distance of my house. I kind of feel "what's the point," but maybe the community is the point.
You closed the dealership!! On the day they make their money! I think that's the brilliant thing about the Tesla Takedown so beautiful-- folks can participate in red and blue areas and have it make a tangible impact.
Love this essay, love my mental image of the Berkeley student swing dance club moving their Saturday events from sproul plaza to a Tesla takedown to take advantage of the band
Sue, you guessed right! I had a sense there would be something to reflect on, win or lose.
Also, it would have been at least a little funny if I had been like "actually, I don't have any thoughts on the major election in my state... here's another 3000 words on sports gambling."
You know it’s a great day Garrett essay (like most are) when my tears hit right at the end. I know in the discord we are always talking about secular church (and even virtual ones) and if you were one of the preachers, I would go!! :). Sending big love from Texas.
I am so happy for all the people of Wisconsin and for the rest of us further out who are inspired by what you've done Freedom is an American ideal, and here you are experiencing the liberating feeling of collectively standing up to a bully. These particular bullies are not likely to slink away with their tails between their legs, and they may try to double down on cruelty as a result - but the die is cast and people everywhere have seen that they are more powerful than they know.
You're so smart for naming this. We're going to keep winning, but that won't mean that they stop with their cruelty (which is why, in turn, it'll be so important to include taking care of each other in all the work we're doing).
"Their power and influence is already waning, but we are just getting started. They are desperate, but we are still building. They want us to give up, to turn on one another, but we have our arms wide open."
As a fellow resident of a sometimes "most important state in the union" which really just means "mercilessly bombarded with campaign ads," my heart goes out to what you all have surely been dealing with the last few months. Pennsylvania remembers!!!
And I am so glad this was the result and so glad we got this essay. The things that are making me tear up there days are the people doing their best in the midst of really hard, messy circumstances and coming out better than anyone expected (see also: the video of Alysa Liu becoming a world champion at ice skating the other week may also make someone cry today!). Like I don't wish the hard times on any of us, but if nothing else, makes the success that much more meaningful.
I celebrated the little wins with my therapist today. We are both exhausted and terrified and trying to figure out how to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Today, it was celebrating Cory Booker, AOC and Bernie, Tesla protests, and WISCONSIN. (Yelling it like they did at the end of That 70s Show theme song.)
I live in MA and have since the early 1990s. It is very difficult to be so politically active/aware and feel completely irrelevant. I would rather make a difference. So I spend my political activist time harassing people in swing states to get involved, or vote for anyone not MAGA. But it is not the same...
Hello, fellow Masshole! I love New England. I write postcards to voters with Markers for Democracy or letters with Vote Forward. It’s a slow burn but it’s great to do. Plus, there are reasons and ways to get involved locally, even in our sapphire state. I’ve been more active in learning about zoning laws recently in my town, because zoning (and NIMBYs) is one way that very little housing has been built in greater Boston — and low supply/scarcity keeps rent and mortgages high. My town has been trying to update their zoning laws to allow for more housing (and maybe lowering or at least plateauing rent with an increased supply?!) so I went to a city council meeting earlier in March and then a Q&A session later. I learned about it from an activist on my local subreddit — I wouldn’t have known anything about it if they hadn’t hammered home the importance of showing up at those city council meetings — because the NIMBYs were definitely there. But, so were the YIMBYs, so the folks saying ‘no’ were not the loudest in the room. And I’m going to keep showing up.
THANK YOU, WISCONSIN!!
I saw a pic online this morning of an enormous cheese crushing a Tesla. Best use of AI I've ever seen.
And second best use of cheese I've seen (the first is "for eating").
I (petulantly) swore off protesting when Trump was reelected, figuring all the time I'd already spent milling around in crowds with clever signs in the ultra-liberal Bay Area had added up to nothing. But when I heard about the Tesla Takedown, I will admit that I thought, maybe this could actually make a difference. Nobody's going to be able to go in and shop for a Tesla if there are a bunch of people protesting outside. And indeed, the Berkeley Tesla showroom is now closed on Saturdays because of the protests. There were about 1,000 of us in the street last Saturday (blocked off at both ends of the block by motorcycle cops, who seemed pretty chill). I had made a sign that said BAD DOGE with an illustration of the Shiba Inu memecoin. There was a band playing, which was neat.
I guess Saturday is a big day of action, and there's going to be a demonstration at noon in front of my town's City Hall. Not sure yet whether I'll go—at least it's within walking distance of my house. I kind of feel "what's the point," but maybe the community is the point.
You closed the dealership!! On the day they make their money! I think that's the brilliant thing about the Tesla Takedown so beautiful-- folks can participate in red and blue areas and have it make a tangible impact.
Love this essay, love my mental image of the Berkeley student swing dance club moving their Saturday events from sproul plaza to a Tesla takedown to take advantage of the band
A club that you’re a proud alum of, right?
A brass band definitely makes protesting 100% more fun!
This makes me so happy in the nerdiest way possible
The community is definitely the point. I’m going to my first rally this Saturday.
Yay!!!
I was waiting for this one this morning!
"What will The White Pages have to say about this", I wonder.
Well done Wisconsin!
me too. I assumed that was why we didn't get a Tuesday newsletter. I'm VERY glad this is the essay Garrett got to write.
Sue, you guessed right! I had a sense there would be something to reflect on, win or lose.
Also, it would have been at least a little funny if I had been like "actually, I don't have any thoughts on the major election in my state... here's another 3000 words on sports gambling."
You know it’s a great day Garrett essay (like most are) when my tears hit right at the end. I know in the discord we are always talking about secular church (and even virtual ones) and if you were one of the preachers, I would go!! :). Sending big love from Texas.
Oh jeez that means so much. I love our little secular church community so much.
I am so happy for all the people of Wisconsin and for the rest of us further out who are inspired by what you've done Freedom is an American ideal, and here you are experiencing the liberating feeling of collectively standing up to a bully. These particular bullies are not likely to slink away with their tails between their legs, and they may try to double down on cruelty as a result - but the die is cast and people everywhere have seen that they are more powerful than they know.
You're so smart for naming this. We're going to keep winning, but that won't mean that they stop with their cruelty (which is why, in turn, it'll be so important to include taking care of each other in all the work we're doing).
Congrats, Wisconsin!!!!!!!
Woo hoo!!
Just a proud Jersey native here with a hearty “fuck Strom Thurmond.” Cory Booker, making a spectacle. We love to see it.
It's a pretty huge accomplishment! Will it be enough to get him a named service plaza on the Garden State Parkway?
The nation’s highest honor!
"Their power and influence is already waning, but we are just getting started. They are desperate, but we are still building. They want us to give up, to turn on one another, but we have our arms wide open."
Love the song as well. Thank you.
Yay!!
Indeed!
Thanks, Garrett, I needed this newsletter this morning, a lot.
Oh so glad! That's why these victories (and pausing to notice them) matter!
LOVE the sentiments; PERFECT song for the week. So impressed by what you Wisconsinites pulled off, and by Cory, of course.
I'm still just caught up in the logistics of it all (Booker's speech). That's so many hours!!!
Y'all did it! Thank you, Wisconsin!
WE! DID!
As a fellow resident of a sometimes "most important state in the union" which really just means "mercilessly bombarded with campaign ads," my heart goes out to what you all have surely been dealing with the last few months. Pennsylvania remembers!!!
And I am so glad this was the result and so glad we got this essay. The things that are making me tear up there days are the people doing their best in the midst of really hard, messy circumstances and coming out better than anyone expected (see also: the video of Alysa Liu becoming a world champion at ice skating the other week may also make someone cry today!). Like I don't wish the hard times on any of us, but if nothing else, makes the success that much more meaningful.
I celebrated the little wins with my therapist today. We are both exhausted and terrified and trying to figure out how to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Today, it was celebrating Cory Booker, AOC and Bernie, Tesla protests, and WISCONSIN. (Yelling it like they did at the end of That 70s Show theme song.)
I live in MA and have since the early 1990s. It is very difficult to be so politically active/aware and feel completely irrelevant. I would rather make a difference. So I spend my political activist time harassing people in swing states to get involved, or vote for anyone not MAGA. But it is not the same...
Hello, fellow Masshole! I love New England. I write postcards to voters with Markers for Democracy or letters with Vote Forward. It’s a slow burn but it’s great to do. Plus, there are reasons and ways to get involved locally, even in our sapphire state. I’ve been more active in learning about zoning laws recently in my town, because zoning (and NIMBYs) is one way that very little housing has been built in greater Boston — and low supply/scarcity keeps rent and mortgages high. My town has been trying to update their zoning laws to allow for more housing (and maybe lowering or at least plateauing rent with an increased supply?!) so I went to a city council meeting earlier in March and then a Q&A session later. I learned about it from an activist on my local subreddit — I wouldn’t have known anything about it if they hadn’t hammered home the importance of showing up at those city council meetings — because the NIMBYs were definitely there. But, so were the YIMBYs, so the folks saying ‘no’ were not the loudest in the room. And I’m going to keep showing up.
Yes local politics are a drag but necessary evil!!