Grandmatwo

Retired, Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mom, Grandma, knitter, quilter

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@birdchadlouis Thank you

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

.@birdchadlouis Please consider moving to Threads or BlueSky. I have learned so much reading your posts. But I’m leaving this platform soon.

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

Leaving for Threads and BlueSky. Join me there!

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@DonaldFStevens I’m there! I think. I’ll look for you.

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

The questions at the end of this are important for the future.

[Mikel Jollett @Mikel_Jollett]

I think it's tempting to think of this election as if everyone was working from the same information and the country just made a very dark choice. How could all these women vote for someone who hates women? How could all these latino men vote for someone who hates latino men? Et. Cetera.

But the data doesn't really support this. Everywhere (except the Dakotas) that abortion rights were on the ballot, it won a majority. Which means there were people who voted for Trump (who took away abortion rights) while voting highly in favor of abortion rights.

Same with the economy. There are people (most Trump voters!) who say the economy was the biggest issue. Yet, Biden built the best economy in the world and endless economists agree Trump's policies (such as one can discern them) would crash the economy.

Finally, no, latino men are not voting for their own deportation. They're just not. There's something more complicated going on.

In all of these cases, PROPAGANDA WON. Trump said he would protect women (he won't). Republicans said they would build a better economy (they won't). Et cetera.

So this gets to the heart of the matter: the issue is the INFORMATION. By large majorities, voters are pro-choice, they are pro-Bidenomics and anti-deporting millions of people. Poll after poll said this and statewide measure results confirm it. Yet the anti-choice, anti-Bidenomics, pro-deporting millions of people candidate won.

The only logical conclusion one is left with is that we are simply not reaching voters with the information they need to vote their interests.

Some of this is no doubt the right-wing media propaganda machine. Some of it is that we have always been bad at messaging these voters.

And if there's some soul searching we should earnestly do in the coming months, it can't just be doomsday, "America hates women! America wants inflation!" stuff, tempting as it may be.

And instead, to start asking the question which can turn the tide, which is: How do we COUNTERACT the right-wing media propaganda machine? How do we reach voters who care about Democratic priorities and basic American values with messaging that speaks to them?

That is a question with an answer. That is an answer which change the direction of the country.

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@JohnBrancy @carnegiehall Sang that Twice. One of my favorites! Wish I were closer

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@HowieRose Thanks for the suggestion. New author to me. 1st book on hold at the library

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

A perfect day to elect Kamala! 152 years later!

[The Associated Press @AP]

On Nov. 5, 1872, suffragist Susan B. Anthony defied law by voting in the presidential election.

UPDATE: This post replaces an earlier post that was deleted because the photo had the wrong date. Susan B. Anthony voted on Nov. 5, 1872, not Nov. 2, 1976. https://t.co/fzUTe6GB8a

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@RevSarahLocke I have a friend who bought out all the apple fritters from the grocery store and is going to sit and eat them all day.

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@matthewjdowd Any place besides SEZ? Not familiar with that site.

[Jennifer Lewke @WHEC_JLewke]

People who have voted early in #NY have already begun placing their “I voted” stickers on the gravestone that marks where Susan B. Anthony is buried here at Mount Hope Cemetery in #ROC. @news10nbc

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

Long read but worth it. Please read!

[Rick Steves @RickSteves]

A Letter from a Bishop to You Via Me:

I get emails all the time from a bishop. (My girlfriend, Shelley, is a Lutheran bishop.) As bishop, Shelley oversees a synod of about 100 churches in the northwest corner of Washington state. (A bishop’s responsibilities are similar to those of a superintendent who oversees all the schools in a particular school district). While there are several families of Lutheran churches, Shelley’s a leader in what’s by far the biggest and most progressive branch, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (@ELCA).

In these times of angry politics, hard divisions, and hyper-political churches, I fear that when unchurched Americans think of a Christian, many think of the extremely conservative ones who play such a high-profile role in the right wing of our political landscape. While the term “evangelical” can apply to a broad range of Christians, the most politicalized have come to be known as “Evangelicals” in the US. These groups are generally fundamentalists (who take every word in the Bible literally) and Christian Nationalists (who believe Americans are exceptional in God’s eyes, are sure to fly the Stars and Stripes in their churches…and might even think God would recommend a certain Bible that comes with the US Constitution stitched into it).

On the other hand, the quieter wing of Christianity in our country (“Mainline Protestant” denominations like Lutherans, Methodists, Episcopalians, and many others) tends to be more liberal. In these churches, women and gay pastors are commonplace, sanctity of life includes much more than a fetus, our Jewish and Muslim neighbors are welcome, and we understand that all people are children of God and, therefore, equally beloved. Sadly, while noisy and angry fundamentalists and Christian Nationalists grab the headlines and stoke the cultural wars that divide our country, the rest of us — who take “love thy neighbor” seriously — have been bullied out of the public eye.

Shelley sends a monthly “Letter from the Bishop” to the congregations in her synod — and during this election season, I wish all Americans could receive her November dispatch. It offers what I consider to be a truly Christ-like approach to the issues facing our country. As a Christian, Shelley’s message (which is more “love thy neighbor” than “what’s in it for me”) inspires me, and it will guide me as I vote in this election. And — as an American citizen who cares deeply for his country — I hope that, whether you consider yourself a person of faith or not, Shelley’s message will also bring a new dimension to your thinking as you prepare to vote.

From the Bishop:

Dear Beloveds,
As the election season is here, I have been doing some reflecting on what it means to vote as a Lutheran Christian. Please know that I am not telling you who to vote for in this election. It is not for me to tell you who to vote for. I mean, after all, God is neither Republican or Democrat, or even American.

But in saying that, I am not abdicating the responsibility that we have as Lutheran Christians who live in a country where voting matters. As children of God, we are called to vote beyond our own self-interest or individuality. As people who follow Jesus, we are called towards God’s vision of a just and mercy-filled world. As people who have received grace upon grace, we are called to stand against injustice, and to remind everyone that, in God’s eyes, every single person is loved and beloved.

So, here are a few thoughts and questions:

1. Jesus is all about loving one’s neighbor. Even when it’s hard. When he’s asked, “Who is my neighbor,” Jesus expands his answer. In Jesus’ stories and actions he constantly goes to those who are on the outside, those marginalized, those without status, and shows how they are loved by God – how they are, in fact, his neighbor.

As you vote: Who is your neighbor?

2. Throughout scripture, hospitality to the stranger is embraced. In the Old Testament, the command to welcome strangers is repeated 37 times. In Matthew, Jesus says, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

As you vote: Who is the stranger?

3. God’s will and God’s calling is towards equity and justice for those who have been silenced, oppressed, or harmed. As we hear in Isaiah, “Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow.”

As you vote: Who are the silenced, the oppressed, the harmed?

4. The eighth commandment declares that we are called to not bear false witness against our neighbor. This, of course, means not lying about another but seeking the truth. This means no name-calling or false accusations. But it goes beyond this. As Martin Luther tells us in his Small Catechism, we are to defend our neighbor, speak well of our neighbor, and explain everything in the kindest way.

As you vote: Who is speaking truth?

5. God created this beautiful earth and declared that we are both part of the creation and are also called to be stewards of it. As we read in the ELCA social statement called “Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice,” we affirm that it is God’s intention for us to join in the healing and wholeness of creation.

As you vote: Who is caring for creation?

Dear Beloveds of God, there is so much more that could be written about the state of our country and what voting means. We could make this all complicated and intricate and difficult. But truly, it comes down to this: God’s love is unconditional and unending. Jesus came to this earth to show, to embody, to be God’s love for us and for all people. And so, knowing this, trusting this, believing this, we are called. We are called, as children of God, to show this love to the world. We are called to vote against hate. We are called to vote for God’s love. As we hear in 1 John, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear … We love because God first loved us.”

+Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@HC_Richardson So needed for so many!

[Grandmatwo @KathyMoragne]

@matthewjdowd What is the numerical difference between Gen X who can vote in 2024 but not in 2020 and then number of presumedly Republicans who died of Covid since 2020. I understand that not all who died of Covid were Republicans. Just a thought.
Thank you for keeping me calm.

[Kamala Harris @KamalaHarris]

The attorney general of Texas is suing the United States government so they can get their hands on private medical records of women who leave the state to get care.

Trump won’t let anyone see his medical records, but these guys want to get their hands on yours?

[Wolf of X @WolfofX]

The USA is full of fascinating surprises. Every turn here reveals something surreal..

A rare thread

1. Chicago skyline visible from nearly 50 miles away in Indiana Dunes sunset

[Sandra Boynton @SandyBoynton]

Thought for today. (And tomorrow. And so on…)