Bravo! Please continue to celebrate new heroes. For all of your readers one of the most important things you can do is to explain the importance of Governor Newsom‘s redistricting initiative. It is going to face a barrage of right wing disinformation, but it is our most important tool to win back Congress and get some shred of accountability.
The response to the weekly protests I attend can be rewarding, uplifting, and curious. The Protestors are Elders, by and large, and Denouncers drive by a line of us with signs - pieces of papers. The anger this engenders is non-proportional. This takes place in a town lately voted as the #1 place to raise a family in the US. How can it be that this particular POTUS can drive elder men to get red-faced and call us (get ready) POS and Faggots. What? The?Faggots??? It’s remarkable.
Fantastic column, Mark. As you know are many others in these communities (political, media, law, corporate, academic etc) who are standing strong against the authoritarianism of this regime, and we need to do our best to elevate them in the public eye. Doing so empowers us. It’s encouraging us to know that we do have prominent people who are on our team.
I'd argue that most of these are only modestly, at best, clearing the bar for "meeting the moment," but relative to their peers, I'll take it. I think you might find a few more brown representatives in congress to highlight if you look a little harder? Crockett? Omar? The fact that the entire congress plus 10x as many from the wings aren't stampeding over each other to lead the New Democrats or whatever indicates that a revolution is already complete, and it was Trump's.
If you find yourself in the resistance, go to every DNC vote you can. I don't care if you are a tradcon, a libertarian, a communist, an anarchist, a tuned-out punk, suck it up and play Democratic Party as a side hobby, and send up the message that you want the top purged NOW, and while you're at it, party transparency. How many of the top positions in the DNC can you name? Did you get to help choose them? This is who decides who you get to vote for. It's anyone's party right now, but if the old guard of the DNC remain in charge of the 2026 cycle, well we might as well get started working on independent coalitions because that's who will have to take charge. We should get working on those anyway (I am), but spare a little energy for the inside game if you can. Don't fundraise for them, don't donate to them beyond *direct* local donations, F that (and do NOT donate via links without researching the most direct way to donate). Participate in party votes. Propose resolutions. Propose rule changes. Bring your friends.
Great list, and reassuring to know that you couldn’t possibly manage to name them all. Enjoying seeing others add their heroes to your list.
I was tickled to see you mention Kai Ryssdal (did you know he’s a former Naval aviator?) We love listening to Marketplace. In the same category of economic heroes, I really enjoy Paul Krugman, too. And another historian here on Substack who’s worth reading is Kevin M. Levin, whose area of interest & expertise is the Civil War: (https://open.substack.com/pub/kevinmlevin)
And then there are all the people in public health who are vocal in their condemnation of RFK, Jr.’s unconscionable, dangerous policies and who tirelessly counter his disinformation; all of the legal minds who speak out and work to protect our civil rights, educating the rest of us in the process (Joyce Vance and Marc Elias come instantly to mind, just for starters); all of the people working to protect our environment, and animals, and the most vulnerable among us. The list of smart, brave, resilient people — some whose names we know and most we don’t — is truly inspiring!
Please stop lionizing Terry Moran. According to a former ABC journalist, he was notorious at the network for sending knee-jerk emails and making highly inappropriate and tasteless posts. His trashing of Stephen Miller, though well deserved, was unethical -- a reporter does not trash anyone he or she is supposed to cover objectively. Moran's contract was about to expire with no prospect of renewal and he just threw another grenade on his way out the door. Sorry, but I for one will not be rushing to subscribe to his Substack page.
Gavin Newsom should be included as a hero as well, possibly Momdani in New york
Bravo! Please continue to celebrate new heroes. For all of your readers one of the most important things you can do is to explain the importance of Governor Newsom‘s redistricting initiative. It is going to face a barrage of right wing disinformation, but it is our most important tool to win back Congress and get some shred of accountability.
In addition to Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, Seth Myers offers humor, wit and insightful observations during late night hours.
The response to the weekly protests I attend can be rewarding, uplifting, and curious. The Protestors are Elders, by and large, and Denouncers drive by a line of us with signs - pieces of papers. The anger this engenders is non-proportional. This takes place in a town lately voted as the #1 place to raise a family in the US. How can it be that this particular POTUS can drive elder men to get red-faced and call us (get ready) POS and Faggots. What? The?Faggots??? It’s remarkable.
Jamie Raskin has been unrelenting in his opposition to the Trump/MAGA/enablers excesses.
He should be on this list….always!
Good thought. I agree. Obviously a lot of worthy people weren't mentioned.
Guilty. Sorry. Typo.
❣️🇺🇸Thanks Mark Jacob
much needed clear eyed optimism🗽💫
https://bsky.app/profile/kenaiseasky.bsky.social/post/3lwozqk4izk23
Don't forget Gavin Newsom and his social media director, Camille Zapata. They are on it these days.
Not Alligator Alcatraz. Alcatraz inmates had due process and were found quilts. What is happening in Florida is Alligator Auschwitz. .
Fantastic column, Mark. As you know are many others in these communities (political, media, law, corporate, academic etc) who are standing strong against the authoritarianism of this regime, and we need to do our best to elevate them in the public eye. Doing so empowers us. It’s encouraging us to know that we do have prominent people who are on our team.
I'd argue that most of these are only modestly, at best, clearing the bar for "meeting the moment," but relative to their peers, I'll take it. I think you might find a few more brown representatives in congress to highlight if you look a little harder? Crockett? Omar? The fact that the entire congress plus 10x as many from the wings aren't stampeding over each other to lead the New Democrats or whatever indicates that a revolution is already complete, and it was Trump's.
If you find yourself in the resistance, go to every DNC vote you can. I don't care if you are a tradcon, a libertarian, a communist, an anarchist, a tuned-out punk, suck it up and play Democratic Party as a side hobby, and send up the message that you want the top purged NOW, and while you're at it, party transparency. How many of the top positions in the DNC can you name? Did you get to help choose them? This is who decides who you get to vote for. It's anyone's party right now, but if the old guard of the DNC remain in charge of the 2026 cycle, well we might as well get started working on independent coalitions because that's who will have to take charge. We should get working on those anyway (I am), but spare a little energy for the inside game if you can. Don't fundraise for them, don't donate to them beyond *direct* local donations, F that (and do NOT donate via links without researching the most direct way to donate). Participate in party votes. Propose resolutions. Propose rule changes. Bring your friends.
P.S. Apologies for missing the reference to Crockett.
Great list, and reassuring to know that you couldn’t possibly manage to name them all. Enjoying seeing others add their heroes to your list.
I was tickled to see you mention Kai Ryssdal (did you know he’s a former Naval aviator?) We love listening to Marketplace. In the same category of economic heroes, I really enjoy Paul Krugman, too. And another historian here on Substack who’s worth reading is Kevin M. Levin, whose area of interest & expertise is the Civil War: (https://open.substack.com/pub/kevinmlevin)
And then there are all the people in public health who are vocal in their condemnation of RFK, Jr.’s unconscionable, dangerous policies and who tirelessly counter his disinformation; all of the legal minds who speak out and work to protect our civil rights, educating the rest of us in the process (Joyce Vance and Marc Elias come instantly to mind, just for starters); all of the people working to protect our environment, and animals, and the most vulnerable among us. The list of smart, brave, resilient people — some whose names we know and most we don’t — is truly inspiring!
Guilty. Sorry. Typo.
Please stop lionizing Terry Moran. According to a former ABC journalist, he was notorious at the network for sending knee-jerk emails and making highly inappropriate and tasteless posts. His trashing of Stephen Miller, though well deserved, was unethical -- a reporter does not trash anyone he or she is supposed to cover objectively. Moran's contract was about to expire with no prospect of renewal and he just threw another grenade on his way out the door. Sorry, but I for one will not be rushing to subscribe to his Substack page.
I just unsubscribed from his substack--was not very interesting.