Libby's Blog

Dear Friends: As we enjoy this Labor Day weekend, does the song “9 to 5” keep playing in your head? I think sometimes we forget what our American holidays are all about except for an extra day off. The passing of both Dolly Parton and Gloria Steinem at this particular fraught time feels very significant. At first glance, they seem like opposites: hair, make-up, urban vs rural. But, in very different ways, they each lived their beliefs that all people “are created equal:” Do

Dear Friends: For my readers in Arlington, ICE terrorism is here in force. Recently there have been numerous ICE agents snatching people especially along Columbia Pike from grocery stores (MegaMart), bus stops, and parks. Buchanan Gardens apartments were occupied by ICE troops all day on Monday, the 17th causing people to leave in the wee hours of the morning so they could get to work without interacting with ICE. Those who stayed locked themselves in their apartments. As the

Dear Friends: No, I haven’t seen the “Odyssey” movie yet. But I think I’ve read more about it than any movie ever and the reviews and opinions keep coming. Mostly they are rave reviews, with the notable exception of Emily Wilson (whom I admire as a classics scholar, from what I’ve read about her work over the years) and, of course, Elon Musk and his ilk (whom, needless to say, I don’t admire). The movie seems to be a bit of a Rorschach test…like Homer’s Odysseus has been thro

Dear Friends: I continue to think about the meaning of July 4th, which felt so desecrated this year. One thought, shared by quite a few, I’m guessing, is that we can celebrate the 250th anniversary of our democracy more properly when we get to 2038 and the 250th anniversary of the ratification of the US Constitution. By that time – if we can do what we need to do now – our democracy may be secured again. The past few years have seen many Americans learning far more about US

Dear Friends: My best July 4 wishes to all my readers. This 250 anniversary is not what any of us expected it would be I think, but all the resistance efforts going on across the country feel very appropriate. I certainly have felt closer to our revolutionary ancestors than ever before. Some of you may have seen this piece in the NY Times: The State of American Resistance is Stronger than You Think. I like their framing of authoritarianism: “Authoritarianism is about how we

Dear Friends: I hope everyone has been enjoying the various reflecting pool memes. The mess perfectly encapsulates Trump’s regime. It’s hard to laugh at so much of what this Regime does because millions of real people are being hurt or killed. But the reflecting pool mess is hilarious and hurts (almost) no one. These memes we can all laugh at didn’t really exist 20 years ago. Technology is a 2-edged sword for sure, but this week I’ve been delighting in it. Besides the funny m

Dear Friends: I hope everyone is enjoying Pride Month and staying cool. I’ll start out with some practical information: 1. Given that many of my readers live in Arlington where the Arch de Trump will be constructed, I wanted to make sure everyone knows about the opportunity for the public to comment on the plans and design. While words like “abomination” come to mind, I decided to mention the destruction of the view with its visual relationship between Arlington Cemetery wit

Dear Friends Saturday is the 82nd anniversary of D-Day. On June 6, 1944 soldiers from the US, Britain, and Canada simultaneously landed on 5 separate beaches in Normandy, France to begin the offensive to defeat Nazi Germany. There were 10,000 casualties that day. Over 4,400 allied soldiers died including about 2,500 Americans. The drama of that day has usually felt distant, but what so many soldiers died for, defeating fascism, seems all too real. The courage and sacrifice o

Dear Friends: With the twin gut punches of the destruction of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the Virginia Supreme Court ruling that our vote last month on redistricting doesn’t mean anything; and with all the general destruction of our nation, which Timothy Snyder calls great power suicide…..it can be difficult to stay positive. Even for a naturally positive person like myself. I’m finding that for me perspective keeps me positive. There is a local perspective, which I was pr

Dear Friends: This blog is a little later than usual because I went to Scotland for my birthday and a meetup with some family and friends. It was a wonderful trip. Traveling is such a good way to get another perspective on things, especially when you are inclined, as I am, to delve into the local history of places when you visit. I’ve been struck lately by how many commentators and politicians use history as a way to explain and understand our current political situation.

Dear Friends: I wanted to let my readers know about a project I have been involved with over the past six months: The Abundance Elected Network. The Network is a national community of local elected officials who are committed to results driven governance and work to remove unnecessary barriers to getting things done. Often those barriers came about for a good reason long ago, but while they no longer make sense, they are difficult to remove or even see sometimes. And, they c

Dear Friends: I hope everyone has been able to take a little time to disconnect from the crazy world and recharge a bit with whatever holidays you celebrate, or just enjoy spring. The last week was particularly crazy. The fact that Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, and others on the far right criticized Donald Trump indicates just how crazy it was. Even they see that our President is unhinged. Keeping perspective on our history is so important to mental heal

Dear Friends: The regime’s horrors continue, but it is spring, which always helps me keep things in perspective, at least a little. And I’m looking forward to being part of one of the many No Kings III events nationwide this Saturday. But before I get to No Kings, I recommend that you check out the very positive perspective of Rebecca Solnit, which you can explore in The Interview podcast or read about in The Guardian. Many of my readers will likely be familiar with Ms.

Dear Friends: The pace of authoritarian efforts to destroy our democracy is picking up, and so is the pace of the Resistance, particularly in Virginia. Virginia has the potential to pick up 4 Democratic House seats with the April 21 referendum on redistricting. Virginia is uniquely positioned to fight back against the MAGA effort to gain an advantage in Congress through off-cycle redistricting. We must get every vote we can to pass the amendment. The Regime began this batt

Dear Friends: I hope Spring, which has arrived in Arlington at least (there are crocuses blooming in my yard) is lifting everyone’s hearts a little despite the continuing horrors from the Regime. Both Timothy Snyder and Rachel Maddow had good explanations for the unjustified attack on Iran. I’ve linked to Snyder’s substack here which lays it out well. One reason Snyder sets out for the war is Trump paying back favors which were really bribes (billions in crypto investments i

Dear Friends: Likely all of us have been starting to take steps to try to protect our on-line privacy. As more and more comes out about how tech companies are aiding and abetting the Regime, this is a good time to think even more about internet security and privacy. I am no expert at all, but more and more regular people who never thought they’d have to fear government surveillance are realizing nothing is safe. I’ve been doing what reading I can and talked to a number of peo

Dear Friends: The Senate needs 60 votes to give more money to ICE before the end of this month. That means they need Democratic votes and our Democratic Senators have power. They’ve got to use it! We and our elected representatives have to do everything we can to stop the flow of money to ICE, the armed goons and thugs destroying our country. There is no going back to normal. There is no hoping we can wait things out until the November elections. The Regime’s attack on

Dear Friends: It’s been quite a week. ICE revealed itself for what it is: a secret police force designed to terrorize everyone and make sure that the mid-term elections do not happen….or at least they don’t happen in Blue cities and states. The cold blooded murder of Renee Good was horrifying. The Regime’s multiple lies – even though the videos showed and elected officials in Minnesota concurred that the Regime was lying – is even more chilling. Heather Cox Richardson said i

Dear Friends: I hope everyone has had a good holiday. I continue to be hopeful and inspired by the pro-democracy resistance efforts around the country, but this blog will not be particularly reassuring. I think we all were taken aback by the US attack on Venezuela and abduction of President Maduro. I could not figure out exactly why it bothered me so much (Maduro is a terrible person) until I listened to this excellent explanation by Heather Cox Richardson . I’ll summarize h

Dear Friends: I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays with family and friends. I’ve been lucky to be able to visit my older daughter and her family for a week. When the world is in chaos, family and friends can provide a sense of security and stability. Caring for my mother, now 97-1/2, is difficult at times, but family was always important to her as was taking pleasure in many small things like watching the world from her porch. She rarely complains about anything. I often