June 25 Blog: Looking Back & Looking Ahead; Spanberger at Freddie’s the 27th

Dear Friends:

I hope everyone is staying cool in this hot weather. My Rush Hour Resistance (RHR) is taking a break with the extreme heat, but will be back soon. The Tesla Takedown on S. Glebe Rd. is continuing, and there were folks in the heat lining GW Parkway with signs near National Airport.

Resistance is growing! June 14 felt like a giant block party to many people, which is perfect. It’s important we make the Resistance fun and attractive to as many people as possible so the demonstrations can just keep growing.

June 14 participation nationwide was much more than double that of April 5. The American Civil Liberties Union said on June 14th “No Kings Day” that more than 5 million people participated in 2,100 protests nationwide which, I’m pretty sure, does not include small efforts like the banner drops around our region. And on April 5th for the “Hands Off” demonstrations Waging Nonviolence tallied 1,145 protests totaling 919,000 and 1.5 million participants.

Looking to the near future, I found this discussion between Ezra Klein and Sarah McBride very persuasive. I’ve often thought of myself as a member of what I call the “radical middle”. That philosophy is well analyzed and explained here. They call it traditional liberalism. I think you could also call it the basic outlook of all the great religions. If we are going to break out of the current political stalemate in this country, the Democratic Party has to offer a new clear vision that moves us forward out of this pre-Christian dystopia MAGA has brought us. Many, many people need to be comfortable and feel respected even if they do not get everything they want in this new Democratic vision.

Or, perhaps the small number of independents running will create a new party with these values instead of remaking the Democratic Party. In many ways “It’s the economy, stupid” applies now more than ever. We have little time to make this happen in an American democracy.

As my readers know, we have entered the final phase of campaigns for the November statewide elections in Virginia. The top of the ticket gubernatorial race is crucial for Virginia and the nation. We need the “purple” state of Virginia to give a resounding victory to Abigail Spanberger, the Democratic candidate for governor whom I whole-heartedly support. This race will be watched closely across the country.

Arlingtonians have a great opportunity to meet Abigail and show their support for her at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant this Friday, the 27th. The stop at Freddie’s is part of Abigail Spanberger’s “Span Virginia Bus Tour” as she kicks off the summer by energizing Virginians across our Commonwealth! If you can’t make the Freddie’s event (and I regret the short notice!), please check out the other local event locations. I hope you will take the time to meet Abigail and judge her for yourself.

Friday’s event for Abigail Spanberger is being held at Freddie’s Beach Bar and Restaurant (555 23rd St S. Arlington, VA 22202). This event is being held at 4:45 pm. See the embed link to sign up. There is no cost for the event, but a donation is always welcome.

Finally, on a personal note, on Tuesday I moved the final boxes out of my home of 39 years in Fairlington and am settling into my new home 2 miles away. I now live a few doors away from my mother and daughter. I love Fairlington, but this will allow me to more easily care for my mother and later “age in place” myself.

Please stay cool. Please support Abigail Spanberger and the Resistance in any way you can.

Yours in peaceful resistance,

Libby