October 31 Blog: Never Give in to a Bully & Providing Mutual Aid

Dear Friends:  

We are entering the difficult stage of the shutdown when SNAP benefits go on pause, not because there isn’t money, but because the Regime is preventing contingency funds for this purpose from being spent to try to, literally, starve us into submission. As the Washington Post reports: “Forty-two million people — roughly 1 in 8 Americans — could see cuts or delays to food assistance as soon as Saturday (November 1) if the government shutdown continues… On Thursday, though, a federal judge indicated that she was likely to order the Trump administration to release at least some funds for the program. But the released benefits are likely to be delayed, and it’s unclear who will go without part or all of their grocery budget in November.”

It is doubly difficult when federal employees (those who still have jobs) are missing paychecks and when air traffic is starting to be affected. Food banks and communities are bracing for spikes in need for food and more. The pain is starting to be sharp and many more people are feeling it.

The largest federal employees union has called on Democrats to cave. I believe caving would be a terrible mistake. Democrats need to hold firm and put the blame squarely where it belongs: on the Republicans who insist on making healthcare unaffordable for millions and who control the government.  My belief is backed up by this poll in today’s Washington Post.

This is a GOP shutdown and cracks are starting to show in the GOP as many of their own districts are hurting. Last weekend Congressman Beyer helped out with food distribution in Alexandria and was featured in the New York Times. We need to lift up the representatives like Don Beyer who are helping and who are holding the line. The pressure on them is about to get a lot harder to withstand. Therefore, this is a very good time to reach out especially to our Democratic representatives and tell them to hold the line. Caving will only make Dems complicit in people losing their healthcare and it will not protect federal workers or people needing SNAP benefits beyond the short term. Giving in to a bully never makes the bully go away, the bully just comes back to take more. 

We also need to find ways to provide Mutual Aid to those hurt by this shutdown. Donating to food banks like those run by local churches, or AFAC, or The Capitol Area Food bank is an excellent way to help right now. Giving supplies can also help. My Rush Hour Resistance team is looking to set up a food collection point on the I-395 bridge overpass to make it easy for people to help.  

We should also look for ways to chip away at corporate support for the Regime, like the Tesla Takedowns, demanding Avelo Air suffer for flying deportations, and the very successful pressuring Disney to bring back Jimmy Kimmel.  

Next up: Spotify. Indivisible and other groups are leading an effort to get people to stop their subscriptions to Spotify, which is running recruitment ads for ICE. If you use Spotify, I strongly encourage you to unsubscribe. I do not use Spotify, but I understand that it is possible to take your playlist with you. There are other companies that provide similar services and apparently pay artists better than Spotify as well as not running ICE recruitment ads. Mass united action got Jimmy Kimmel back on the air. Mass united action can get ICE off of Spotify. Then we’ll go after the next bad corporate actor. And corporations will start to think more and more about the damage patriots can do to them if they cooperate with this regime.

Also, it’s very important to VOTE for our Democratic ticket Virginia this week. Your voice will be heard. As we know, The Old Dominion is a bellwether state, and the nation and the Regime are watching. As a reminder:

• The Last Day of Early Voting: Saturday, November 1, 2025

• Election Day: Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (polls open 6am-7pm)

Check here for voter information re: sample ballots and polling places:  https://vote.arlingtonva.gov/Elections

Finally, it is always helpful to put our times into historic perspective, as disturbing as that can be when parallels to horrible times in human history are so close. I think of myself as fairly informed about our history, but this piece “Letters from an American” by Health Cox Richardson surprised me with details I had not known. I find it hopeful because we’ve been here before and we got through it.  

If you find this blog helpful, please share it with a friend.  I’m always happy to hear how it can become more helpful to my readers.    

Yours in peaceful resistance,  

Libby