WHAT WOULD MARTIN LUTHER KING Jr. DO?

"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable.  Even a superficial look at history reveals that no social advance rolls in on the wheels inevitability.  Every step towards the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.  Without persistent effort, time itself becomes an ally of the insurgent and primitive forces of irrational emotionalism and social destruction.  This is no time for apathy or complacency.  This is a time for vigorous and positive action." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Okay, folks, so I say MLK Jr. gives a resounding THUMBS UP! to the POSTCARDS FOR DEMOCRACYcampaign.  

I'm feeling very overwhelmed with this ball that I've started rolling.  Perhaps some of you have offered to help in your emails, but I haven't brought myself to read them yet.  When I put myself out in the world in a creative or disruptive way, I often have a physical sensation of leaning forward against chains that are dragging me backwards.  I feel paralyzed. Mostly, I want to hide under the covers, and sometimes I DO.

I KNOW this is the result of me not being who my parents and society wanted/expected me to be.  I'm not SUPPPOSED to be who I am.  Somehow my understanding of this has not liberated me from those chains.  I need the support and company of others to keep going, and I've gotten it so often in my life. 

If you want to help, please phone me at 415 648-5244.  I do better voice-to-voice and face-to-face.

Anyhow, this is a very long complicated way of saying I have not gotten any of the addresses yet.  But I WILL research that today!  Hey, maybe someone has already emailed me a bunch!  

FURTHER STRATEGY THOUGHTS:

1. We should prioritize Democratic electors in big swing states.  

2.  The electors meet to vote in their respective state capitols  on December 19.  We should organize PEACEFUL demonstrations in all the capitols where the electors are expected to vote for the loser of the national popular vote, on that day.

PLEASE COME TO MY POSTCARDS FOR DEMOCRACY TONIGHT AT 7 PM!  547 DOUGLASS ST., SF.  BELOW ARE TWO OF THE POSTCARDS AVAILABLE FROM MY COLLECTION!!

Terry

WE CAN REVERSE THIS! 2

Okay, I admit, I sent out that very provocative blog post without much research.  But now I know more.  

Look, Trump actually SAID on "60 Minutes" that the winner of the National Popular Vote should be President.  He doesn't WANT this job!  He just wanted the attention of the campaign!  He'll be THRILLED to not be President!  Let's help Trump get out of this spectacular jam he's in!

There is already an online petition to sign saying the exact same thing I'm saying on Change.org  (thank you, Lillian for the info).  There is absolutely nothing preventing electors from voting for the winner of the national popular vote, even if that candidate did not win the popular vote in their state.  This petition already has 4,000,000 signatures.  However, I could NOT figure out how to sign it, damn it.  The link to the petition is at the bottom of this post.  Please, when somebody figures out how to sign it, tell me.

BUT I BELIEVE WE NEED TO DO MORE THAN SIGN AN ONLINE PETITION.  I AM SUGGESTING.........

HAND-WRITTEN POSTCARDS!

That's right, folks.  We've got to put our fingers and a 32 cent stamp where our mouths are.  Everyone loves to get postcards -- especially now when almost no one sends them (except me which is why I had this idea).

We need to send postcards to ALL the electors who are committed to Trump. Below is a list of the names of all the electors of the states who voted Republican.  Of course, if you're in a red state, you should concentrate on your own state.  

As I said in the previous blog, some states do not demand that electors vote for the winner of the popular vote in that state.  But even in states where electors are "supposed" to vote the way their state voted,  if they vote otherwise, their vote will still be counted.  The elector would have to pay a small fine.  I'd be happy to foot the bill for one elector voting their conscience.  How about you?

For my list of electors below, I left out all the states that voted for Clinton.    If you want a list of all the electors, you can find it on Politico:

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/11/list-who-will-cast-a-formal-vote-for-president-2016-231235

So you can sit down right now and write a ....POSTCARD FOR DEMOCRACY!  

We need to get the addresses of these people.  Can someone help me with this?  My friend, Richard Winger, who is my source for information on All Things Political, says they are available at state elections offices.  If for some reason, we cannot get the addresses, we will find another way of getting the postcards to them.  But it would be so cool to just put a 34 cent stamp on, and send it off.

I'd also like to have buttons made:  "I think democracy would be a very good idea! Electors:  Make Clinton President."  Hmmm... maybe too much info for a button.  Needs work. Yes?  No? 

I'm also going to personally make up a card to give to folks.  Hey, does anyone want to help me with any of this?

You can get pre-printed postcards from the post office.  You can buy postcards anywhere.  How about a Collage Postcard Party!! (Thanks for the idea, Eve.)  I love the idea of people getting together to create/write postcards.  If you live near me, you can come over and choose some postcards from my VAST collection!  

I'M HAVING A POSTCARDS FOR DEMOCRACY PARTY AT MY HOUSE, TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, 7 PM.  I'LL SUPPLY POSTCARDS, STAMPS, AND PENS.  And I hope I'll have some addresses by then:

547 Douglass St. (between 21st & 22nd St.)

Buses:  24, 35, 48. 

Let's spread this idea around.  It's a lot more fun to write a postcard than to click on a petition.  One friend responded to my last blog with, "Sorry, but it's hopeless."  Well, yeah, if you THINK it's hopeless, then it IS!  A LOT of hopelessly improbable things have happened -- including the jam we're in right now.  Certainly we need to try every hopelessly improbable idea to resolve this crisis.   BUT THIS IS NOT A HOPELESS QUEST!  THE ELECTORS CAN DO THIS IF WE DEMAND IT!

When you write postcards, please email me the NUMBER of the elector, so I can keep track.  After all, we don't want #1 Frank Burt Jr. of Alabama to get 100's, and #538 Teresa Richards of Wisconsin to get none. 

At the bottom, along with the petition link, is my first postcard to that good ol' Alabama boy, Frank Burt, Jr.  Found his address on the internet.  Please send me addresses as you find them.

I think democracy would be a very good idea!  How about YOU?

This is the text of my postcard: "November 15, 2016, Dear Elector  Frank Burt, Jr.:

I think democracy would be a good idea.  How about you?  In a democracy, the winner of the popular vote should always win.   I feel my vote doesn’t count in this most important election.  This is very bad for our democracy.   I beg you, please cast your vote for the winner of the popular vote.

Sincerely, Terry Baum, 547 Douglass St., SF CA 94114"

I love to make postcards out of my photos.  This is one of my dear sister Nancy and me at a demonstration against the invasion of Iraq.  Nancy made our banner.  I don't expect anyone else to go to all this trouble to create a postcard.  Unless you want to.  OK, folks, it's time for.. POSTCARDS FOR DEMOCRACY!   

Okay, I'm clicking the button to send this, and then I'm mailing my first postcard. 

THE PETITION:  https://www.change.org/p/electoral-college-electors-electoral-college-make-hillary-clinton-president-on-december-19

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS

2016

ALABAMA (GOP)

1. Frank Burt, Jr., 312 Courthouse Square, Suite 12, Bay Minette, Alabama 36507

2. Will Sellers

3. Jim Wilson

4. Tim Wadsworth

5. Elbert Peters

6. Mary Sue McClurkin

7. Bob Cusanelli

8. Perry Hooper Jr.

9. Grady Thornton

ALASKA (GOP)

10. Sean Parnell

11. Jacqueline Tupou

12. Carolyn Leman

ARIZONA (GOP)

13. Bruce Ash

14. Walter Begay

15. Sharon Giese

16. Robert Graham

17. Alberto Gutier

18. Jerry Hayden

19. Carole Joyce

20. Jane Lynch

21. Foster Morgan

22. James O'Connor

23. Edward Robson

ARKANSAS (GOP)

24. Jonelle Fulmer

25. Jonathan Barnett

26. Keith Gibson

27. Sharon Wright

28. Tommy Land

29. John Nabholz

FLORIDA (GOP)

107. Ade Aderibigbe

108. Larry Ahern

109. Brian Ballard

110. Kristy Banks

111. Michael Barnett

112. LizBeth Benacquisto

113. Robin Bernstein

114. Pam Bondi

115. John Browning

116. Sharon Day

117. Dena DeCamp

118. Nick D

119. Jeremy Evans

120. John Falconetti

121. Peter Feaman

122. Kat Gates-Skipper

123. Joe Gruters

124. Debbie Hannifan

125. Blaise Ingoglia

126. Tony Ledbetter

127. Mike Moberley

128. Susan Moore

129. Joe Negron

130. Clint Pate

131. Ray Rodrigues

132. Carlos Trujillo

133. Robert Watkins

134. Susie Wiles

135. Christian Ziegler

GEORGIA

136. Bruce Allen Azevedo

137. Brian K Burdette

138. Lott Harris Dill

139. John David Elliott

140. James Randolph Evans

141. Bobbie D. Frantz

142. Linda D. Herren

143. Rachel Blackstone Little

144. Deborah M. McCord

145. Michael Neil McNeely

146. Mary L. Padgett

147. Neil L. Pruitt

148. Joshua Kirk Shook

149. Frank B. Strickland

150. Baoky Nguyen Vu (resigned, will be replaced by alternate)

151. John B. White

IDAHO (GOP)

156. Jennifer Locke

157. Melinda Smyser

158. Layne Bangerter

159. Caleb Lakey

INDIANA (GOP)

180. Stephanie Beckley

181. Kevin Steen

182. Kelly Mitchell

183. Daniel Bortner

184. Laura Campbell

185. Jeff Cardwell

186. Donald Hayes

187. Randall Kirkpatrick

188. Edwin Simcox

189. Ethan Manning

190. Chuck Williams

IOWA (GOP)

191. James Whitmer

192. Don Kass

193. Dylan Keller

194. Alan Braun

195. Kurt Brown

196. Polly Granzow

KANSAS (GOP)

197. Ashley J. McMillan

198. Helen Van Etten

199. Mark Kahrs

200. Ron Estes

201. Clayton L. Barker

202. Kelly Arnold

KENTUCKY (GOP)

203. Jim Skaggs

204. David Disponett

205. Robert Duncan

206. Michael Carter

207. Scott Lasley

208. Walter Reichert

209. Mary Singleton

210. Troy Sheldon

LOUISIANA (GOP)

211. Chris D. Trahan

212. Lloyd A. Harsch

213. Charles L “Charlie” Buckels

214. Louis R. Avallone

215. Kay Kellogg Katz

216. Lennie H. Rhys

217. Garrett C. Monti

218. Steven “Scott “ Wilfong

MAINE (3 D, 1 R)

219. Diane Denk

220. David Bright

221. Sam Shapiro

222. Richard Bennett (R)

MICHIGAN (GOP)*

244. John Haggard

245. Jack Holmes

246. Kelly Mitchell

247. Judy Rapanos

248. Henry Hatter

249. Robert Weitt

250. Wyckham Seelig

251. Ross Ensign

252. Michael Banerian

253. Brian Fairbrother

254. Ken Crider

255. Mary Vaughn

256. Jim Rhoades

257. William Rauwerdink

258. Hank Fuhs

259. Joseph Guzman

*Trump led Michigan by 12,000 votes as of Friday morning, though the state hasn't officially been called.

MISSISSIPPI (GOP)

270. Ann Hebert

271. Joe F. Sanderson Jr.

272. Bradley R. White

273. J. Kelley Williams

274. William G. Yates Jr.

275. Wirt A. Yerger, Jr.

MISSOURI (GOP)

276. Tim Dreste

277. Janice DeWeese

278. Hector Maldonado

279. Sherry Kuttenkuler

280. Casey Crawford

281. Tom Brown

282. Cherry Warren

283. Scott Clark

284. Al Rotskoff

285. Susie Johnson

MONTANA (GOP)

286. Thelma Baker

287. Nancy Ballance

288. Dennis Scranton

NEBRASKA (GOP)

289. Phil Berlin

290. John Dinkel

291. Chuck Conrad

292. Craig Safranek

293. Paul Burger

NEW HAMPSIRE (Dem)*

300. Bev Hollingworth

301. Terie Norelli

302. Carol Shea Porter

303. Dudley Dudley

*Clinton led New Hampshire by 2,500 votes as of Friday morning, though the state hasn't officially been called.

NORTH CAROLINA (GOP)

352. Linda Harper

353. Charles Staley

354. Karen Kozel

355. Martha Jenkins

356. Celeste Stanley

357. Donald Webb

358. Robert Muller

359. Jennifer Dunbar

360. Andrea Arterburn

361. Glenn Pinckney Sr.

362. Mark Delk

363. David Speight

364. Ann Sullivan

365. Lee Green

366. David Smuski

NORTH DAKOTA (GOP)

367. Duane Mutch

368. John Olson

369. Ronald Carlisle

OHIO (GOP)

370. Alex Triantafilou

371. Mary Anne Christie

372. Cory Schottenstein

373. Jim Dicke II

374. Cheryl Blakely

375. Marilyn Ashcraft

376. Christina Hagan

377. Richard Jones

378. Tom Coyne

379. Judy Westbrock

380. Ralph King

381. Leonard Hubert

382. Tracey Winbush

383. James Wert

384. Brian Schottenstein

385. Curt Braden

386. LeeAnn Johnson

387. Ed Crawford

OKLAHOMA (GOP)

388. David Oldham

389. Teresa Turner

390. Mark Thomas

391. Bobby Cleveland

392. Laurie Beth

393. Charlie Potts

394. George Wiland

PENNSYLVANIA (GOP)

402. Robert Asher

403. Mary Barket

404. Robert Bozzuto

405. Theodore Christian

406. Michael Downing

407. Margaret Ferraro

408. Robert Gleason

409. Christopher Gleason

410. Joyce Haas

411. Ash Khare

412. James McErlane

413. Elstina Pickett

414. Patricia Poprik

415. Andrew Reilly

416. Carol Sides

417. Glora “Lee” Snover

418. Richard Stewart

419. Lawrence Tabas

420. Christine Toretti

421. Carolyn “Bunny” Welsh

SOUTH CAROLINA (GOP)

426. Glenn McCall

427. Matt Moore

428. Terry Hardesty

429. Jim Ulmer

430. Brenda Bedenbaugh

431. Bill Conley

432. Shery Smith

433. Moye Graham

434. Jerry Rovner

SOUTH DAKOTA (GOP)

435. Dennis Daugaard

436. Matt Michels

437. Marty Jackley

TENNESSEE (GOP)

438. Joey Jacobs

439. Beth Scott Clayton Amos

440. Jason Mumpower

441. Susan Mills

442. Liz Holiway

443. Lynne Davis

444. Tom Lawless

445. Mike Callahan

446. Pat Allen

447. Shannon Hanes

448. Drew Daniel

TEXAS (GOP)

449. Marty Rhymes

450. Thomas Moon

451. Carol Sewell

452. John Harper

453. Sherrill Lenz

454. Nicholas Ciggelakis

455. William Hickman

456. Landon Estay

457. Rex Lamb

458. Rosemary Edwards

459. Matt Stringer

460. Shellie Surles

461. Melissa Juett Kalka

462. Kenneth Clark

463. Sandara Cararas

464. David Thackston

465. Robert Bruce

466. Marjorie Forster

467. Scott Mann

468. Marian Stanko

469. Curtis Nelson

470. Tina Gibson

471. Kendell Muenzler

472. Alexander Kim

473. Virginia Able

474. John Dillard

475. Thomas Knight

476. Marian Knowlton

477. Rex Teter

478. Stephen (Chris) Suprun Jr.

479. Jon Jewett

480. Susan Fischer

481. Loren Byers

482. William Lawrence Greene

483. Mary Lou Erben

484. Art Sisneros

485. Candace Noble

486. Fred Farias

UTAH (GOP)

487. Peter Greathouse

488. Jeremy Jenkins

489. Kris Kimball

490. Cherilyn Eagar

491. Chia-Chi Teng

492. Richard Snelgrove

WEST VIRGINIA (GOP)

521. Ron Foster

522. Patrick Morrisey

523. Ann Urling

524. Mac Warner

525. Bill Cole

WISCONSIN (GOP)

526. Steve King

527. Mary Buestrin

528. Kim Travis

529. Kim Babler

530. Brian Westrate

531. Brad Courtney

532. Kathy Kiernan

533. Dan Feyen

534. Jim Miller

535. Bill Berglund

WYOMING (GOP)

536. Karl Allred

537. Bonnie Foster

538. Teresa Richards

WE CAN REVERSE THIS!

Look, a great many electors are NOT legally committed to vote for the candidate that won the popular vote in their state.  Way more electors than Hillary needs to reach 270.  We need to be contacting those people --- say simply this is not a judgment of Trump.  It is a judgment of our idiotic system that awards the victory to the loser of the popular vote every 16 years!  Look what happened the LAST time the President was NOT the candidate who won the popular vote!  Not good, right?  We're STILL dealing with the repercussions of that Presdiency -- in spades.

We must ALL demand that the electors who are free to do so should vote for the winner of the national popular vote.  And -- if you felt your vote didn't count, tell the electors that.

How many felt their votes counted?  Only the Trump supporters in the swing states.  That's IT!  This is not a good sign about our democracy, folks.

I must tell you I'm not worried about Trump as much as the man who is a heartbeat away from the Presidency.   I don't KNOW what the hell Trump actually believes.  I DO know that Pence is a right-wing evangelical Christian.  He is a True Believer and a MEAN man.

My greatest fear used to be that Trump would be President and get into a nuclear war with the President of North Korea.  Little did I know that Trump actually ADMIRES the guy.

Now my greatest fear is that Trump will die --- not necessarily assassination.  Possibly expiring in some way because TRUMP REALLY DOESN'T WANT TO BE PRESIDENT!

Hello??  This man craves ATTENTION not POWER. (Thank goodness).  But PENCE craves POWER.

So really the most efficient thing to do is: Demand that the electors who can, give their votes to the winner of the popular vote.  That's all.  There is NOTHING radical in that.  It's just 

DEMOCRACY!!!!!

I think democracy would be a very good idea.

Terry

TAKE HEART

DEAR FRIENDS: Rick Hanson sends out a weekly email "Just One Thing" that I subscribe to.  He's a Buddhist and psychologist and I've often found his  advice/musings very helpful.  He's never before written about dealing with a event in the world.   I find his words beginning "Guard and guide your attention" particularly useful to me.  I'll be just toddling along in my life feeling pretty decent and then get gobsmacked by some radio, newspaper or internet info about what the Trump Presidency will mean, and I go spiraling down.   My friend Mary told me her housemate Evelyn's response to this moment has been:   Add volunteering for Planned Parenthood to her already full life -- and take a break from the alarming news and opinions flooding the media. I don't intend to go as far as Evelyn.  But it's good to be reminded that I have the right to guard and guide my attention rather than being open to everything that comes my way. I also love that he tells us to explore those scary feelings when they arise.  He would never say "Don't panic," as I did.  He asks you to acknowledge every feeling, explore it.  I know that when I do that, the feeling loses its power. I'm not a big forwarder of emails, but I want to share this with you. Terry

Take Heart Rick Hanson, Ph.D. November 9, 2016 What do you do when the bottom falls out? The Practice: Take heart. Why It takes heart to live in even ordinary times. By "taking heart," I mean several related things: Sensing your heart and chest  Finding encouragement in what is good both around you and inside you  Resting in your own warmth, compassion, and kindness; resting in the caring for you from others; love flowing in and love flowing out  Being courageous, whole-hearted and strong-hearted - going forward wisely even when anxious, knowing your own truth and as you can speaking it When you take heart, you're more able to deal with challenges like aging, illness, trauma, or conflicts with others. You're also more able to take advantage of opportunities with confidence and grit. Additionally, it takes heart to live in, live with, and live beyond times that are really hard. Your personal hard time might be bad news about your health, the death of a parent, or betrayal by others. Or it could be related to changes in your country and world, and your concerns about their effects on others and yourself; I've written about the importance of finding and facing facts at the level of society (feel free to skip it if you don't want my take on politics). There are so many examples of honorable people facing great difficulty with dignity, principle, and courage. They did it. We can, too. How Start by riding out the storm. When big things happen at any scale - in your child's schoolyard or in a refugee camp on the other side of the world - it is completely natural and normal to be shocked and disturbed by them. As best you can, stay with the raw experience, the body sensations, the deep feelings, the stirred up fears and anger and perhaps paralysis. Whatever it is, it is your experience; some may be upset about a big event while others may be glad about it; I am definitely not trying to talk you out of your experience. Be mindful of whatever is passing through the big open space of awareness, observing it without being flooded by it. Painful and counter-intuitive as it may be, this is the foundation of releasing really hard experiences and replacing them gradually and authentically with thoughts and feelings that are helpful, wholesome, wise, and even happy. Do things that help you come back to center and find your footing. Personally, I prioritize exercise, sleep, and meditation; I try to feel the truth of being basically alright right now, in this moment, moment after moment (alongside and deeper than pain or sorrow); I do the dishes and make the bed. Walk the dog, call a friend, eat something, look at trees and sky, get a cup of tea and stare into space. Take good care of your body. Guard and guide your attention. It's one thing to find facts and form the best plans you can. It's another thing to get distracted or upset by news or other people that do not add any useful value. Take heart in the good that is real. Outside you, there is the kindness in others, the beauty of a single leaf, the stars that still shine no matter what hides them. Right now as you read, all over the world children are laughing in delight, families are sitting down to a meal, babies are being born, and loving arms are holding people who are dying. Inside you, there is your compassion, sincere efforts, sweet memories, capabilities - and much more. Take heart with others, sharing worries, support, and friendship. Do the things you can. The more that events are turbulent, alarming, and beyond your influence, the more important it is to grow stability, safety, and agency inside you and around you. Have courage. At all human scales, strong forces have always tried to confuse and frighten others. Whatever outward action is necessary, you can preserve an inner freedom, never cowed or bowed in your core. Last, I've found it really helps to have perspective. Without minimizing one bit of whatever is awful, it is also true that humans like you and I have been walking this earth for nearly 200,000 years. I see the trees, the land, the ocean - all of it here before me and lasting long after me. Empires rise and fall. Sometimes the center does not hold - in a body, marriage, or nation - and still. And still people love each other, go out of their way for a stranger, and marvel at a rainbow. Nothing, nothing at all can change this. We keep putting one foot in front of the other one, lifting each other up along the way. This comes from Rick Hanson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist, New York Times best-selling author, and invited speaker at Oxford, Stanford, and Harvard universities. See Rick's workshops and lectures.

DON'T PANIC.

Not that we don't have REASON to panic.  We do.  The unimaginable has happened.  But it just doesn't do any GOOD to panic.  And those panic hormones are very bad for your health.  So don't go there, if you can possibly avoid it.  

I'm stunned, grieving.  I'm glad my parents aren't alive to witness this.

I don't think people should leave the country.  I believe we have a responsibility to stay here and deal with this.  It's not like this is Albania or Kazakhstan that has elected some nutcase.  What the United States does affects the whole world.  But citizens of other countries have no control over what the U.S. does.  That's up to us, the citizens.  If the people who think Trump is a catastrophe move to other countries -- then there are fewer of us left here to change things for the better.  

It's different if someone is in danger of arrest or physical harm for their political beliefs.  Then they're entitled to flee.  But that is not the case now. 

So this is what life is presenting us with.  What are we supposed to do?  I don't know.  We have to figure that out.  We have to see what happens and figure out what to do. 

It's time to be kind to ourselves.  My friend Elizabeth said she was going to have an ice cream even though she knew it's what Weight Watchers calls "emotional eating."  I said, "If not now, when?"  As for me, I just ordered some things from a catalog:  two silly joke gifts for people I love, and something beautiful to hang in my garden.