Do not obey

The Republican assault on democracy continues in North Carolina. The State Supreme court yesterday refused Republican Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin’s request for an expedited hearing before the court. Instead, they said that the case should follow normal order, beginning with a hearing in Wake County Superior Court. What is most disturbing, though, is that three justices wrote an opinion indicating they believe Griffin’s case has merit, just that it needs to follow the regular process before being heard at the Supreme Court. The process could drag out for months ending with the Supreme Court disenfranchising thousands of North Carolina voters.

The tenacity of the GOP’s attempt to overturn the will of the voters is disturbing. They’ve been criticized by conservative writers and thought leaders, but are unwilling to give up the assault. Republicans are trying to create doubt about our democracy and undermine the credibility of our elections. If they are successful, they will contest every close election they lose by trying to disenfranchise voters.

Three members of the Supreme Court are essentially encouraging Griffin to continue his efforts, hinting at success if he can just offer a veneer of legitimacy to his claims. Those three most anti-democratic justices want to avoid accusations that they overthrew the election by avoiding due process. They are asking Griffin to lose in Wake County Superior Court, then lose at the Court of Appeals, and, finally, end the appeal at the Supreme Court where maybe enough pressure can be put on Trey Allen to vote with Justices Paul Newby, Phil Berger, Jr., and Tamara Barringer. They want a charade of justice.

We’re entering into dark days. With Trump’s blanket pardon of the January 9 participants, the GOP has officially embraced attacking police officers, desecrating public buildings, and threatening political leaders as long as the goal is to help Republicans maintain power. While the Republican-controlled court is rolling back voter protections, Trump is ending initiatives designed to prevent discrimination in hiring practices.

The administration has been sending out notices ordering federal agencies to cease DEI initiatives immediately. More ominous, they are demanding that employees report on their colleagues if they suspect they are engaged in DEI-like practices.

A memo to NASA employees reads:

We are taking steps to close all agency DEIA offices and end all DEIA-related contracts in accordance with President Trump's executive orders titled Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI

Programs and Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.

These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful dis-crimination.

We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language. If you are aware of a change in any contract description or personnel position description since November 5, 2024 to obscure the connection between the contract and DEIA or similar ideologies, please report all facts and circumstances to DEIAtruth@opm.gov within 10 days.

There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Let’s read that one section again. “There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences.” It sounds like a line straight out of some anti-Nazi war movie. “We have ways of making you talk.”

Similar memos have gone out to agencies across the federal government. Creating fear and distrust in society is a key provision of authoritarian governments. In Stalin’s Russia and Hitler’s Germany, people were encouraged to turn in their peers. Nobody knew who to trust. What we’re seeing today is just the beginning.

Fuck these goons. Don’t do it. Don’t turn in your peers, even if you believe they are violating orders. Do not become complicit in sowing distrust among your friends and neighbors.

The resistance isn’t about marching this time. It’s about undermining their assaults on democracy and human rights. Start now.