Native American Voting Rights

November is Native American Heritage Month, and information provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, notes that this is an annual observance that grew out of the annual "American Indian Day" established in 1916. Through the advocacy of Seneca, NY archaeologist Dr. Arthur Parker, New York became the first state to recognize the observance of the day. 

On June 24 of this year, the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 turned 100 years old, but it would take until 1948 until it was legal for Native people to vote in all 50 states. At this critical time in our history, when every vote counts more than ever, SHDTC member Christie Reardon examines the history of voting rights for Native Americans and ways in which these rights that were finally granted decades ago remain under threat today.

• SHDTC Updates-Native American Voting Rights_Issue 62-111824
• Native American Rights Fund
• Native Governance Center
  
• Native American Heritage Month
  

A Slim Margin is not a Mandate

As votes continue to be tallied throughout the country, the popular vote for Donald Trump has fallen below fifty percent, to 49.96%, while Kamala Harris currently has 48.25% of the popular vote. As predicted, this was a very close election, but it was not a 'landslide.' For current results, see:

• The Cook Political Report: 2024 Vote Tracker
  

The Thoughtful Conversation We Need

Spend a therapeutic hour with two smart people--a comedian and a historian--as they explore our past, our present, and the uncertain future of our democratic system in the wake of the recent election.

• The Weekly Show Podcast with Jon Stewart and guest
  Heather Cox Richardson, November 8, 2024 (1:04:18)
  www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7cKOaBdFWo

Do Not Despair

For anyone who hasn't seen the gracious and inspiring speech Kamala Harris delivered today, it's well worth watching to help us process our sense of loss and provide hope for the future. 

This video from The Guardian runs 11:42 minutes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z5UdXupfOA

This Morning in America

Six More Days

 

South Hadley voting details:
www.southhadley.org/elections

Check your registration and receipt of your ballot:
www.VoteinMA.com

View a South Hadley sample ballot:
www.southhadley.org/1088/Sample-Ballot

View blue candidates and ballot questions anywhere in the US:
bluevoterguide.org

Massachusetts Voting Information:
www.vote411.org/massachusetts

When we fight, we win. When we vote, we win.

Not an Option

Election day, November 5, is just a week from today. In this issue of our newsletter, SHDTC member Jim Bosman urges all Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents to vote for Harris/Walz, noting that in this election, NOT voting is not an option. 

The Update also includes links to things to inspire us as we head into the home stretch, such as Michelle Obama's speech at Harris' recent Michigan rally and and an original song, "Change Happens," by SHDTC friends Ellen Schwartz and Roger Bruno (you may spot several SHDTC friends in the video). Also included are links to some of the award winners in this summer's "One Dem Minute" film festival, all of which can be viewed by scrolling through southhadleydems.com

• SHDTC Updates-Not an Option_Issue 60-102924
  

Anticipatory Obedience and An Island of Garbage

On Friday, Washington Post publisher Will Lewis announced a new no-endorsements policy after billionaire owner Jeff Bezos nixed the publication of an already-written endorsement of Kamala Harris by the editorial staff, setting off a firestorm of complaints. Even as scathing rebukes and promises to cancel Post and Amazon Prime subscriptions quickly mounted into the tens of thousands in the paper's comments section, Bezos dispatched executives from his Blue Origin aerospace company to meet with candidate Trump. 

Enraged readers took issue with the action's inconsistency with the paper's 'Democracy Dies in Darkness' motto, commenting that it's now become a mission statement, or perhaps should be changed to be changed to 'Democracy DIED in Darkness.'

In its coverage on Sunday, The Guardian (a publication exiting Post readers often recommended as a subscription alternative) noted:

"Many pointed out how the stances from the Post and the LA Times seems to fit the definition of 'anticipatory obedience' as spelled out in On Tyranny, Tim Snyder’s bestselling guide to authoritarianism. Snyder defines the term as “giving over your power to the aspiring authoritarian” before the authoritarian is in position to compel that handover."

• The Guardian, Oct. 27, 2024:
  www.theguardian.com/media/2024/oct/27/bezos-washington-post-non-endorsement-election 

On Sunday, in an obvious parallel to a 1939 Nazi rally at the same venue, Trump held a campaign event at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. With millions of people living a train ride away, it wasn't hard to fill the place, and the crowd got a full dose of dystopian darkness and crude insults. In the wake of one early speaker describing Puerto Rico as an "island of garbage," Republicans have been backpedaling, while recording stars Bad Bunny, Ariana Grande, and others called out the hate and posted support for Harris.

• Letters from an American
  Heather Cox Richardson, Oct. 27, 2024
  open.substack.com/pub/heathercoxrichardson/p/october-27-2024
• The Guardian, Oct. 28, 2024
  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/27/trump-madison-square-garden-rally
  

My Ballot

Writer Jim Bosman shares his ballot choices and thinking about the upcoming election in our latest newsletter:

• SHDTC Updates_My Ballot-Issue 60-102324
• Booklet for the Five MA Ballot Questions (PDF)

Early voting continues at the Town Clerk's office through Friday, and mail-in ballots can be placed in the drop box behind Town Hall until 8:00pm on Election Day. On Tuesday, November 5, polls will be open at South Hadley High School from 7:00am to 8:00pm. For details, see: www.southhadley.org/elections.

Upcoming Events

Business Meetings
Our next meeting will be at 6:30pm on Thursday, November 19, 2024 in the South Hadley Library Trustee's Conference Room. Our meetings are hybrid-online; participants may attend in-person at the Library or online via Zoom. We typically meet on the third Thursday of the month. To obtain a meeting link, join our mailing list, or for other information about SHDTC, please email: southhadleydemocrats@gmail.com. 

First Fridays Breakfast and Conversation
Plan to join us at a First Friday gathering! Upcoming get-togethers will be at 8:30am on Friday, November 1 and December 6, 2024 at Tailgate Picnic (www.tailgatepicnicdeli.com) in the Village Commons, 7 College Street, South Hadley. Conversation is casual, there is no set agenda, participants buy their own coffee/snacks, and all are welcome. 

Candidate Standouts
Our pre-election standouts will continue on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3, 2024. We are also planning to be in front of South Hadley High School all day on Election Day during voting hours. We'll be sending out sign-up information and time choices to our mailing list, or email us at southhadleydemocrats@gmail.com. We have Harris-Walz banners, American flags, and plenty of signs for Harris-Walz and other Democratic candidates, or you can bring your own Harris-Walz lawn sign.