Community Spotlight: GOP attention-seeking stunts aren’t over yet, but soon we can think big again

In addition to the causes Community members plan to pursue in 2021, the 309 poll votes display how much we relish sharing our opinions. Now that the Democrats hold the presidency, House, and Senate, we have more opportunities to accomplish beneficial change. The poll results identified climate change and the environment as top priority (96 votes), with economic inequities second (86 votes), and voting rights third (59 votes). Commenters added other issues: the increasing struggle between corporate and government power, American democracy and the rule of law, down ballot candidates, good jobs, the disparity in medical care for Black patients, and the need to get the COVID-19 vaccine into people’s arms. One commenter is focused on “reclaiming my power,” an essential step in recovering from the power-drain of the previous four years.

When the GOP-generated crises diminish as our government becomes more Democratic, Community stories about climate change, economic inequities, Black Lives Matter, and other concerns will receive more attention. Instead of doom-scrolling and bracing ourselves for the next gratuitously cruel actions dreamed up by Trump, we can turn our efforts to these longstanding concerns. Daily Kos bills itself as “News you can do something about,” so let’s aim for 161 Community stories on these critical issues in 20 hours, and convince readers to take action!

Sixteen Rescued Stories from 4PM EST Friday, Jan. 1 to 4PM ET Friday, Jan. 8, 2021

In a week of volatile U.S. politics, we rescued only one political story prior to the insurrection. This story also relates to fascist politics, although it’s about an OG Nazi from the last century. By the end of the week, we’d rescued two additional coup-related stories for a total of five. The arts are represented by Christmas gift quilts, a novel review, and the thrill of medieval manuscripts. Three stories relate to COVID-19: One examines the more infectious U.K. strain, another discusses difficulties with all-virtual classrooms, the third is a personal account of a vaccination clinic in Florida. Personal experience stories and a photo-rich raptor view of Kansas complete the list.

Community Spotlight’s Rescue Rangers read every story published by Community writers. When we discover awesome work that isn’t receiving the attention it deserves, we rescue it to our group blog and publish a weekly collection—like this one—each Saturday. Rescue priorities and actions were explained in a previous edition: Community Spotlight: Rescuing your excellent stories for over 14 years. You also can find a link in Meteor Blades’ “Night Owls” series, which publishes daily between 10-11PM EST.

Moynihan Train Hall Opens to Greet the New Year in Glorious Fashion by GrafZepplin127 relates 110 years of history, architecture, and politics mingled with personal reminiscences. The author details the original Penn Station in New York City, its deconstruction to build Madison Square Garden atop the structure, and the new Moynihan Train Hall. “I’d waited most of my adult life to see this, and here it was. Three massive steel trusses, over a century old, holding up a latticed concave glass canopy 92 feet above the marble floor; a full acre of open space dominated by a massive art deco clock suspended from the central truss.” GrafZeppelin127, a former high school English teacher, joined DK in 2009 and has written 275 stories (with 48 rescued).

Goodbye, stuff by Silent Spring is an ode to downsizing and the joy of letting go of what’s no longer needed. “What a trip it’s been. Around the sun the past year. Hiking and snowshoeing and camping through the seasons. Climbing and challenging myself beyond measure. Solving problems and then seeing them to fruition back in the real world. But mostly just saying goodbye to a lot of stuff. And waking each morning with a lighter heart. A lighter step. A clearer mind.” Silent Spring joined in 2006 and has written 30 stories (with five rescued).

Time to take B117 (UK Covid) seriously by travislongcore reports on a preprint research paper (preprint means not yet peer reviewed) about the more easily transmitted strain of COVID-19 initially found in the U.K. The author then offers five observations about the emergence of this strain, and the significant increase in danger it represents. “As it continues to grow, faster than other strains, it will likely become dominant and increase the rate of spread, even if social distancing practices are kept the same as they are currently.” travislongcore joined in 2020 and has written five stories. This is their first rescue.

Have Pity on Teachers *and* Students – The School Year from HELL Part 2 by bilboteach is the second of what was originally planned as a four-part series that has exploded to seven (Part 1 was rescued last week). The author examines student experiences, current teacher perspectives, and adds pertinent Community member comments from Part 1. ”Today, the Sophie’s Choice focuses on Door #2: a fully virtual educational setting. Let’s see why that is crushing the souls of many schools choosing that option. Let’s hold up the mirror to it.” Bilboteach joined in December 2020 and has written nine stories (with three rescued). He is a COVID-19 longhauler who “went from Lincoln Project Never Trump to Squad-adjacent in the span of three months.”

DK Quilt Guild: Christmas Quilt Gifts by winifred3 details the creation of several quilts made as Christmas gifts. “My family loves handmade gifts, which means Christmas is a very busy time for me. I should also add that all handmade gifts are appreciated.” Pictures of the finished and unfinished works of art enrich the story, written for the Daily Kos Quilt Guild. Winifred3, who joined in 2010 and has written 122 stories (with one rescued), is a research librarian and lifelong resident of the Midwest who loves to read, write, travel, quilt, and knit.

What Franz von Papen might teach Republicans – and the rest of us by Swedish liberal, published before the U.S. coup-attempt, uses a fascinating piece of history from 1930s Germany, when politician Franz von Papen convinced President Paul von Hindenberg to allow Hitler to become chancellor, as an example of what may befall Republicans who promote fascism. “If you help an authoritarian demagogue into power some of your friends may get shot. But do not fret, if you are deemed useful you may become an ambassador.” Swedish liberal joined in 2013 and has written 17 stories (with three rescued). They are a Swedish citizen living in Stockholm, and have been “devoted to the Democratic party since the age of eight.”

The Language of the Night: Of Manuscripts and Their Making by DrLori introduces us to a writer and expert in medieval manuscripts, Christopher de Hamel. These manuscripts are not just beautiful pieces of history, each opens a window into the time period of their creation. “You need not be a manuscript scholar to enjoy any of de Hamel’s work; all that’s required is curiosity and an interest in history and art. If Tolkien was the gateway drug for medievalists, de Hamel provides a similar enticement for medieval codicologists. And if you read any of his books, you’ll understand what I just wrote.” DrLori joined in 2010 and has written 211 stories (with 108 rescued). She has a Ph.D. in medieval manuscripts and describes herself as a “novelist and house restorer who is an overeducated liberal in the deep, deep red Shenandoah Valley.”

Lessons from Gee’s Bend by schoen explains how a trip to an exhibition of Gee’s Bend quilts inspired the author to find beauty in the imperfect and have the courage to try something new. Schoen combines a personal story with the history of Gee’s Bend, a community descended from former enslaved people in Alabama. “I have been told that perfectionism is largely a white person’s affliction, and in my experience this is true. I grew up sleeping beneath the beautiful, regular, show-piece quilts crafted by my grandmothers, and have always known that I am far too impatient to make that kind of quilt work.” Schoen joined in 2019 and has written 15 stories (with six rescued).

Reflections on my two breakups: the Lost Cause and Evangelicalism by MusicianinLA describes the author’s journey from growing up among Confederate Lost Causers and Evangelicals to a rational worldview. They relate the importance of questioning authority, and how we can incorporate it into our national psyche. “In short … we need to stress the importance of clear-eyed, rational thinking as being the most profoundly important quality a citizen can have.” MusicianinLA joined in 2016 and has written 21 stories (with two rescued). He is a classical musician and “a college history major who went to law school and became a lawyer.”

Contemporary Fiction Views: Seeking answers and balance by bookgirl centers on Yaa Gyasi’s second novel, Transcendent Kingdom. The author considers this “a wonderful novel that showcases the human spirit in a way that honors both faith and reason … gives space for the questions and does not demand prefabricated answers. It is, overall, a life-affirming story.” Bookgirl joined in 2008 and has written 240 stories (with 92 rescued). They are a “proud public school librarian and teacher who believes in reading widely and deeply.”

The Daily Bucket in Flyover Country by Appy celebrates the raptors of the author’s region of Kansas’ flyover country, the Flint Hills. With photos and descriptive text, Appy takes readers on a hike to spot and photograph a harrier. “As you can see from the cover photo expansive natural grass ‘pasture’ can be quite varied topographically. Those airliners aren’t the only one flying over Kansas. The prairie and hills are populated with a number of species of raptors.” Appy, who joined in 2016 and has published two stories, is a “retired builder and lifetime horseman, (but) not a cowboy.” This is their first rescue.

After Today’s Sedition, Republicans Can Never Again Claim to Be The Party of ‘Law And Order’ by DashRRadosti addresses the fact that President Trump has spent the last five years claiming that he and the Republican Party are protectors of “law and order,” but the actions of his supporters, which he incites and supports, show the opposite. The author explores some history of right-wing “law and order” rhetoric, and suggests counter measures. “This was not a spontaneous storming of the Bastille. It was a planned, calculated, and executed attempt to overthrow the U.S. government, overturn a constitutionally sanctioned, free, and fair election, and occupy governmental property by force.” DashRRadosti joined in 2020 and has written three stories (with all three rescued).

Melville Showed us that the White Whale was Actually the Elephant in the Room by Cetartiodactylid applies Herman Melville’s Moby Dick to the present political and social conditions in the U.S. “Melville gave us a tale of tragedy which serves as a warning to people of all ages, regarding the total destruction that might result from an ill-advised obsession with one color, that some people, and any one person in a position of exceptional power, might entertain. He also spoke to the unmerited chauvinism that many Americans exhibited culturally, especially those who used their religion as an excuse to denigrate people of different cultures, people who often actually demonstrated much greater evidence of grace, kindness, generosity, civilization, and sensibility than those Americans did.” Cetartiodactylid joined and posted their first story on Jan. 7, 2020.

A Taste of the Active Shooter Lockdown – Congress Finds Out on 1/6 by bilboteach relates how schools deal with shootings and other threats and how that works out in practice. “ALICE is an active school shooter protocol that is proactive. It gives flexibility as to what response is the best (allegedly). It is meant to buy time until law enforcement can handle the situation at a school … Everything from silence to enforced count to no privacy happens. If your bathroom is outside the classroom, you are expected to hold it. If you cannot, there is a bucket. Your friends and I have to shield you while you do your business during an ALICE lockdown.” This is bilboteach’s second rescued story this week.

What it will take to immunize America by guavaboy describes the author’s personal experience working at a COVID-19 immunization clinic after organizing nursing students to help give injections. “The public health leaders had obviously learned, from their first few run-throughs and trainings, how to set this up. To operate a drive-through site requires a very large empty parking area and a plan for how to set up traffic cones to guide 700 cars through the process.” Although only eight nurses gave injections, the total staff needed was 10 times larger. Based on the area’s population and the rate of vaccination on one day, guavaboy estimates it would require 2,380.95 days to vaccinate the local population. From this experience, he extrapolates the monumental effort needed to get our entire country vaccinated. Guavaboy, a registered nurse who works in the U.S. and Nepal, joined in 2008 and has written 318 stories. This isn’t his first rescued story but I’m not digging back through his 12-year history to figure out how many others.

The Capitol invasion and the felony-murder rule by Spherical Aberration provides everything you wanted to know, without the dry legalese, about the legal principle of the felony-murder doctrine that holds all participants involved in a crime responsible for any deaths that occur. The author examines how this doctrine applies to the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol, and tells readers “sorry, it’s not treason”, nor is it sabotage. But understanding what the doctrine means and how it might apply is instructive on how law enforcement, particularly prosecutors, might proceed when these rioters are hauled into court. Spherical Aberration joined in 2014 and has written 37 stories (with at least three rescued).