Always stirring it up, Gloria. Bless you for your will. You earned your stripes honestly. We as college age students suffered those killed and wounded by the military and the police in May 1970. The expansion of the war into Cambodia was too much for you and me and the other kids facing the draft after college. The four massacred at Kent State and the two killed at Jackson State deserve our commitment today. We have dodged the tax cut for now. We have to draw a line in the sand as to when we will say that is it. We have to make that one point clear in our own heads. When will you take to the streets? I have a solid line. I think it makes sense. When they disobey the courts, we move.
Can you believe, Gloria, I actually posted today that something happened, this Saturday morning. So my wife reads it after it is posted. She says, “Carl, today is Friday.” I knew immediately what the deal was. That is also when I knew it is going to be a long weekend of chiding.
Thanks for your words. I am.of the same year , born in San Francisco. Luckily in a big a pro Democrat & pro-labor household. Ten or more family members survived fighting in WW2 in the U S Armed forces. All us kids knew dam well what fascism was all about.
. When the Harris+Walz ticket was running for office- one thing I knew dam well ..no matter what, a Democrat Administration winning the Presidency would give the Palestinians in Gaza a better chance than anything under a Trump Presidency.
The Harris-Walz ticket believed in Real Diplomacy not the Crap Trump has in his craw!
As a avid amateur Historian, the Trump campaign meant only 1 thing for our country- a pathway to Fascism. All Fascism equals destruction.
And that Insidious sly Fascism hidden behind the title of the Republican party - meant not only destruction of our own country's Democracy, But Destruction for any other Democracy that the USA had Diplomatic ties with.
Lillian, I could not agree with you more. In fact, if we were sitting across from each other right now—maybe over coffee, maybe something stronger—I’d be nodding so hard my earrings would fall off.
Because here’s the thing: Fascism isn’t subtle. It doesn’t sneak in through the back door; it marches right up the front steps, kicks the door open, and demands to see the manager. And yet, somehow, people still act surprised when it shows up wearing a Republican lapel pin and calling itself “patriotism.”
Your family knew better. You knew better. And yes, I knew better too. The Harris-Walz ticket was about diplomacy, stability, and, let’s be honest, basic human decency—three things Trump and his band of chaos agents wouldn’t recognize if they smacked them in the face. Which, frankly, they need.
So, here we are, watching history try to repeat itself like a bad sequel no one asked for. But we are not extras in this disaster movie. We know what’s at stake, and I am not letting democracy be another thing men take away while telling us it’s for our own good.
I had to read your letter twice because you made me drop tears, Gloria. We have lived parallel life's you and I. I remember getting rocks thrown at me at protests over ending the Vietnam War. Also, for Julianna,it was Us who, because of our protesting, and petitioning, that we got the 18 year old VOTE!! Your letter today should be submitted to Main Stream Media outlets as an op-ed it's that Good. I simply adore,respect and Thank You, and will reStack ASAP🙏 👍 🇺🇸💪
Indeed, thank you. I am reading this during my lunch break. I am moved to tears. So much to process. Imaging everything you've been through. The goose bumps on my arms and the hairs on my neck standing at attention let me know how I feel. Angry, betrayed, lifeless, scared, scarred, grieving. I was born in 67. My parents lived through the depression. I was born late to my parents. They are gone now but listened intently to every WWII story my dad was willing to tell. My mom going to get govt cheese and how most everyone sacrificed. We, as a confused, broken, misinformed nation need to work it out. I'm not seeing this hope anytime soon. We must cull the truly cruel and twisted people that think they are doing the right thing. Their black and white and hammer and nail feature of themselves is ridiculous.
That mindset won't work now. Oh gosh, I've rambled, sorry. If I was born earlier, I would have been there with you lock step !!! And proud!!
Yes. I was a member of the “Lincoln 13” who resisted and was arrested at the Draft Board building protest in 1968. I was not arrested as one of the hard core resistance. I was passing the hat for bail money downstairs and outside. I used the “F-word” and was arrested for it. The judge threw it out because “fuck” was everywhere in the media. And it was a 1918 statute.
Gloria, I read it again. Every word holds. Not just as memory, not just as a warning—this is presence, sharp and unwavering. You are here, fully. Not recalling, not reflecting. Writing from the now, writing what is.
You laid it bare. The weight of knowing, the reality of living through it, the certainty of what comes next. Not in theory, not in abstraction. You’ve seen it, named it, walked through it before. You recognize it as it unfolds. The way they start small, the way they frame it as protection, the way the language shifts before the ground does. The process isn’t new, only the faces change.
And here you stand. Not waiting. Not pretending. Not looking away. You name it in full. What it means to live in a country where safety was never more than an illusion for those who didn’t fit the mold. What it means to watch the walls close in while people still debate whether the door is really locked. What it means to know, without hesitation, that exile isn’t just an idea. It’s a decision waiting to be made.
This isn’t resignation. This is clarity. This is knowing exactly what survival requires, knowing exactly what staying would demand. This is knowing where the line is, long before they try to redraw it.
I read it again. Every word holds. And you hold, too.
Gloria, your experience in many ways mirrors my own, even though we come from different generations, live on different continents, and have been shaped by vastly different societies. Yet, if you don’t fit the mold, the core experience isn’t so different. Ostracism and discrimination—no matter the label, no matter how subtle or overt—always do the same to the person on the receiving end. They isolate, they diminish, they wound. And still, we stand. Not because it’s easy, not because we are untouched, but because we know the cost of silence.
Wonderful post! I remember those Vietnam years, and you described them perfectly. I did not experience the LGBT struggle, but can certainly relate to it, having had similar situations as a woman.
Better days ahead, perhaps. If not, I’ve picked my hill.
If she wasn't inspired and moved by your letter, she must not be a serious person. Some people are quick to parrot something they heard on Fox news, but have not given it much thought- certainly not the kind of thought you give to everything.
She was young. She was uneducated. She had the kind of grudge that could power a small city, and she had found something new and shiny to whine about—like a toddler discovering that gravity is, in fact, unfair.
She rattled my cage just enough that I did the one thing I swore I wouldn’t do: I replied. I engaged. I let her pull me into her orbit of petty grievances and performative outrage. And for that, I suppose, I owe her something—because in the end, she did what few manage to do. She inspired me. Not with wisdom, not with insight, but with the sheer, blistering force of my own wrath. And really, isn’t that a gift in itself? I wrote my heart out.
Of course she didn't respond. These young people have been deprived of their citizenship skills by our shitty educational system. They just don't understand what it has cost in blood. So we need to teach them. You gave her a master class on a thumbnail.👍👍
You could not have captured “our” experiences more fully than if we were watching the newsreel of our lives, our parents lives, which flicker in my mind’s eye practically every day.
Claire, I try to write clear stories that tell of our lives to those who don't know and don't understand what we have lived through and are are still fighting against every single day.
I am the same age as you Gloria but your experiences in life are way beyond anything I have had to endure.I admire everything you stand for and the accomplishments you have achieved You are one hell of a strong woman and your writing says it all. I bow to your strength and endurance in fighting for your beliefs which I will stand right behind you in everything you say and do Thank you
Always stirring it up, Gloria. Bless you for your will. You earned your stripes honestly. We as college age students suffered those killed and wounded by the military and the police in May 1970. The expansion of the war into Cambodia was too much for you and me and the other kids facing the draft after college. The four massacred at Kent State and the two killed at Jackson State deserve our commitment today. We have dodged the tax cut for now. We have to draw a line in the sand as to when we will say that is it. We have to make that one point clear in our own heads. When will you take to the streets? I have a solid line. I think it makes sense. When they disobey the courts, we move.
https://bit.ly/4ke53KH
Thank you for your insightful reply. I wholeheartedly agree with you.
You have made my day, week, month, and year. No doubt I will have to improve my pen. I have to go back now and tell everyone today is not Saturday.
I love the way you write. It’s just so — fluid and satisfying.
Can you believe, Gloria, I actually posted today that something happened, this Saturday morning. So my wife reads it after it is posted. She says, “Carl, today is Friday.” I knew immediately what the deal was. That is also when I knew it is going to be a long weekend of chiding.
I’ve done that before and the grief …
🔥
Thanks for your words. I am.of the same year , born in San Francisco. Luckily in a big a pro Democrat & pro-labor household. Ten or more family members survived fighting in WW2 in the U S Armed forces. All us kids knew dam well what fascism was all about.
. When the Harris+Walz ticket was running for office- one thing I knew dam well ..no matter what, a Democrat Administration winning the Presidency would give the Palestinians in Gaza a better chance than anything under a Trump Presidency.
The Harris-Walz ticket believed in Real Diplomacy not the Crap Trump has in his craw!
As a avid amateur Historian, the Trump campaign meant only 1 thing for our country- a pathway to Fascism. All Fascism equals destruction.
And that Insidious sly Fascism hidden behind the title of the Republican party - meant not only destruction of our own country's Democracy, But Destruction for any other Democracy that the USA had Diplomatic ties with.
Lillian, I could not agree with you more. In fact, if we were sitting across from each other right now—maybe over coffee, maybe something stronger—I’d be nodding so hard my earrings would fall off.
Because here’s the thing: Fascism isn’t subtle. It doesn’t sneak in through the back door; it marches right up the front steps, kicks the door open, and demands to see the manager. And yet, somehow, people still act surprised when it shows up wearing a Republican lapel pin and calling itself “patriotism.”
Your family knew better. You knew better. And yes, I knew better too. The Harris-Walz ticket was about diplomacy, stability, and, let’s be honest, basic human decency—three things Trump and his band of chaos agents wouldn’t recognize if they smacked them in the face. Which, frankly, they need.
So, here we are, watching history try to repeat itself like a bad sequel no one asked for. But we are not extras in this disaster movie. We know what’s at stake, and I am not letting democracy be another thing men take away while telling us it’s for our own good.
Thank you for your words. Let’s hold the line.
I had to read your letter twice because you made me drop tears, Gloria. We have lived parallel life's you and I. I remember getting rocks thrown at me at protests over ending the Vietnam War. Also, for Julianna,it was Us who, because of our protesting, and petitioning, that we got the 18 year old VOTE!! Your letter today should be submitted to Main Stream Media outlets as an op-ed it's that Good. I simply adore,respect and Thank You, and will reStack ASAP🙏 👍 🇺🇸💪
Karen, thank you. Thank you for reading and understanding. Thank you for being here.
Indeed, thank you. I am reading this during my lunch break. I am moved to tears. So much to process. Imaging everything you've been through. The goose bumps on my arms and the hairs on my neck standing at attention let me know how I feel. Angry, betrayed, lifeless, scared, scarred, grieving. I was born in 67. My parents lived through the depression. I was born late to my parents. They are gone now but listened intently to every WWII story my dad was willing to tell. My mom going to get govt cheese and how most everyone sacrificed. We, as a confused, broken, misinformed nation need to work it out. I'm not seeing this hope anytime soon. We must cull the truly cruel and twisted people that think they are doing the right thing. Their black and white and hammer and nail feature of themselves is ridiculous.
That mindset won't work now. Oh gosh, I've rambled, sorry. If I was born earlier, I would have been there with you lock step !!! And proud!!
Love your writings my dear!!
Thank you for sharing your history and for writing such a thoughtful, personal reply.
Yes. I was a member of the “Lincoln 13” who resisted and was arrested at the Draft Board building protest in 1968. I was not arrested as one of the hard core resistance. I was passing the hat for bail money downstairs and outside. I used the “F-word” and was arrested for it. The judge threw it out because “fuck” was everywhere in the media. And it was a 1918 statute.
Elbert. YOU ARE Hero. And, don’t you forget it.
"the smell of those tomatoes, how they tasted of defiance and summer heat."
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Juliana missed out. This was right on target.
Susan, you know exactly what I mean.
What an answer! Brilliant. Gloria, have you begun a biography or memoir? It would be spectacular.
No. But, I should.
Yes, seriously. When you can’t sleep, dictate an outline😎
LOL. When I can’t sleep I write poems that are basically fever dreams.
Gloria, I read it again. Every word holds. Not just as memory, not just as a warning—this is presence, sharp and unwavering. You are here, fully. Not recalling, not reflecting. Writing from the now, writing what is.
You laid it bare. The weight of knowing, the reality of living through it, the certainty of what comes next. Not in theory, not in abstraction. You’ve seen it, named it, walked through it before. You recognize it as it unfolds. The way they start small, the way they frame it as protection, the way the language shifts before the ground does. The process isn’t new, only the faces change.
And here you stand. Not waiting. Not pretending. Not looking away. You name it in full. What it means to live in a country where safety was never more than an illusion for those who didn’t fit the mold. What it means to watch the walls close in while people still debate whether the door is really locked. What it means to know, without hesitation, that exile isn’t just an idea. It’s a decision waiting to be made.
This isn’t resignation. This is clarity. This is knowing exactly what survival requires, knowing exactly what staying would demand. This is knowing where the line is, long before they try to redraw it.
I read it again. Every word holds. And you hold, too.
Thank you understanding exactly what I was trying to convey.
Gloria, your experience in many ways mirrors my own, even though we come from different generations, live on different continents, and have been shaped by vastly different societies. Yet, if you don’t fit the mold, the core experience isn’t so different. Ostracism and discrimination—no matter the label, no matter how subtle or overt—always do the same to the person on the receiving end. They isolate, they diminish, they wound. And still, we stand. Not because it’s easy, not because we are untouched, but because we know the cost of silence.
Wonderful post! I remember those Vietnam years, and you described them perfectly. I did not experience the LGBT struggle, but can certainly relate to it, having had similar situations as a woman.
Better days ahead, perhaps. If not, I’ve picked my hill.
I bet we are on the very same hill.
If she wasn't inspired and moved by your letter, she must not be a serious person. Some people are quick to parrot something they heard on Fox news, but have not given it much thought- certainly not the kind of thought you give to everything.
She was young. She was uneducated. She had the kind of grudge that could power a small city, and she had found something new and shiny to whine about—like a toddler discovering that gravity is, in fact, unfair.
She rattled my cage just enough that I did the one thing I swore I wouldn’t do: I replied. I engaged. I let her pull me into her orbit of petty grievances and performative outrage. And for that, I suppose, I owe her something—because in the end, she did what few manage to do. She inspired me. Not with wisdom, not with insight, but with the sheer, blistering force of my own wrath. And really, isn’t that a gift in itself? I wrote my heart out.
Of course she didn't respond. These young people have been deprived of their citizenship skills by our shitty educational system. They just don't understand what it has cost in blood. So we need to teach them. You gave her a master class on a thumbnail.👍👍
I will always be curious if she actually read my whole diatribe or if she just read the first couple of sentences and went “what an old witch.”
Julianna is from the useless part of Gen-Z. The reminder that my old friend Jerry Rubin was misquoted - it was "Don't trust anybody UNDER 30!"
Remember this? “No shit, Sherlock.”
We smile through tears....
That is an everyday truth now.
Indeed, it is, Gloria. Our smile is our strength!
You could not have captured “our” experiences more fully than if we were watching the newsreel of our lives, our parents lives, which flicker in my mind’s eye practically every day.
I have been writing this part of my life for the better part of two years. The 60s and 70s were such momentous periods of my life.
Keep on keeping on!
Thanks!! 😊
Gloria, thank you. Yes to everything you say. Born in Glendale CA May 1951. I know I can always trust you to tell the truth.
Claire, I try to write clear stories that tell of our lives to those who don't know and don't understand what we have lived through and are are still fighting against every single day.
I am the same age as you Gloria but your experiences in life are way beyond anything I have had to endure.I admire everything you stand for and the accomplishments you have achieved You are one hell of a strong woman and your writing says it all. I bow to your strength and endurance in fighting for your beliefs which I will stand right behind you in everything you say and do Thank you
Thank you to the dearest mother-in-law and best bestie I could ever ask for.
Beautifully said Gloria. I was 2 years behind you, born in 53 but followed the same paths.
Then you know exactly what I’m saying and the weight of it.
Yes, I do.