Youth Advocacy

Youth Advocacy

Year 4, Week 09 (251 total reports)

02.04.20245-08.04.2025

REVIEW and ANNOUNCEMENTS

Dr. Jerry Goebel

In this week’s news review, President 47 is losing influence, and Congress is beginning to pay attention to the number of people protesting. Keep up the resistance! Examine the Harvard Rule saying, “If a movement can mobilize 3.5% of the population to participate, there are likely much larger proportions of the population that sympathize with and support the movement.” Republicans are beginning to get nervous at town halls and watching the response to those who hate this administration.

Visual Stories!

You Tube, Jerry Goebel

One blogger stated, “My kitchen cabinets have more intelligence than the cabinet this presidency has compiled.” This miscarriage of an administration was not assembled for their knowledge or ability; they were chosen for their fealty, their allegiance to “King-You-Know-Who.” Enjoy this tongue-in-cheek examination of President 47’s inept appointees in this visual story, “Fraudulent Sycophants.” And, if you want to pass on information about the man who brought tariffs to military bases and islands of penguins, enjoy this song, “Trump the Biggly Tariff Maker.” Please take a moment to like, subscribe, and/or share.

Top Links of the Week

08.04.2025

Freedom of speech is shifting under the Trump administration. We're exploring how

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/07/nx-s1-5327154/free-speech-trump-first-amendment?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=user%2Fnpr

This administration has an interesting new direction for US students: “How do you raise a generation of idiot racists that are clueless about world history—especially US history?” Teachers are becoming afraid of teaching actual history because of new policies from this administration that encourage parents to report educators that make children feel uncomfortable about what is taught in class. What??!!! Let’s say that again, “narc on teachers that make their child feel uncomfortable!!!” It’s not just teachers who are nervous either; across the US, students are afraid of showing up for protests for fear they will be deported. Scientists fear research that will make them appear they support diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI). In fact, many researchers are already leaving the US for foreign countries where they can openly study (for example) climate issues or vaccines. This is the US that citizens voted for; this is the president they wanted. If you don’t want to raise a generation of idiot racists and fascists, then perhaps you will join those who are marching in the streets in the “Hands Off” rallies across the nation. Remember folks (as mentioned two days ago), we only need 3.5% to make the politicians take heed. Let them know you disagree! Let them hear you. Do what you can now to make a difference by speaking truth to power.

07.04.2025

I Should Have Seen This Coming

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/05/trumpism-maga-populism-power-pursuit/682116/?utm_medium=offsite&utm_source=flipboard&utm_campaign=all

I admit to being a pretty die-hard fan of David Brooks. He’s one of the very few conservatives I will bend an ear to. So when he examines the rise of MAGAism and the Far Right nihilists, I want to digest every word. I think you will too. This article is filled with historical context and balanced by contemporary insight. It is a longer read, but worth the time. Please review it and share it. Discuss it with those around you who want to understand this reactionary administration and their power base. It will be worth your time. I guarantee it.

06.04.2025

Photos: Nationwide Protests Against Trump and Musk

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2025/04/photos-nationwide-protests-against-trump-and-musk/682320/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=user%2FTheAtlantic

I took great pleasure in looking at all the photos of the marches against authoritarianism yesterday. Remember people, it only takes 3.5 percent of a population—with a common vision—to overthrow a government. Or, as the Harvard Rule says, “If a movement can mobilize 3.5% of the population to participate, there are likely much larger proportions of the population that sympathize with and support the movement.” The current U.S. population is 235 million, so 11% would be around 8,225,000. The “Hands Off” protests yesterday were estimated at a total of 3.3 to 4.6 million people. The next marches will be on April 19th, so please mark your calendars and dust off your walking shoes!

05.04.2025

We just declared a trade war with the world

https://www.theverge.com/business/643970/trade-war-consequences-crazy?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=user%2Ftheverge

Don’t ask why, and certainly don’t look for a well-thought-out strategy, but this administration just started a trade war with the rest of the world. The U.S. has already lost; at least the working people of the United States. The stock market  lost, penguins lost, and a little island that is home to no one except U.S. military personnel lost. These are the crazy workings of the inner mind of the madman that the U.S. elected president. However, be assured, Congress could stop this—but the GOP still lacks the spine to stand up to their Orange Demigod in diapers.

04.04.2025

There Is Only One Way to Make Sense of the Tariffs

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/tariffs-trump-outcomes-incompatible/682286/?utm_medium=offsite&utm_source=flipboard&utm_campaign=all

Back in the days of sanity, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) used to run commercials that ended with the tagline, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste…” The slogan for these days of President 47 should be “A wasted mind is a terrible thing.” This article, by The Atlantic magazine, and written by Derek Thomson, tries to explain the tariffs being thrown about the world as insights into the demented mind of this administration’s President. Including tariffs against some islands that are more inhabited by penguins than people and Africa’s smallest nation, Lesotho, which seemed to own special anger by this administration, drawing the highest tariffs in the world. With no checks and balances to speak of and a Congress run by spineless MAGA Cult followers (be assured, a united Congress could stop 47’s manic tariff madness), we are left with a viewpoint into one of the sickest, most decrepit minds in the world. It is indeed a terrible thing.

03.04.2025

Wisconsin’s Message for Trump

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2025/04/wisconsin-election-musk-trump/682268/?utm_medium=offsite&utm_source=flipboard&utm_campaign=all

Despite flying in at the last minute, wearing a cheese-head hat, and offering a $1 million bribe to anyone who voted for the Republican Supreme Court candidate, Elon Musk lost “biggly” in Wisconsin. As the author of this article, Charles Sykes, points out, “In a state where many elections are decided by razor-thin margins and where Trump won only narrowly in November, Musk’s conservative candidate was shellacked.” As Sykes points out, what is most apparent is that Musk has become a “political boat anchor.” Rumors are that the self-styled “Kingmaker” may be seeing the door at the end of his agreed-upon term of 130 days. Apparently, many voters—especially in Wisconsin—agree that it cannot come soon enough.

02.04.2025

Cory Booker Reminds Democrats What Fighting Back Looks Like

https://time.com/7273556/cory-booker-filibuster-speech-takeaways/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_content=user%2Ftime

As this article notes, Cory Booker showed us “how it’s done.” Booker has never shied away from a fight, and he took on—not just this administration—but a previous speech record held by racist Strom Thurmond. Senator Booker stood, without any breaks, for 25 hours and read into official congressional history the story of the US’s struggle against racism and now, this administration’s fascism. It was a shot in the arm that Democrats needed in their stand against the authoritarian policies of Project 2025, Putin, Musk, and the other people who own this president. Let’s hope this is just the start and that the bravery continues. Simultaneously, congratulations to Susan Crawford—and all of Wisconsin—who stood up to Musk’s bribery attempts to buy votes in the state election for their supreme court. It was a major setback for Musk and President 47 in a deeply seated Republican state.

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