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Jeff Roush Profile picture
@JeffRoushPoetry
Apr 21 • 4 tweets • 2 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
The trend of silencing elected representatives seems to be spreading. The @TNGOP and @MTGOP have acted with callous disregard not only for the representatives they silence, but for all the citizens whose representation they are cutting off. (Thread)
#ResistanceUnited
#LiveBlue
The complaints about “decorum” are simply bogus. State Congress should not be using Pleasantville as the model for their operation, letting those with more power decide whether they want to hear unpleasant truths about their actions or biases.
Whether you call this nation a democracy or a republic, that is not how it is supposed to work. If you are a citizen of these or other states where a GOP majority is using these kinds of shenanigans to cut off voters from representation in government, this should wake you up.
It may not be your representation being cut off today. But it will be. If your vote matters, surely this starts with the person you elect being allowed to represent you. If you voted in one of these in democratic bullies, the next election is your chance to remedy that. Do so.

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More from @JeffRoushPoetry

Jeff Roush Profile picture
Apr 19
Like many, I’m disappointed that Dominion settled. But I don’t think it’s a terrible thing for America. Rather, we should treat this as a starting point for a new front in the war against disinformation. (Thread)
#ResistanceUnited
#LiveBlue
The Dominion lawsuit felt incredibly strong—but there is no guarantee they would have won. Actual malice is a high bar. I think they had enough evidence to clear it, but it wasn’t a slam dunk with a jury.
And if it had gone all the way through, this was a case specifically about lies about, and damage to, Dominion. Any required on-air statements would have related to Dominion voting systems, rather than Fox’s general attacks on information and democracy.
Read 7 tweets
Jeff Roush Profile picture
Apr 16
Like many here, I got much more involved in politics in 2015-16. But while fear and frustration were certainly part of my motivation, what keeps me going isn’t what I’m against; it’s what I’m for. (Thread)
#ResistanceUnited
#LiveBlue
The two can look and even feel similar. At times they cross over. But I find if all I am doing is opposing the worst of what I see in politics, I lose sight of what really matters to me. I’m not aiming for the struggle; I’m aiming for something more.
The Constitution of the United States provides that it exists “in order to form a more perfect Union.” It’s aspirational, yes, but it is motivational too. It speaks to a nation that should aim to grow, to progress toward becoming a nation that works for everyone.
Read 10 tweets
Jeff Roush Profile picture
Apr 15
Tonight’s #FridayLimericks go to @IAGovernor: all the awful of DeSantis with less publicity. #LimerickRhyme
When a governor strives for more fame,
She will slowly discard all her shame.
Kim is certainly there,
But she just doesn’t care—
Save for those writing checks in her name.
If you’re not in position to spend,
Then your government aid just might end.
If you’re not very rich,
Help’s not part of her pitch;
There’s campaigning to which she must tend.

iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/03/22/iow…
And good luck if you’re LGBT;
Kim’s just fine if you never feel free.
Although many berate
Her agenda of hate,
Far-right donors support it with glee.
axios.com/local/des-moin…
Read 8 tweets
Jeff Roush Profile picture
Apr 14
I’ve seen back-and-forth about whether the United States is properly considered a “republic” or a “democracy.” Since I both enjoy small points of order and get annoyed when people use them to distract from what matters, let’s discuss. (Thread)
#ResistanceUnited
#LiveBlue
The gist of it: we’re a representative democracy. It’s a kind of republic, but specifically includes (or should include) democratic election of those who are supposed to represent the interests of the people. One of the better breakdowns I’ve seen:

thoughtco.com/republic-vs-de…
The key difference between this kind of system and a “pure” democracy should be the protection of individual rights. Indeed, the point of the Bill of Rights is to defend individual freedom against a tyranny of the majority—to protect the less powerful from the more powerful.
Read 8 tweets
Jeff Roush Profile picture
Apr 14
The most direct historic parallel to the scandals surrounding Justice Thomas came in May of 1969, when Abe Fortas resigned from the Supreme Court.
#ResistanceRoots
#LiveBlue

nytimes.com/2023/04/11/opi…
When Fortas resigned, it was related to payments for consulting work, as well as continuing to advise President Johnson after he joined the Supreme Court. The dollar amounts were much lower than the value of what Thomas has been receiving from a major donor.
The political calculus was tricky. Fortas was a part of some important First Amendment cases—and as a liberal judge, he stood to be replaced by Richard Nixon. A hard pill to swallow for Democrats.
Read 5 tweets
Jeff Roush Profile picture
Apr 2
Both Republicans and Democrats claim to value “freedom.” But the word means something very different to each side. It’s reductive for Republicans, and collective for Democrats. (Thread)
#ResistanceUnited
#LiveBlue
To Republicans, any governmental involvement in life reduces freedom; it means people are counting on the government rather than solely their own merit. It’s a seductive continuation of American mythology: bootstraps and grit. That’s how they justify a might makes right approach.
It’s a zero-sum freedom: one person has the right, in this mindset, to take from others. No one has a “right” to a peaceful society, to fair wages, to healthcare, to go through a day without being shot. You’re free to get what you can—even if your position guarantees a “win.”
Read 10 tweets

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