A few weeks ago, we talked about Chapter 6 in On Tyranny, “Beware the Paramilitary.” As the National Guard descends upon the state of California to assist ICE, we are witnessing the rise of a military state as local and national law enforcement agencies are called upon to do Trump’s bidding and serve his anti-immigrant agenda. We also saw the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States from the El Salvadoran prison, CECOT, to be brought to trial for some pretty egregious accusations that seem to have come from nowhere. We will see how our legal system holds up in these two incidents and whether justice will be served.

Two actions we can take right now.

1. Give money to and get involved in NGO’s and non-profits that are upholding human freedoms.

2. Build friendships with and talk to people outside of this country. The trend toward the far right is not unique to the US, so we are not the only ones needing to come up with humane solutions.

What good news are y’all experiencing? What is giving you hope, life, and joy?

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1. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/06/09/governor-newsom-suing-president-trump-and-department-of-defense-for-illegal-takeover-of-calguard-unit/

2. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/content/immigrants-and-crime

3. “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus

4. https://www.outsports.com/2020/7/7/21315242/sean-doolittle-lgbtq-ally-washington-nationals-baseball-mlb-pride-night/

5. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

In a stable democracy, a free press and schools are two institutions that can generally be counted on to provide a wide range of views in an objective, expansive way. When governments start to control the media and limit the capacity of esteemed educational institutions, it threatens our ability to hold and honor differences and creates more divisiveness.

The Trump administration's attack on both the media and education is strategic. He said to 60 Minutes Anchor, Lelsey Stahl, that he works so hard to discredit the press and “liberal” education so that no one will believe them when Trump is portrayed negatively. It is really something when the leader of the so-called “free world” cannot handle criticism. I’ve said this repeatedly, but our job as citizens of a democracy is to challenge it so that it grows and stretches continually.

You don’t have to do something giant and newsworthy to take a stand against the erosion of these two entities. Hope is usually much quieter than power. It consists of considering what is, noticing what needs tending to, and picking up the pieces where you can. It consists of small daily acts. Fascism seeks to erode hope, but whether we let it is up to us. Stand up for your schools and your local publications wherever you can.

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1. Bono on “Stories of Surrender”

2. The New Yorker Radio Hour with Lesley Stahl

3. Heather Cox Richardson, May 31, 2025

4. “Crucible of Hope” with Dr’s Bill Kerley and Holly Hudley

5. Ruby Bridges, “A Talk With My Teacher”

In the next two chapters of On Tyranny, Timothy Snyder juxtaposes the need to act more publicly while also protecting our privacy. We explore how we might show up and form alliances while also protecting our private lives from being scrutinized. Part of resisting tyranny is forming alliances with people we wouldn’t normally interact with to realize that we are part of an interconnected web of reality.

The “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by the House last week threatens the basic health and well-being needs of the poorest people in America. What will it take for those directly unaffected to support the needs of those most affected? We encourage you to read and understand what is happening, pay attention, and ask questions.

1. https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/may-24-2025?r=mztvn&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true

2. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/22/what-is-trump-big-beautiful-bill

3. Gerald Horne, The Counter-Revolution of 1776, 2014

4. Gerald Horne, The Dawning of the Apocalypse, 2020

These two chapters in On Tyranny further the importance of investigating and Making Contact with others. It’s funny that one is kind of a solo act based on how we view the world, and the other is about how we relate to each other. So, this resistance to tyranny is not just about what we know in our heads, but also about how we move through the world in our bodies.

The first rule in our house is kindness. It’s paramount to us—how we treat others and how we stand for each other’s right to belong. Let’s not forget our human connections, that no matter what, each one of us is deserving of dignity. Sometimes we need to be reminded of how to live from it.

I think resisting tyranny is about learning to hold tensions within ourselves and between ourselves and others. Treat each other as fundamentally human, and establish good boundaries when it comes to resisting fear and non-truths.

Josh and I will be back together next week! Thanks for listening.

We start with good news this week, about the many ways the judicial system is pushing back against the Trump regime. (Read some of Heather Cox Richardson’s recent “Letters from an American” to learn more.) We also cannot underestimate the value of breaking bread and spending time with people you love. This is a form of self-care and sometimes resistance.

On Tyranny presents us with two more concepts: Be Kind to Our Language and Believe in Truth. Language is bent to create “alternative facts,” and a narcissist with authoritarian dreams will try to convince us that his truth is THE truth. We must be willing to read critically, read more, and question falsehoods. We must then call falsehoods out so that we contribute to upholding a larger, shared ethic of honesty. I certainly do not think honesty is too much to expect from our leaders. It is the basis of all good relationships and feelings of safety. One response to being lied to is to delude ourselves into believing “untruths” so that we don’t feel unsafe, so that we belong. Just seeking truthful information that is undistorted by megalomanicas and shock jocks is an act of resistance.

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1. “The Rise of the Self”

2. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

3. “Me. We.” by Muhammed Ali

Last week’s Executive Order #14074, which seeks to give more power to police forces, is a harbinger of the military state. Lots has to happen to actually enact the order, but something has been set in motion that harkens back to the rise of paramilitaries. According to the EA, police are given the go-ahead to use more aggressive force to preserve law and order instead of “pursuing harmful, illegal race and sex-based ‘equity’ policies.”

It’s absurd to assert that there is something illegal about equity when, in fact, it is the opposite!

So, as tyranny exercises its hand, we are called to be mindful if we must use a weapon and to stand up. The former is directed mainly at law enforcement, encouraging them to say “no” if they are asked to do something against their professional ethic. The latter is directed at ordinary citizens. We, too, must not abandon our ethics.

Thanks for listening!

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1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

2. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/strengthening-and-unleashing-americas-law-enforcement-to-pursue-criminals-and-protect-innocent-citizens/

3. Click here to read MLK, Jr’s “Letter From a Birmingham Jail”

I am amazed at how each chapter in On Tyranny coincides perfectly with the week's news. It almost makes me think Timothy Snyder was on to something!

This week, we talk about remembering our professional (and personal) ethics and being wary of paramilitaries. There are several instances of officials looking to the larger ethics that guide their professions, like lawyers and judges, instead of bowing to the whim of the administration. We uphold those as courageous acts. If we do not have a larger commitment to something beyond a personality, we will be swept up, wondering how things got so bad. We will find ourselves being governed by foolish tyrants who solicit armed support from those who do not uphold the ethics of their profession. ICE right now is being engaged as a type of paramilitary, carrying out arrests and deportations without due process. They are in violation of people’s legal rights. So the encouragement is to ground yourself and ask if you are in integrity with your personal and professional ethics to carry out justice, mercy, and love.

Thanks for listening! Send us good news. We live in a small corner of the world—let us know how your corner is resisting tyranny!

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1. On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder

2. https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/urbi/documents/20250420-urbi-et-orbi-pasqua.html

3. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI6vtjjOGGg/

4. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/26/us/wisconsin-judge-hannah-dugan-arrest.html

Following through on our commitment to using Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny as a frame, we discuss Chapters 3 and 4 as they relate to current events. One directive is to “Beware the one-party state,” and another is to “Take responsibility for the face of the world.”

We’ve got someone in power who is striving for the one-party state and frequently mentions an unconstitutional third term. While many of us have come to expect freedom without having to do much to uphold it, it requires constant vigilance. Freedom is fragile, and symbols of power and exclusion easily challenge it. We are responsible for challenging and removing symbols of exclusion so that they don’t become normal.

We talk about ways to do this. It seems I’ll say some version of this every time, but democracy requires constant evolution, resistance, and protection. The people are the protectors.

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1. https://timothysnyder.org/on-tyranny/

2. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-comes-after-dei/id1708072320?i=1000703765957

3. https://pluralism.org/home

We’ve decided to frame the next few weeks of podcasts with Timothy Snyder’s On Tyranny. It is a book that lists 20 rules for resisting tyranny in a political and social system. Rules 1 & 2 are “don’t obey in advance” and “support institutions” respectively. We talk about what obeisance and resistance has gotten some institutions as well as what is difficult about supporting institutions right now. But take heart - we can look to the micro level to support institutions. These can be libraries, schools, a local non profits, or a socially conscious retail store.

I often think of my friend who once said to me “fight where you stand.” Look locally to make an impact…this will eventually ripple outward.

Thanks for listening!

We spent some time today discussing four things: the order for public schools to remove DEI initiativestive order impacting state and local elections, the continued capitulation and resistance playing out, and a significant bungle in a deportation case. Some of these things have been shoved to the third and fourth pages of the papers and need our attention.

Of course, we follow this with good news: a map of which serves as our graphic. But y’all, we gotta make our own good news. What are you doing personally to stay sane and care for yourself? A colleague and I are offering a hybrid support group for those suffering from political anxiety. It starts April 30, 11:30-1 CST. You can register here or email me at [email protected].

I am linking to a few other things:

1. A New York Times Article about the education executive order

2. On Tyranny, a book by Timothy Snyder

3. The Ordinary Life Podcast from Sunday, April 6. My mentor and I teach this class together on occasion. Bill is wonderful, and Sunday’s talk felt particularly important.