30 Comments
Aug 6Liked by Marjie Alonso

Nail on the head. Or is it the frog in the pot?

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author

Exactly. And both?

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Aug 6Liked by Marjie Alonso

What a perfect analogy, although I don't think my candidate is any kind of subpar choice at all. I think she's smart and experienced, unlike the other one who is neither smart, nor experienced in anything beside getting what he wants for himself by any means possible. Truthfully, to keep the latter out, I'd have crawled over broken glass to vote for Biden's cremated remains. Very thoughtful piece. I can only dream of being so creative.

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author

I don’t think she’s sub par either. At alllll

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Aug 6Liked by Marjie Alonso

This is hot stuff! Wish we'd seen the original though, too!

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author

Be careful what you wish for…

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😁

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Aug 18Liked by Marjie Alonso

This especially resonates with me: "We can’t accept that a bad choice is sometimes necessary to prevent a catastrophic one." I remember talking with a 20-something during a less catastrophic but still crucial election (W/Gore maybe?) who wasn't going to bother to vote, maybe had never voted, because there was no perfect candidate. He thought that not voting would send a message, and the system would then change to his liking. I didn't say this to him, but I pictured him as a little kid sitting in the corner, trying to hold his breath until he turned blue, waiting for exactly what he wanted. Waiting, maybe, for Mr McGregor's garden to be handed over to him.

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author

They don't hear us when we shout, they certainly won't hear us when we're silent.

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Aug 9Liked by Marjie Alonso

Bullseye!

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author

I'm hunting wabbits!

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Aug 9Liked by Marjie Alonso

"Shhh. Be vewy vewy quiet."

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Aug 8Liked by Marjie Alonso

I love this piece! It says it all. Only you could pair rabbits and politics!

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author

Can’t be done! Thank you Char

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This is a great piece, Marjie, and even better than an earlier draft you shared. You use a great analogy with a killer final line. Well done! It's a big fat shame it wasn't published when the time was hot but it's still a good reminder of what's ahead. We're not out of the woods by any means and we need to remember that every second for 91 days. And hopefully not beyond.

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author

Here here.

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Aug 6Liked by Marjie Alonso

As usual, I enjoyed your piece and agree with the flavour. I’m sorry it hasn’t got accepted to be published yet.

I’m watching from Oz and have been very disheartened over events. I used to think America would be a great place to live but recent policies have made me thankful I live here with a great medical system that everyone can access free, women’s health rights are on the up and up, and there is no book banning. At our school we teach ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ and I’m about to start teaching a fabulous book by an Indigenous author called ‘Brontide’.

Of course, our politicians still do stupid stupid things and one of the saddest political outcomes recently was the rejection of the Voice To Parliament to give our Indigenous peoples some say and agency, so nowhere is perfect.

I don’t understand why humans are so horrible to each other.

The rabbit analogy was clever. It reminded me of this amazing book by John Marsden with illustrations by Shaun Tan about Australia’s colonisation.

It’s a picture story book, Shaun Tan’s illustrations are impossibly beautiful.

https://www.shauntan.net/rabbits-book

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author

Oooh! I shall look it up now! Thanks!

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Aug 6Liked by Marjie Alonso

Sigh. Thought I’d found one little corner of the universe free of the political binary arguments.

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author

Can I offer you a carrot? 😉

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Aug 6Liked by Marjie Alonso

No bribe necessary! You bring many moments of joy with your writing.

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author

❤️ thanks so much.

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Aug 6Liked by Marjie Alonso

Marjie, you nailed it! Especially the last sentence which says it all.......yes, we are all American rabbits. Bravo, Marjie!!!!!

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author

Sadly, we are.

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So their claims of "illegitimate president" don't mean the same thing then?

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author

They don’t actually exist. None of them said he was an “illegitimate president” in the sense of “ not actually elected.” They all correctly pointed out that he was ignoring the rule of law and that, once he left office, continued to do so.

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I have a question regarding what Trump "gave us" regarding elections. Aren't you forgetting Hillary, Hakeem, and Stacy Abrams making similar claims about stolen elections?

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They never said elections were stolen, nor tried to overturn or circumvent due process. Recounts (in the case of Abrams) are standard, especially when the powers that be closed voting on only certain districts.

Hillary never said the election was stolen. She won the popular vote but lost the electoral college. The very night of the election she issued a concession speech and congratulated Trump.

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1) The very last bit confused me. I thought "Wait -- the rabbits were leashed?" and then figured it out, but work on the last line. 2) Yes. 3) The language I'm using is "Hopeful instead of doomed." Now we have to make it happen.

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Hopeful instead of doomed also works.

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