Please Invite Me To Speak At Your Club Or Org. Meeting-I Say Useful Things & Am Friendly

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​I've been fortunate enough to be asked to speak on four occasions in the past six weeks. I spoke at the East Houston Democrats March meeting, the March 28 No Kings protest downtown, the April Bayou Blue Democrats meeting and the Spring Democratic Club Spring Democratic Club meeting few days ago. 

(Above is the crowd in Spring. Below is East Houston, No Kings & me speaking at Bayou Blue.) 

East Houston represents Democrats in Sheldon, Galena Park and Channelview. Bayou Blue speaks for Democrats in neighborhoods including Montrose, River Oaks and Greenway Plaza. Spring Democrats serves North Harris County and Klein in addition to Spring. On Friday, May 1st, I'm a speaker at the May Day protest and rally in The Woodlands Montgomery County. 

I'm really appreciative to be asked by fellow rank & file Democrats and democracy advocates to speak. I'm an effective speaker to any audience and in any part of the Houston-region.  I'd be happy to speak to your club or organization. Please message me or e-mail at [email protected] and we'll set it up. 

Here are seven things I've been saying:

​1. The lines are blurring between conventional politics and protest. Both are essential. The people running the country and running Texas do not see much difference between dissent and voting.. The goal is to criminalize opposition. All opposition will be seen as inciting violence and seeking to undermine the government. That opposition is us. You may or may not want to view yourself as on the front line of an anti-fascist struggle. But the right views it as so just by the fact we oppose them.

2. We have a right to a collective identity and power as active rank and file democracy advocates and Democrats, that is independent from official party structures, candidates and elected officials. Harris County Democratic Precinct Chair admonishments of Kim Ogg, Shawn Thierry and John Whitmire are just some examples of this autonomy and power. Elected officials are our elected employees. You don't have to allow candidates and electeds who don't help the full Democratic slate to even address your club. 

3. March 28 No Kings protests were in a record number of cities and drew an overall record crowd. They were organized by people just like us. They were an expression of our autonomous power.  We have seen with the martial law crisis in South Korea and the resistance to ICE in Minnesota, that we must show up for ourselves.

4. We give a lot of free labor to candidates. It's often exploitive. Sometimes candidates don't money they promised. Politics is a multi-billion dollar industry. Many campaigns extract resources like a West Virginia strip mine. Primary candidates come and go like Christmas or Halloween pop up stores. Our need to live freely remains. We must organize ourselves.

 5. The recent process with the City of Houston/ICE ordinance shows that HPD is an extension of what Greg Abbott wants. Local control of HPD and HPD respect for local civilian direction that does exist are both in doubt. Also, there seems no opportunity through the conventional political process at Houston City Hall to meaningfully push back or even slightly mitigate, any outrage from  our authoritarian, white supremacist state and federal governments. We must organize ourselves. 

6. Police union endorsements must become toxic in Democratic primaries and in 2027 City of Houston municipal elections. At-Large Houston City Council Republicans Twila Carter and Willie Davis must be defeated and a better and more responsive Houston City Council is needed. Let's begin that work now. 

7. The next action is when you organize it, the First Amendment is your permit, The only credential needed is your presence. You don’t need to feel self-confident to act. Just proceed. The work ahead is ours.

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