Remarks To Baytown Dems-Regular People Will Lead The Fight

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​Yesterday I was the speaker at the monthly Baytown Area Democrats meeting. Above is a picture of some of the attendees and below is a nice evening scene from Baytown.

Here is a summary of what I said:

* It’s a real kindness for such a strong group of rank & file Democrats to ask me to speak. Thank you.

* The threats to our rights and to democracy are 100% real. They are serious about suspending habeas corpus, federalizing local police, using ICE as a general goon squad and ending fair elections.

* We must each ask ourselves what we want to accomplish—Winning elections, building community, protest. Some combination of these things? What works for you?

* Local elected Democrats such as John Whitmire, Rodney Ellis and Carol Alvarado should invest their large campaign bank funds in year-round efforts boost turnout across the county. Every Democrat in a safe seat must meet the moment. We can’t lose anymore judgeships.

* The work and risks of maintaining the failing systems that sustain elected officials and their networks is taken up in good part by the rank and file, but we don’t often don’t get much support in return.

* Local and municipal politics matter. Authoritarianism will require a local infrastructure of compliant officials. Some local officials may surprise us with bravery. Let’s get them on the record for where they stand on our protecting our freedom.

* We must have frank discussions in our homes and with the people in our lives about what self-defense looks like as we confront the right.

* The next protest is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. Protest is not going to be fully safe. We are fighting an authoritarian and white supremacist opponent.

* Each of us have power. The Harris County DA’s office took note of the e-mails they received asking for charges to be dropped against activist Sarah Terrell when she was wrongly arrested at the unelected-HISD Board meetings. Let’s have each other’s backs. The charges were dropped. 

* We should be open with ourselves and the people in our lives that this all is a mental health crisis.

* Support local efforts such as the Houston Democracy Project & Egberto Willies’ Politics Done Right.

I’ll next be speaking at the Indivisible Kingwood meeting on May 22 & at the Democrats of La Porte meeting on July 13. I’m happy to speak at you club/org meeting.

​Here is the Houston Democracy Project list of things each of us can do to fight Trump/Musk. Here is a fundraising pitch for the Houston Democracy Project. I'm doing the work and showing up in many different ways.  Please help the effort. ​​

I'm on the Egberto Willies Politics Done Right Show every Thursday from 6 AM to 7 AM for the Houston Democracy Project segment. You can hear the show on the radio, stream it on KPFT or watch later Egberto's YouTube channel.

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