Gratitude is a powerful force, but its true strength lies in its ability to inspire us to be better—for ourselves, one another, and the country we love.
I’m thankful for you Olivia. Thank you for starting a Substack and thank you for being one of the more outspoken ones in the crowd, especially early on in this Trump debacle. Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family and your loved ones. ❤️❤️❤️
I am grateful for your courageous and honorable patriotism, Olivia. Over these past four challenging years, you have stood strong and resolute in your commitment to the best of our nation's ideals and goals. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thank you for standing tall and modeling the courage we all need to not give up on democracy. You are so correct that we’ve created a new tribe due to the MAGA movement that’s exploiting the need for change. However, you need to know that our teachers are shaping this country’s direction right into MAGA hands and why that’s happening.
I’m a teacher who discovered the same dictatorial types who have hijacked our democracy hijacked the world of education over forty years ago and slowly left us vulnerable to these rabbit holes and conspiracy theories. They’ve been purging called-to-teach teachers and replacing them with puppets. They’ve frightened the teachers’ unions into going along to get along.
Because they figured out how to silence teachers using ruthless abuse and turn them into puppets for their selfish agendas, the people running our schools have been profiting from our despair and inaction when it comes to education for years. We think school reform is impossible only because they made it impossible.
Abraham Lincoln correctly said, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation, will be the philosophy of government in the next."
Our schools paved the road for Trump.
I’ve been trying to warn my fellow citizens about the autocrats who’ve seized our schools, a primary pillar of democracy, since 1995. I’ve written books. But I’m just a teacher and since administrators have people resenting what teachers do - what they’re making them do - I have no power to be heard. If I did, this is what I’d say to my fellow citizens:
Please run for school boards on a save democracy platform. School boards hold all the power over our schools; people don’t know this because administrators have controlled our schools by grooming their boards so they’ll rubber stamp their bad acts. So it seems administrators hold the power. We can change that.
On the top of the list of bad acts administrators inflict on us is purging the called-to-teach teachers because administrators can’t control them. These teachers do what’s right. (They’re like Olivia.) They won’t go along to get along with dangerous power mongers.
Until we repopulate our schools with powerful teachers, education, the foundation of our democracy will remain hollow. Under educating and not producing citizens is why many people voted for a criminal.
Once we turn our schools into democracies rather than the autocracies they’ve been for at least four decades, we’ll have a fortress that the would be king can’t topple. Two sites: WhiteChalkCrime.com and EndTeacherAbuse.org will educate you about what’s going on in our schools so you can outsmart the criminals who think they can end our democracy. Trump can’t make us powerless. Only we can do that to ourselves by thinking he can.
By the way, you don’t have to have children in the school. You can be young or old as long as you’re a citizen in that school district. You can run on ending school shootings. Who doesn’t want that? You’ll find my book explaining why school shootings are happening at WhiteChalkCrime.com. It’s a winning issue!
Thank you for your insights in these troubling times. I'm proud to be one of your tribe. And I'll miss guacamole, too. Maybe we could have the avocado as tribe totem?
Thank you for your optimism. I question your choice of thanksgiving all white picture. We now honor the fact that we are and always were a colorful group of tribes that made up the UNITED STATES of America.
You're a brave soul I live here I've found you everything you came out several years ago and I always you know I wish the f****** red States especially in the midwest will actually use their brains for a change it's really frustrating I did a very superficial but targeted study on Blue States versus red States versus SAT and ACT scores and I found that the blue States and significantly I mean Way beyond way way above red States in terms of intelligence associated with intellect and political leaning and it just seems to me that the effing red States are just way behind the educated personnel now that's a problem for the Democrats in terms of messaging and I agree wholeheartedly and I'll leave it up to the DNC to figure that out because that's not my job I'm retired I'm 75 years old but I really really thought that camera had the right message I wish she had six more months to communicate that all right thank you and I'm way behind you so I'm Woody
Your example and those of your peers who have taken great risks (to careers and friendships and even lives) to speak truth to power have inspired me over the last few years. The next few years are going to be rough for many and challenging to all of us who do believe in democracy and a multicultural America, but most of the time I really do believe that we'll emerge with a deeper understanding of what democracy is about and what each of us can do to strengthen it.
Your reflection highlights critical nuances about American gratitude, struggle, and immigration:
Financial Struggle vs. Global Perspective--Many Americans are experiencing genuine economic hardship, making gratitude challenging. However, the U.S. remains the world's wealthiest nation, a context often lost in daily struggles.
Narrative Power--Trump's success stemmed partly from articulating a vision that acknowledged people's economic pain while simultaneously framing America as exceptional. This emotional resonance matters more than factual accuracy.
Immigration Heritage--This statistic is profound: approximately 25% of Americans have grandparents who were immigrants. My personal story of grandparents fleeing Europe underscores America's foundational narrative of refuge and opportunity.
Gratitude Framework--
A meaningful approach to gratitude might involve:
Recognizing individual struggles
Acknowledging collective national resources
Celebrating diversity and immigrant contributions
Understanding our comparative global privilege
Your core message emerges powerfully: A truly exceptional America remains fundamentally welcoming—to immigrants, to different experiences, to collective hope. CopyRetry
Thanks, Olivia! I so appreciate your courage and patriotism. We have hard times ahead, but it truly is a blessing to have the opportunity to get to know you, and the small but significant number of other either former or current Republicans who honestly and boldly care for our country.
I hope our coalition in support of democracy will hold so that we can once again have intelligent and helpful debates on policies that will move our country closer to its ideals of freedom and justice.
I’m thankful for you Olivia. Thank you for starting a Substack and thank you for being one of the more outspoken ones in the crowd, especially early on in this Trump debacle. Happy Thanksgiving to you, your family and your loved ones. ❤️❤️❤️
I am grateful for your courageous and honorable patriotism, Olivia. Over these past four challenging years, you have stood strong and resolute in your commitment to the best of our nation's ideals and goals. Happy Thanksgiving!!
Thank you for standing tall and modeling the courage we all need to not give up on democracy. You are so correct that we’ve created a new tribe due to the MAGA movement that’s exploiting the need for change. However, you need to know that our teachers are shaping this country’s direction right into MAGA hands and why that’s happening.
I’m a teacher who discovered the same dictatorial types who have hijacked our democracy hijacked the world of education over forty years ago and slowly left us vulnerable to these rabbit holes and conspiracy theories. They’ve been purging called-to-teach teachers and replacing them with puppets. They’ve frightened the teachers’ unions into going along to get along.
Because they figured out how to silence teachers using ruthless abuse and turn them into puppets for their selfish agendas, the people running our schools have been profiting from our despair and inaction when it comes to education for years. We think school reform is impossible only because they made it impossible.
Abraham Lincoln correctly said, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation, will be the philosophy of government in the next."
Our schools paved the road for Trump.
I’ve been trying to warn my fellow citizens about the autocrats who’ve seized our schools, a primary pillar of democracy, since 1995. I’ve written books. But I’m just a teacher and since administrators have people resenting what teachers do - what they’re making them do - I have no power to be heard. If I did, this is what I’d say to my fellow citizens:
Please run for school boards on a save democracy platform. School boards hold all the power over our schools; people don’t know this because administrators have controlled our schools by grooming their boards so they’ll rubber stamp their bad acts. So it seems administrators hold the power. We can change that.
On the top of the list of bad acts administrators inflict on us is purging the called-to-teach teachers because administrators can’t control them. These teachers do what’s right. (They’re like Olivia.) They won’t go along to get along with dangerous power mongers.
Until we repopulate our schools with powerful teachers, education, the foundation of our democracy will remain hollow. Under educating and not producing citizens is why many people voted for a criminal.
Once we turn our schools into democracies rather than the autocracies they’ve been for at least four decades, we’ll have a fortress that the would be king can’t topple. Two sites: WhiteChalkCrime.com and EndTeacherAbuse.org will educate you about what’s going on in our schools so you can outsmart the criminals who think they can end our democracy. Trump can’t make us powerless. Only we can do that to ourselves by thinking he can.
By the way, you don’t have to have children in the school. You can be young or old as long as you’re a citizen in that school district. You can run on ending school shootings. Who doesn’t want that? You’ll find my book explaining why school shootings are happening at WhiteChalkCrime.com. It’s a winning issue!
Thank you for your insights in these troubling times. I'm proud to be one of your tribe. And I'll miss guacamole, too. Maybe we could have the avocado as tribe totem?
Thank you for your optimism. I question your choice of thanksgiving all white picture. We now honor the fact that we are and always were a colorful group of tribes that made up the UNITED STATES of America.
Happy Thanksgiving to Olivia and to all of you out there.
Thank you, Olivia, for another beautiful, thoughtful piece. A spirit of gratitude is truly the key to happiness!
The grandmother must have the strongest arms.
I’m so glad you’re here, Olivia
Yours in avocado solidarity!
🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑
I’m thankful for your bravery and honesty. Happy Thanksgiving!
You're a brave soul I live here I've found you everything you came out several years ago and I always you know I wish the f****** red States especially in the midwest will actually use their brains for a change it's really frustrating I did a very superficial but targeted study on Blue States versus red States versus SAT and ACT scores and I found that the blue States and significantly I mean Way beyond way way above red States in terms of intelligence associated with intellect and political leaning and it just seems to me that the effing red States are just way behind the educated personnel now that's a problem for the Democrats in terms of messaging and I agree wholeheartedly and I'll leave it up to the DNC to figure that out because that's not my job I'm retired I'm 75 years old but I really really thought that camera had the right message I wish she had six more months to communicate that all right thank you and I'm way behind you so I'm Woody
Your example and those of your peers who have taken great risks (to careers and friendships and even lives) to speak truth to power have inspired me over the last few years. The next few years are going to be rough for many and challenging to all of us who do believe in democracy and a multicultural America, but most of the time I really do believe that we'll emerge with a deeper understanding of what democracy is about and what each of us can do to strengthen it.
Your reflection highlights critical nuances about American gratitude, struggle, and immigration:
Financial Struggle vs. Global Perspective--Many Americans are experiencing genuine economic hardship, making gratitude challenging. However, the U.S. remains the world's wealthiest nation, a context often lost in daily struggles.
Narrative Power--Trump's success stemmed partly from articulating a vision that acknowledged people's economic pain while simultaneously framing America as exceptional. This emotional resonance matters more than factual accuracy.
Immigration Heritage--This statistic is profound: approximately 25% of Americans have grandparents who were immigrants. My personal story of grandparents fleeing Europe underscores America's foundational narrative of refuge and opportunity.
Gratitude Framework--
A meaningful approach to gratitude might involve:
Recognizing individual struggles
Acknowledging collective national resources
Celebrating diversity and immigrant contributions
Understanding our comparative global privilege
Your core message emerges powerfully: A truly exceptional America remains fundamentally welcoming—to immigrants, to different experiences, to collective hope. CopyRetry
Thanks, Olivia! I so appreciate your courage and patriotism. We have hard times ahead, but it truly is a blessing to have the opportunity to get to know you, and the small but significant number of other either former or current Republicans who honestly and boldly care for our country.
I hope our coalition in support of democracy will hold so that we can once again have intelligent and helpful debates on policies that will move our country closer to its ideals of freedom and justice.
Happy Thanksgiving!
You’re one of the heroes, Olivia. Happy Thanksgiving.
Beautiful! Happy Thanksgiving Olivia!