Welcome to A Habit of Hope — a weekly practice of optimism and joy. We get inspired, there’s music, and use a set of tools for community and accountability.
Not gonna lie — it’s been a hell of a week. I don’t need to recount it here; you’ve all been through it too.
In what seems like a lifetime ago (but was January 22), sociologist Jennifer Walter wrote a thread you must read about “shock doctrine” and how to defend oneself against it. (I’ve included the text at the bottom of this post for those who aren’t on Threads.) (And, about that, my feelings about social media have evolved since some strident pronouncements I made recently. Now, since the LA fires and during this fraught time, I am approaching social media as tools like skill saws that are both useful and potentially dangerous.)
Anyway, as I was casting about for the right person to focus on this week, I found a link to this article by David Pepper from November 2024 (can’t remember how I got to it in the first place). It’s about Issue 2, a school voucher measure in Kentucky in the last election, which was defeated in every single county in that deep red state. And the place it was defeated the hardest? The smallest county in Kentucky, Robertson County, a place that went for Trump 80-20, even despite an anti-DEI smear campaign targeting Robertson County Schools.

School vouchers were a key part of the MAGA/GOP platform. So what happened? And what can that tell us about how what we need to do right now?
I’m holed up in a non-descript motel room today, working on the newest draft of my play This is Water (premiering at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June)! So I’m going to rely on you to click the link above and read the piece yourself, all the way to the bottom where he talks about lessons we have to learn quickly, before Project 2025 takes effect.
Well, it’s taking effect, Jerry. So we need to learn these lessons quick.
Here’s the bottom line:
Robertson County saw the issue as “us” (Robertson County) vs. “them” (rich out-of-towners).
Of course, Trump and his ilk embrace the tried and true notion of “us vs. them” to pit us against each other. His press conference this week about the tragedy in DC, where he blamed “DEI” for the plane crash, is but the newest awful example.
But, just like a skill saw, “us vs. them” can be dangerous or useful. As the tariffs hit and the stock market dives, as deportations wrack agriculture and hospitality, as the federal government cuts funding for healthcare and infrastructure and veterans benefits and law enforcement, as Elon Musk moves couches and thumbdrives into the Office of Management and Budget, we must redefine our battle as a different kind of “us vs. them.” Like Robertson County, we must protect our community against rich out-of-towners.
We have to frame this moment as billionaires vs. the people. Oligarchy vs. Democracy. Elon & Donald & Mark & Jeff vs. you and me.
I’m angry at folks who voted for this, and at folks who couldn’t bring themselves to vote against it. But in this moment, I have to set that aside. And the folks who are worried about the culture issues that the GOP/MAGA has wielded so well to divide us? They have to set that aside too.
How do we do it, how do we Americans see all of us as “us?” A common enemy has always been one way.

But I think what’s better is to make “common cause,” to act together with someone with whom you may not agree, in order to achieve something important to you both. I first encountered this concept in high school when I learned about “Ducks Unlimited,” an organization founded by some very strange bedfellows — hunters and conservationists — that has become a world leader in wetlands conservation.
My reason for opposing mass deportation might be mostly humanitarian. Someone else’s might be mostly economic. We can come together to fight mass deportation.
When we make common cause, we don’t have to agree on everything. We just have to have to agree on one big thing. And protecting our families and communities by preventing a bunch of would-be oligarchs from collapsing the American economy in order to enrich themselves? I think a lot of us can agree on that. I don’t think any of us signed up for the complete reworking of the United States of America.
So the Person of the Week this week is us. All of us. Against them.

Mostly, HIM:

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xo Rain
Bonus Content 4 U
"As a sociologist, I need to tell you:
Your overwhelm is the goal.
1/ The flood of 200+ executive orders in Trump's first days exemplifies Naomi Klein's "shock doctrine" - using chaos and crisis to push through radical changes while people are too disoriented to effectively resist. This isn't just politics as usual - it's a strategic exploitation of cognitive limits.
2/ Media theorist McLuhan predicted this: When humans face information overload, they become passive and disengaged. The rapid-fire executive orders create a cognitive bottleneck, making it nearly impossible for citizens and media to thoroughly analyze any single policy.
3/ Agenda-setting theory explains the strategy: When multiple major policies compete for attention simultaneously, it fragments public discourse. Traditional media can't keep up with the pace, leading to superficial coverage.
The result? Weakened democratic oversight and reduced public engagement.
What now?
1/ Set boundaries: Pick 2-3 key issues you deeply care about and focus your attention there. You can't track everything - that's by design. Impact comes from sustained focus, not scattered awareness.
2/ Use aggregators & experts: Find trusted analysts who do the heavy lifting of synthesis. Look for those explaining patterns, not just events.
3/ Remember: Feeling overwhelmed is the point. When you recognize this, you regain some power. Take breaks. Process. This is a marathon.
4/ Practice going slow: Wait 48hrs before reacting to new policies. The urgent clouds the important. Initial reporting often misses context
5/ Build community: Share the cognitive load. Different people track different issues. Network intelligence beats individual overload.
Remember: They want you scattered. Your focus is resistance.”
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