Meet Stacy Abrams, via Wikipedia: “born December 9, 1973... an American politician, lawyer, voting rights activist, and author who served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2007 to 2017...” What interests  me about Ms. Abrams today, however, is her ten-step warning about the path democracies take as they slip into authoritarianism. Abrams’ 10 Steps were apparently based on the research of Kim Lane Scheppele, Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton. I’m going to list those ten steps below, and I’m going to restrain myself: I’ll list each without comment.

I’m from the “old school,” convinced through my history and civics education that our nation was, from Day One, a shining, perfect example of pure democracy. I’ve always revered our U.S. Constitution as flawless, ingenious, and impeccable. I think now, after some study, I’ve become a civics grown-up.

(Note from Lynn: I asked my smart friend, Judy Nagel, retired Wells Fargo Financial Advisor and active member of Rotary International, to share with us her perspective on a proposed amendment to the Constitution regarding needed campaign finance reform. And so we ask you to consider: Is it free $peech?)

Yes, you read that correctly: I want to know whether money is part of free speech, because the United States Supreme Court said it is. Remember Citizens United in 2010, when the Court ruled that restricting political spending by corporations and unions is inconsistent with the First Amendment? Money talks, I guess, and we’re not allowed to silence it.

Ida Mae Fuller. Ever hear of her? Probably not. In January 1940, she received a check for $22.54. It was the first-ever U.S. Social Security check issued. I suppose, back in 1940, that little check provided a lot more to Ida than it would to you or me in 2025. We’ve come a long way since 1940 – even a longer way since 1925. But our progress is now in jeopardy.

It was my privilege to be asked to speak at the local Hands Off rally about the potential closure of the Department of Education and the effect it will have on our local public schools. Here is a transcript of the speech I presented at Leicht Park for 1500 very peaceful, respectful demonstrators, led by the inimitable Wanda Truttman Sieber.

Hey! I want my vote for president to count. You too? I mean I want a system whereby, in our presidential election, every voter who casts a vote for Candidate A actually sees his or her vote go to Candidate A. Likewise, each vote cast for Candidate B by an eligible American voter goes directly to Candidate B. And we add them up, and that’s it: We have a winner, chosen directly by the people. I like that.

Yesterday at 5:32 a.m. I was awakened by a text to my phone. It was our Superintendent of Schools, alerting all School Board members of a threatened school shooting that day at not one but two of our high schools. She’d been awakened at 3:30 a.m. and had started the planned, approved response, and now she felt it was time to bring us in. I let her know I’d be ready if I could help in any way, and then I went about my business with full faith in our administrative leaders and the Green Bay Police Department.