Occasional Words From The Resistance…

…from the desk of RE Vanella

THIS MONOPHONIC MICROGROOVE RECORDING IS PLAYABLE ON MONOPHONIC AND STEREO PHOTOGRAPHS. IT CANNOT BECOME OBSOLETE. IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SOURCE OF OUTSTANDING SOUND REPRODUCTION, PROVIDING THE FINEST MONOPHONIC PERFORMANCE FROM ANY PHOTOGRAPH.

–Endorsement on Rubber Soul, The Beatles, Capitol Records, Inc. 1965.

I wanted to share something today as a celebration of sorts. We won yesterday. Coons held his nerve. The fact that his remarks were politically measured is irrelevant. Let me be perfectly clear, I fully expect Neil Gorsuch to be the next Associate Justice on the US Supreme Court. That’s also irrelevant.

We showed some spirit. That’s promising because we’re going to need to do that about every two weeks into the foreseeable future. As you may have noticed yesterday, in this space but buried deep in the Third Circle of the comments section, I’m already onto Carney re: HB 110. Fuck it, I say every Democrat and Independent in the US Congress run a total blockade until they pass Medicaid for all. We’re going lose all these, but we’re going to show some bloody pride. Real pride. Not for Twitter or TV.

So, anyway, last week I submitted an Op-Ed that didn’t get published (aka., rejected without comment) in support of this last little scrap. I’ll share it with you all. Be a glutton for punishment. Revel in it. It’s character building.

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Associate Justice Antonin G Scalia died on February 13, 2016. For nearly 14 months his seat on the US Supreme Court has remained vacant. There is a reason for this. That reason is political gamesmanship. I see no reason for the games to stop now as Judge Neil Gorsuch’s nomination is poised to clear the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday. The confirmation process then heads to the full Senate for consideration.

A week ago Friday two friends and I hand-delivered a letter to the Wilmington office of United States Senator Chris Coons. Candidly, our motivation was a completely ordinary orientation toward common sense. An earnest security desk attendant interrogated us in the lobby. No, we did not have an appointment. Although they likely should have seen this coming, we also were forced admit that no, we were not expected. There was an awkward phone call of which we only heard one end.

Two affable aides would come down to meet us in the lobby. We made introductions. We discovered that one of the aides is our neighbor. They examined the letter. This is what it said:

Senator Coons,
We write you today in light of incredible and extraordinary circumstances. Under more stable political conditions we may understand your desire to strike some sort deal in the matter of the nomination of Judge Neil M Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. However, I think you would agree that this is not a stable and safe political environment. Considering Merrick Garland was not even given a proper hearing from your committee we strongly urge you to resist any effort to confirm Judge Gorsuch. This includes not providing your vote for cloture and voting no on confirmation should the filibuster be broken.

Best regards,

Judge Gorsuch describes his own judicial philosophy as something called textualism. The Oxford English Dictionary notes that the concept was coined in the 19th century as a criticism of Puritan theology. Today textualism still evokes ideas of rigid, narrow thinking. Textualism suggests a rejection of the concept of intentions, technological advances and a modern understanding of biology and human nature unknown to our 18th century forefathers. Textualism must be rejected as Judge Gorsuch should be as well.

Personal visits to politicians’ offices are not how I’d choose to spend my time. I suspect Senator Coons would prefer not to be in a pitched political battle on a daily basis. It’s not about what we would rather be doing or how we hoped it should be. Lamenting the bygone era of bipartisan cooperation and the collapse of civility, if those things ever did exist, is squandered sentiment now. This is not the time for hand-wringing and half measures.

James Baldwin described the situation starkly and in strong terms. I think of his words, lifted here from his 1963 work, “The Fire Next Time,” as sage advice and I offer them to Mr. Coons and to you in that same spirit.

The subtle and deadly change of heart that might occur in you would be involved in the realization that a civilization is not destroyed by wicked people; it is not necessary that people be wicked but only that they be spineless.

Now is the time to find the courage and to hold one’s nerve. This administration’s agenda is ridiculous and retrograde. I believe my assessment is neither alarmist nor hyperbolic. There is no need to trade in speculative conspiracy theories or lob inflammatory epithets to make this point clearly. History can be a very harsh judge. I encourage Senator Coons as well as Senator Carper and Representative Blunt Rochester to stand up now and stand firm publically (as Mr. Carper seems to be doing ahead of his 2018 reelection campaign). If Senate Leader McConnell coordinates a rule change and eliminates the filibuster, so be it. Stand up stronger for the next fight. Inspire us as a leader!

To paraphrase the journalist and author I.F. Stone, the only fights worth engaging in are ones you know you will lose. You keep at it because one day someone who believes as you do will win.

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Please note that this essay was brought to you by our friends at the Ninth St. Bookshop (on 8th, long story), in the figurative rather than the financial sense, if you dig it. You can buy your books off Lord Bezos, 1st Earl of Belltown, or from Jack and Gemma. Come on, we know them!