In This Blog
Rallying for Recognition: Why Biden's Achievements Deserve the Spotlight Over Negativity
14 Ways To Change The Narrative
Granny Caravan: Bringing Decency and Civility Back
Outrageous Spending in Down-Ballot Races: 2024's Extravagant Political Battlegrounds
Duane Pitt: On this date 74 years ago, the United States entered the Korean War We are just $1,600 away from making June our biggest fundraising month of 2024! Your support has been crucial in funding high-value projects designed for sustainability and knowledge sharing. Thanks to your contributions, we have already reached hundreds of thousands of people in Central and Eastern Washington. But we can do even more. Let's push past this milestone and continue to make a difference. Donate now and help us achieve our goal! Together, we can ensure that our efforts have an even greater impact.
1. Rallying for Recognition: Why Biden's Achievements Deserve the Spotlight Over Negativity
It is time for all good people to gather their wits and energy, for you have been called upon to serve your country. Promote the significant work that the Biden administration has accomplished and silence the negativity of mainstream media, social media influencers, and Biden’s campaign manager. Join me and so many others in taking the pledge Silence = Denied.
Biden’s campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez just explained that the campaign strategy is to run on choice, not record (Axios, shared courtesy of Simon Rosenberg). According to Biden's campaign manager, the best thing they can say about the president is the worst thing they can say about his opponent! They support this strategy by stating that many of Biden’s policies are not highly thought of, and they give the economy as an example. But the economy is the strongest of all first-world countries, inflation is at zero, and pay is on the rise. Yet, it seems that educating voters about the truth and strength of our President's accomplishments is ill-advised. Instead, they have decided to participate in the gluttonous obsession with Trump. If the campaign is not compelled to promote Biden’s major achievements, and the White House has been equally mum on the topic for most of his administration, then they have chosen silence over providing the information that voters desperately need.
This makes my accusations about the media and social media influencers pandering to Trump valid. According to the Biden campaign strategy, the media is being as complicit as they possibly can be by ignoring Biden’s accomplishments and wallowing in the loathsomeness of Trump. We even see this in the campaign materials, where Biden is portrayed as victimized, desperate, and in need of being saved.
In my humble opinion, Biden is one of the most accomplished presidents. He has managed to reverse the policies of doom enacted by Reagan that have caused such a great wealth divide, limited health access, and increased racial inequity in our country. How could you not have anything good to say about this person? How could you not want to shout from the rooftops about his accomplishments that have lifted us out of the dark ages of the Reagan era and moved us into the start of a golden age of rebuilding this nation, initiating the next technological revolution with the move to clean energy, and returning to the middle and lower classes the rewards that were taken from them, they are owed, and are long overdue? You can make a difference; change the narrative by changing the media message. Take the pledge Silence = Denied and follow us at Rural Americans United, where we fight for the good of this nation, not the ugly.
2. 14 Things You Can Do Right Now
Here is a list of ways you can communicate to your TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers that you want to see more pro-Biden content:
1. Write Letters to the Editor: Most newspapers have a section for letters to the editor. Write a letter expressing your desire for more pro-Biden content and the reasons why you believe it is important.
2. Email News Outlets: Send emails to the news directors or editors of your local TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers. Clearly state your request for more pro-Biden coverage and provide examples of the types of stories you'd like to see.
3. Call Newsrooms: Call the newsrooms of your local media outlets and ask to speak with someone in charge of content or editorial decisions. Express your views and make a case for why more pro-Biden content is needed.
4. Use Social Media: Tag TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Publicly request more pro-Biden content and encourage others to do the same. Use relevant hashtags to increase visibility.
5. Submit Feedback Through Websites: Many media outlets have feedback forms on their websites. Use these forms to request more pro-Biden content and explain why it matters to you.
6. Participate in Audience Surveys: When TV and radio stations or newspapers conduct audience surveys, make sure to participate and clearly state your preference for more pro-Biden content.
7. Organize a Petition: Start an online petition calling for more pro-Biden coverage and share it with your network. Once you have gathered enough signatures, present it to the media outlets.
8. Join or Form Advocacy Groups: Join local advocacy groups or form one with like-minded individuals to collectively request more pro-Biden content. A group effort can often have more impact than individual requests.
9. Attend Public Meetings: If your local media outlets hold public meetings or forums, attend and voice your opinion on the need for more pro-Biden content.
10. Advertise Your Support: If possible, buy ad space in newspapers or airtime on radio stations to publicly express your support for Biden and advocate for more positive coverage.
11. Write Opinion Pieces: Submit opinion pieces or guest columns to local newspapers outlining the positive aspects of Biden’s policies and leadership, and the need for more balanced reporting.
12. Support Pro-Biden Media: Subscribe to and financially support media outlets that already provide pro-Biden content. Encourage your network to do the same and let the outlets know why you’re supporting them.
13. Engage with Advertisers: Contact advertisers that support the media outlets and let them know you appreciate their support but would like to see more pro-Biden content. Advertisers have significant influence over media content.
14. Provide Pro-Biden Content: Offer to provide content or contribute to local media outlets with pro-Biden articles, interviews, or commentary pieces.
By using these methods, you can effectively communicate your desire for more pro-Biden content to your local media outlets.
3. Update! Granny Caravan: Unity Road Tour
Decency and civility are what Shirley and Roz hope to bring to political discussions in rural Eastern Washington. We have seen the far-right turn to the most aggressive tactics and isolate themselves from others who might have different viewpoints. Shirley and Roz are traveling to seventeen towns to listen to and report back on the concerns of those in smaller, often forgotten communities. The Unity Road Tour is hitting the hearts of these small towns, having been featured in the Newport Miner, The Ferry County Express, Colville’s KCVL radio, and Spokane Public Radio. Wish them luck!
Listen to their Spokane Public Radio Interview
Next stops:
1. Chewelah
- Date: Wednesday, June 26th
- Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
- Location: Chewelah City Park
2. Colville
- Date: Wednesday, June 26th
- Time: 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
- Location: Yep Kanum Park, South End
3. Kettle Falls
- Date: Thursday, June 27th
- Time: 9:30 am - 11:30 am
- Location: By the Library and next to the City Pool
4. Republic
- Date: Thursday, June 27th
- Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm
4. Down Ballot Races Sizzle!
Under the Desk News, starring V. Spehar in 'Banana Shirt Good News Only,' highlighted how down-ballot races are the hot ticket this season, and I heartily agree. If you thought my previous post about the egregious spending on congressional races, which defied all sense of reason—where six hundred million dollars, enough money if applied strategically, could have allowed the Democrats to literally (and yes, I am using that word correctly) buy the House and Senate by funding rural races—was intense, you haven't seen anything yet. This year's races are breaking rules and records across the board.
The crazy spending and in-party fighting kicked off with Katie Porter and Adam Schiff earlier this year (RAU, March 20, 2024), where an article by The Washington Post made clear that Schiff and supporters spent $11 million to ensure Porter did not make it through the primary. More recently, Loren Boebert won her primary?! Her OnlyFans account must be really popular because more Republicans voted for her than the total number of Democrats that voted.
Then let's bounce over to the most expensive House race in history, which is not even the most outrageous aspect of the race. The accusations tossed about were indiscriminate, as outlined in a Politico article. The wonderful John Tester from Montana, a state with barely enough people to fill a clown car, has raised over thirty-two million dollars already, as reported by OpenSecrets. But not to be left out, we have our own Congressional District 4 here in Washington. I am betting this will be the most expensive House race in Washington State history, with Newhouse, Smiley, and the MAGA guy in the race.
What does all this mean? Money is being raised to fund political races that can’t be reasonably spent. Elections are hard on people who deserve to be treated well. Voters are often seen as a commodity, and extraordinary demands are made of them. In the race between Biden and his opponent, the reason to vote for Biden is clear, but what about other races? Are they really about the people and being a public servant? When one Democrat feels the need to spend eleven million dollars to knock another Democrat out of the primary, is that really about what is best for the people? Or when Democrats are willing to risk the House and the Senate so that four races can spend six hundred million dollars while other good candidates are severely underfunded? Imagine if all those millions of dollars were spent empowering people and building goodwill in communities at all times. What would that look like? It would be magical. People know their value when you show up and ask for nothing.
5. Duane Pitts: I Remember Korea
Originally published on June 25, 2024, by private email, reprinted with permission from the author, Duane Pitts.
On this date 74 years ago, the United States entered the Korean War on the side of what would become South Korea.
Our parents lived in Fukuoka, Japan at the time.
Dad was a Sgt in the Combat Engineers (CE) Division of the US Army stationed in Japan. His job switched from training in pontoon building to building roads and bridges, pontoon or otherwise, to aid US and South Korean troops in their movements to stop the communists from running over southern Korea. His unit was one of the many who helped build the roads and bridges to the trapped US Marines at Choisin Reservoir. Once the troops got out of the trap the Chinese and north Koreans had set, Dad's unit had to destroy the bridges before the Chinese took them. He said they had only 2 rifles in his unit and each man had a side pistol. That was it for defense against the Chinese and north Koreans shooting at them!
Dad told us many funny stories about the war, but only once did he talk with tears in his eyes. He lost his best buddy in the war. When they bivouacked once for the night, the unit split 50-50 on either side of a dry creek bed. A night guard was stationed as a precaution, as they were close to the fighting lines. That night, the guard and sleeping men in the other half of the unit on the opposite side of the creek had their throats slit. Morning revealed the massacre to the survivors. Quietly, Dad said he cried and cried as he held his best friend. That was all he would ever say about that terrible loss.
Mom had trained for secretarial work, so during WW2 she worked in the secretarial pool for the British Consulate in Portland, Oregon. Long story short, they married in Elmhurst, a suburb near Chicago, in 1945. When Mom joined Dad in Japan in 1948, I was not yet one. When they lived in Fukuoka, Mom stayed home with me and my sister, who was born in 1949 in a US military hospital. They had seven Japanese maids and one Japanese gardener. Two US military guards were posted at the house, one during the day and the other at night, after the Korean War started in June of 1950. 9 days later I would turn 3.
After the Korean War started, Mom applied for and got the job of main secretary to the Provost Marshall in Fukuoka. In this job, she was privy to US troop movements in Korea, all of Korea, so she was able to learn each day where Dad's CE unit was and if he were still alive. She saw the daily report of wounded and dead. Given the nature of her job, Mom could speak to no one about what she saw, read, heard in the Provost Marshall's office. She couldn't even tell other women who had a military spouse anything about their spouse or his whereabouts. Nothing. She said that was the most difficult part of the job. She cried many times, but only in the office.
Me? What do I remember from the Korean War?
One thing only about the war itself, which Mom explained to me. I heard thunder coming across the sky and water, loud thunder but no clouds. Mom told me that was the sound of war from Korea coming over the sea. I can still recall the sounds of that thunder rolling over Fukuoka.
Other memories were of Dad's and Mom's stories told to me and my sister about our time in Japan during the Korean War. However, those are for another time and less important occasion.
I remember Korea.
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