Category: fighting fascism

ICE is the new Gestapo…

No, I didn’t invent this concept that “ICE is the new Gestapo”, but it sure rings true.

One of the more outrageous local ICE arrests/abductions/kidnappings was of Marcelo Gomes da Silva, a high school honor student, athlete, and band member who was arrested/abducted/kidnapped by ICE on his way to volleyball this past Saturday. ICE abducted him and detained him from Saturday through this week. Marcelo committed no crimes and has never been in any trouble with the police, either. He was what they call “collateral damage” as they were actually targeting someone else. Marcelo was born in Brazil but has been growing up in Milford, MA, since he was 7.

Local activists organized a rally outside the Chelmsford Immigration Court today. Even though it was thrown together in just a couple of days, and even though it was 90 degrees, there was an excellent turnout. After we’d been there for about half an hour, we got the excellent news that Marcelo was released on bond!

The story was covered by various news outlets. Below is the coverage by local Boston NBC (channel 10 news). It’s worth watching mainly to hear Marcelo’s own words. To my surprise, I flashed in the footage a couple of times. Must be the collar.

‘Nobody should be in here’: Milford High School student detained by ICE is released on bond

Here are a couple of screen shots of me in the crowd:

Rev. Lara Hoke in the crowd at the rally to FREE MARCELO!

I’m so glad that Marcelo is free, and hope and pray that it stays that way. I can’t imagine going through something like that when you’re just a kid. This country needs to do better and live into our promise. When did we forget that this is a nation of immigrants? Immigrants make America great. I believe it with all my heart.

New me, new you(SA)?

I’ve been thinking about these changes for a long time… I’ve been wanting to get my hair cut short. I’ve had it short a few times in my life, but it’s been a while. And I’ve wanted to wear contact lenses again. Finally, I just did it. Here’s “the new me”.

The “new” Rev. Lara Hoke

But more importantly, I’ve been getting more involved in ways to stop some of the evil of this Administration, particularly the arresting (kidnapping!) of immigrants without due process. I’ve been going to all the rallies I can. More importantly, I’m getting training from LUCE so I can really be more helpful and engaged. There are so many good people doing good things. The evil of this Administration cannot stand.

It’s not that I wasn’t doing anything before, mind you. But I’m upping my game. New me, new USA.

I don’t even know what to say

What do I even blog about? I must say that, by and large, we are all under-reacting to the horrors in the United States right now under the tRUMP Administration. Do people see it? Do they get it? I know the folks who voted for Harris get it… but what about the rest? Do they have voters remorse, or do they actually think this horror show is okay? We are facing the possible end of democracy. We are certainly facing the end of the USA as we have known it. It looks, smells, and sounds like fascism. If people still can’t see it, I’m not even sure what to say.

Energy vampires…

It just occurred to me that DJT is the ultimate energy vampire. How to fight fascism without draining all of one’s lifeforce, that is an important question.

I stumbled upon this video from Oprah Winfrey. I have complex and mixed feelings about Oprah, but she makes a lot of interesting points which I am pondering.

One thing I know for sure is that the only way I will make it through these next years and hold on to my sanity and life is to find balance. And so, I will ponder this further.

I will say that I had hoped to keep whatever connections I could to those who support DJT. But now, I’m feeling that it is dangerous to remain in relationship with those who enable fascists. I am rethinking many things. This isn’t the time to be wishy washy.

How is dystopia working out for you?

Good morning and greetings from the post inaugural dystopian hellscape! How are you resisting today? I’m going to learn more about rights in dealing with ICE today. We have to stand up for our immigrant and refugee siblings. Here’s one useful link, if you’d like to resist ICE: How US Citizens Can Protect The Immigrant Community from the Deportation Force. What are you up to today?

And now for something completely different…

The Beatles from the White Album photos.

In an effort to stay sane, I’m going to try to post “fun stuff” along with the resistance, because joy is indeed an act of resistance (thank you, Audre Lorde).

I’m a huge Beatles fan. I love all The Beatles albums, and everything including and after Rubber Soul is indeed a masterpiece. I have always been a bit thrown, though, by the so-called “White Album”. It’s the only double album by The Beatles, and it’s very uneven. I’ve always thought that if they’d used their usual discretion as to what was “worthy” and made it a single album, it would be among their very best.

I took the liberty of creating my own version of “The White Album” as a single album, and created a “Beatles Novelties” with the leftovers. Here is what those two albums look like:

(Lara’s cut) “White Album”

Side A:

Back in the USSR

Dear Prudence

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Happiness Is a Warm Gun

I’m So Tired

Savoy Truffle

Blackbird

Side B:

Revolution 1

Why Don’t We Do It in the Road

I Will

Birthday

Mother Nature’s Son

Sexy Sadie

Helter Skelter

Julia

Tell me that’s not an amazing album!?!? If you have Amazon/Prime Music, you can listen to this version here.

This is what the other album would look like:

(Lara’s cut) Beatles White Album Novelties

Side A:

The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill

Wild Honey Pie

Honey Pie

Glass Onion

Piggies

Yer Blues

Martha My Dear

Side B:

Rocky Raccoon

Don’t Pass Me By

Everybody’s Got Something to Hide

Long Long Long

Cry Baby Cry

(Bonus) You Know My Name (Look Up My Number)

Good Night

Revolution 9

If you have Amazon/Prime Music, you can listen to this version here. What would your version of these two albums look like?

Hello, 2025

Wow, I really left my five readers hanging after that last post!! Here’s my sermon describing my trip:

Okay, now we’re caught up. Okay, not really. But if you want to see any of the services I’ve led in recent times, you can always find them at this link.

Horrifically, the United States elected a fascist in November, and here in January it’s already getting scary. I will not mince words, not in the face of fascism. I hope I will be here more often, calling it what it is. And sometimes making posts that are about completely unrelated things, just to keep sane. Because we have to embrace joy as an act of resistance in these times.

Thoughts on the Insurrection

This Sunday, my homily title was “Imagine a More Perfect Union”. I began to gather my thoughts about what happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. If you want to listen to my homily, it is here on YouTube (it starts at 24:27):

Click on the arrow above to watch the video of the entire service, or go to 24:27 for the homily.

We are not out of the woods yet. One of my colleagues noted that the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when you try to leave it. That’s how this feels to me. We are trying to leave an abusive relationship with our would-be-dictator, and therefore our very safety is threatened. I am quite concerned about events which more reactionary insurrectionists are apparently planning for next week and the Inauguration. Some fear another attempted coup, and it’s (tragically) hard to rule that out.

We are indeed responsible for what happens next. I pray that democracy prevails.