It’s amazing how quickly this administration has shattered trust in our government institutions and our democratic guardrails, this time around.

Commissioner Alisa Simmons was on the 817 Podcast on 9/22 and exposes what the culture is like in Tarrant County government due to our current County Judge, Tim O’Hare She doesn’t pull punches 👏🔥 You can check out the episode in podcast places or watch it on YouTube. Here is my cut of key moments.

Extremism is being enabled in Fort Worth. Mayor Mattie Parker, with both her silence and those moments she chooses to speak, is allowing it to happen. 📕📕 Alex Montalvo spoke at City Council on 9/23. “We are in one of those moments in the history books right now.” What will you do? 📚📚 #fortworth

🗣️🗣️ Part two of two of Voices of Fort Worth speaking up for their city 🗣️🗣️ Everyday citizens of Fort Worth came to City Council on 9/23. They let all of the members, but especially the Mayor, know that we expect our leaders to stand against extremism. If they don’t, we will work to replace them.

Extremism is being enabled in Fort Worth. Mayor Mattie Parker, with both her silence and those moments she chooses to speak, is allowing it to happen. 🎯 🎯 Nydia Cardenas spoke at City Council on 9/23 and showed how to hold multiple truths at the same time. It’s so on target. 🎯 🎯 #wakeup #fortworth

Everyday citizens of Fort Worth came to City Council on 9/23. They let all of the members, but especially the Mayor, know that we expect our leaders to stand against extremism. If they don’t, we will work to replace them. 🗣️There were so many passionate, intelligent speeches, this is part 1 of 2 🗣️

Extremism is being enabled in Fort Worth. Mayor Mattie Parker, with both her silence and those moments she chooses to speak, is allowing it to happen. 🐍🐍 @mentack.bsky.social spoke at City Council on 9/23, and as always, was on point. Make sure to stick around to the end 🐍🐍 #wakeup #fortworth

"It happens on both the Right and the Left." Translation: "It happens almost exclusively on the Right."

Chicago and its neighborhoods are pretty great. These are in Rogers Park There is a reason the administration doesn’t like places like this. They will push back. (With @mentack.bsky.social)

And more from Chicago / Rogers Park (with @mentack.bsky.social)

“Read banned books Ban fascism” “Protect trans kids” Right on, Chicago! P.S. this is why 🍊 threatens to put the national guard here.

It’s a cult. It’s a cult, it’s a cult, it’s a cult. This is not normal behavior. It’s a cult.

Books getting banned, not because of book challenges, but because districts are afraid of being accused of preparing kids for the diverse world they will step into Over 700 titles in Lamar Consolidated ISD in Texas And yes, Pinkalicious is one of them 🤦‍♂️ Details at: www.txftrp.org/pinkalicious...

I’ll be 50 in a couple of weeks, I wonder if the United States govt will look even remotely normal again in my lifetime? We’ve descended into kakistocracy at warp speed.

🧵 1-11 In light of us all witnessing this galvanizing moment for the right, following Charlie Kirk’s death, I thought I’d share this thread again. I wrote it right after the election last November. 1/

This says it. The screenshot is from a piece by Ta-Nehisi Coates in Vanity Fair. www.vanityfair.com/news/story/c...

It’s genuinely heartbreaking that so many Americans chose not to vote and thought it didn’t matter who was elected. They chose fascism for us all by sitting at home. We are only 6 months into this term. What this country looks like two years from now is likely unfathomable.

I think it’s important for folks to know what drives Christian nationalism. Think about what you’ve seen happen this past week and the rhetoric that led us to this point. It’s all right there. 1. A Desire for a Traditional Social Hierarchy. From Andrew Whitehead kettering.org/five-element...

I think it’s important for folks to know what drives Christian nationalism. Think about what you’ve seen happen this past week and the rhetoric that led us to this point. It’s all right there. 2. A Commitment to Strong Ethno-Racial Boundaries around National Identity and Social Belonging.

I think it’s important for folks to know what drives Christian nationalism. Think about what you’ve seen happen this past week and the rhetoric that led us to this point. 5. An Embrace of Populism, Perceived Victimhood, and Conspiratorial Thinking. kettering.org/five-element...

I think it’s important for folks to know what drives Christian nationalism. Think about what you’ve seen happen this past week and the rhetoric that led us to this point. It’s all right there. 4. A Preference for Authoritarian Social Control. From Andrew Whitehead @ kettering.org/five-element...

I think it’s important for folks to know what drives Christian nationalism. Think about what you’ve seen happen this past week and the rhetoric that led us to this point. It’s all right there. 3. Idealizing Free-Market Capitalism. From Professor Andrew Whitehead: kettering.org/five-element...

This should be a story everyone is aware of. In their uncontrolled craving to dictate what kids can and will learn, Abbott and TX Republican lawmakers are pushing state universities to abolish their faculty senates. State sanctioned censorship is marching forward.

It was great to see our sweet friend @wiljay.bsky.social @secularhouston.bsky.social at the @interfaithalliance.org Religious Freedom In Public Schools Summit. @cjtackett.bsky.social

A good friend, Jack Darling, wrote a very powerful piece on Facebook, and with their permission, it’s now a guest piece on our See It Name It Fight It substack: Division Is The Product Here are a few excerpts, but please check out the whole thing at open.substack.com/pub/christac...

It took a few days, but I finally synthesized my thoughts on the events of last week. This isn't about a person, it's about who we should be and what we should reject. It's about values. You can read the full piece at open.substack.com/pub/christac...

Our institutions are failing us.

And remember, Texas state law will not allow cities to reduce police budgets.

This is what we see Republicans doing all the time. They gaslight people into believing if something heinous and harmful is said in a calm measured tone, it equates to being civil - it’s just a different political opinion. No, it’s inflicting damage and trauma with a smile. That’s what Kirk did.

I shouldn't be shocked, but I'm still always brought up short to realize how many people think "civility" means "white people speaking in relatively calm voices" no matter what vile shit they say.

The language that will be used in churches all over the country will mirror this as we go forward. Rhetoric was already leaning into fear, into strongman religion, but it will amplify from here. The only way to counter it is with our own community, our own organizing, our own galvanizing.

Anyone who ever said this last election and the Trump movement were really only about the economy, I hope this week has opened their eyes to rethink that. Christian nationalism and 7 Mountains Dominionism have been and will continue to be drivers.

So what will be the ultimate outcome for people who the right blacklists and renders unemployable? They spent yesterday getting numerous people fired from their jobs for engaging in free speech - the civil liberty Charlie Kirk utilized daily. What do these folks plan to do with all these people?

1. What Charlie Kirk said and did in his adult life was immeasurably destructive. His ideology has plagued this country. 2. We do not owe any kind of memorial to Charlie Kirk. He was an immensely harmful human. 3. Murder is wrong. All of these things are true at the same time.

The five cultural markers of the "Christianity" of Christian nationalism are essential to understanding the Christianity espoused by Charlie Kirk or those at TP USA events. Each has political and policy implications, particularly around who counts as a "true American" or a "true Christian."

I want you all to just watch how quickly mainstream media moves on from this story now.

Some claim "Christian nationalism" is just "loving Jesus" & "being patriotic." Lots of social scientific evidence shows the "Christianity" of Christian nationalism is much more than that. In fact, it brings with it 5 pieces of cultural baggage. kettering.org/five-element... @kettering.org

The trailer for @thelibrariansfilm.bsky.social was released and it’s powerful. Watch it, and then scroll further down. youtu.be/Ykll4MWltsQ?...

Ya know that trope: “They can’t be a racist, they have a black friend” Here it is in real life! Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare needs to go in 2026. Even if he has a black friend. 😂

The new Democratic voters we need will be ignited by a new kind of candidate with a new approach…not the ones who run to the middle (trying to appease Rs) and cling to what Dems used to be. I’m not sure if Texas will figure that out or not, but I sure hope so.

Over 70 people have died in custody of Sheriff Bill Waybourn since he assumed office in 2017. If you believe in accountability, it seems normal to ask WTF happened when another person dies. On 9/3/25, Waybourn showed everyone accountability doesn’t apply to him, not when it’s a black woman asking 🤬

If you want to see how individual Texas counties have done on the Presidential races since 2000, I’ve put this together. It’s very handy to leverage when someone makes crazy claims on a place being “purple” (when it is very red) or having a “positive” trend. public.flourish.studio/visualisatio...

Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare, and Commissioners Ramirez and Krause, voted to slash early voting and Election Day polling places in our November election. In 1980, Weyrich laid out the play In 2025, O'Hare and his cronies follow it. They don't want you to vote. Give them the 🖕 and make it happen

Rep Perez laying out the disgusting reality of #txlege #HB7

Christian nationalism is steering the #txlege GOP today…policing bodies, bathrooms, and forcing pregnancies. It’s predatory, menacing surveillance masquerading as policy. As Rep Vince Perez said, it’s #SickAndTwisted #SB8 #HB7 #SeeItNameItFightIt

People are beginning to notice and discuss that shipping from Europe and other countries has come to a halt. I experienced it myself. Tried to buy a book from Belgium. Seller couldn’t send via post. It was going to cost me 180€ to have it shipped FedEx. A paperback book. No thanks.

TX Dems: Don’t assume Iowa SD-1 predicts our future. It was a low-turnout race (<8k votes), the GOP candidate was extreme MAGA, and the seat has previously been held by Ds and an R turned I. Ds can make progress if we do the right things, but deep-red TX isn’t suddenly blue.

Let’s be honest, this isn’t new. My grandparents warned me about “certain parts of town” in Fort Worth as a teen. White supremacists as well as rural and outlying areas have long been taught to fear - and fuel fear of - diversity in cities.