A Newsletter About Showing Up, Even When You’d Rather Not

It can be exhausting keeping up with the news. We need ordinary citizens to help. That doesn’t mean you need to be doing something every day. The real truth is, some people are political nerds like me who will have politics on their mind and energized by listening and reading about it, some people will help when they can, and some people aren’t there yet. We need a strong majority to win. We need people to be correctly informed. I hope you will join me and show up. Sitting this out is not an option.

Estimated read time: 9-10 minutes

Welcome, Let Me Tell You Why I’m Here

It’s me again, Jennifer Goodman. I’m back. I’ve missed writing, but I think I needed a break. A summer break, where I took advantage of warm sunny days to sit on the beach, enjoy time with friends and family. Good tomatoes, corn and local fresh fruit. Ice cream is a must in the summer too.

If you want to know my full story, go back to my previous articles right here on Substack. The most important thing to know about me is simple, I am an ordinary citizen who cares deeply about all people. I am not a reporter. But I will tell you what’s not being reported, and simple ways to get involved and stand on the right side of history.

While the most corrupt, thin-skinned, self-dealing, democracy-dismantling, Putin-admiring, grift-enabling president in the history of the United States continues to run our great country into the ground, there is exactly one action that will stop it. VOTE. And bring someone with you. Don’t believe a word he says about elections being fraudulent. It would be impossible that every time he loses it’s corrupt, but not when he wins. And this time we are going to WIN.

What’s On My Mind This Week, Stop Listening To The Name Calling

I want to talk about something that has been driving me absolutely crazy. The name calling. And more specifically, the deliberate confusion that comes with it.

Republicans have been calling Democrats socialists and communists for decades. It has gotten louder and more aggressive under this administration. And it works, because most people don’t actually know what those words mean. That’s not an insult, it’s just true. These are terms that get thrown around like weapons without anyone stopping to explain what they actually mean.

So let me explain them. Plainly.

Socialist

so·cial·ist (noun) — a person who believes that wealth and the means of production should be owned or regulated collectively, with the goal of a more equal distribution of resources across society.

so·cial·ism (noun) — an economic and political system in which the community or the state owns and regulates the major industries and services, rather than private individuals. In practice it exists on a wide spectrum, from democratic socialist countries like Sweden, Denmark and Norway, which have free markets AND universal healthcare, free education and strong worker protections, to more authoritarian versions that history has shown can go very wrong.

In plain English many of our most popular programs are socialist by definition. Social Security, the program that keeps tens of millions of elderly Americans out of poverty, is socialist. Medicare and Medicaid are socialist. The Veterans Administration healthcare system is socialist. The US military, the interstate highway system, public schools, public libraries, the fire department that comes to your house when it’s burning, all socialist. What is needed in our current time are affordable housing, healthcare and food. The question is what is socialism versus capitalism. It’s always been about which things we decide to do together and which things we leave to the market. And yes we have candidates running for free health insurance for all. Is that realistic? Maybe, maybe not.

Here’s the important thing. Let’s not let every idea get in the way of voting. That is exactly what the Republicans are trying to do. Confuse us, and I say take the noise out of your head. Most candidates with very very extreme ideas in the Democratic Party will be weeded out in the primaries. We see it happening already. Republicans love to see the Democratic Party get all twisted into knots. Let’s not let them.

Communist

com·mu·nist (noun) — a person who supports communism, a political and economic system in which the state controls all property and the means of production, and theoretically all people share equally in the benefits of labor.

com·mu·nism (noun) — a political theory in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. In practice every country that has called itself communist, the Soviet Union, China, Cuba, North Korea, has been run by a single authoritarian party with heavy control over every aspect of life.

I can think of a few people in our current administration who wouldn’t mind being considered a communist. Unfortunately they are very tricky about how they really feel, but are doing a good job convincing some groups of Americans that whatever they do or say is exactly how to Make America Great Again. We are going to stop them this coming November.

Now listen to me, Democrats are so far from being communist, I give you permission to laugh at this whenever anyone says this is what will happen if Democrats are in control. Calling a Democrat a communist because they want universal healthcare is like calling someone a bank robber because they used an ATM. Laugh and walk away.

Populist

pop·u·list (noun) — a person who claims to represent the concerns of ordinary people against a corrupt or out of touch elite. Populism has no fixed ideology. It can come from the left OR the right.

Populist is a word you’re not hearing as much right now, but you will. It’s worth understanding because it describes both sides equally, and that might surprise you. Here’s what gives me pause about populism. The message works on everyone. Working people are angry. They should be. And whoever speaks directly to that anger, whether their actual policies help or hurt those people, can win. That’s what we need to watch carefully heading into November.

If a candidate is calling themselves a populist, try to find out what their solution will be to the problem. If Democrats or Republicans are calling each other that, it is usually a distraction. But still worth doing your homework to decide for yourself.

Why This Matters Right Now

The next time someone calls a Democrat a communist, I want you to be able to say, clearly and calmly, that’s not what that word means. A person who wants universal healthcare and free college is not a communist. A person who wants to tax billionaires at a higher rate is not a communist. These are ideas that most Americans actually support when you describe them without the label.

The name calling is designed to do one thing. Confuse you. Scare you. And stop you from paying attention to what’s actually happening.

Don’t let it work.

What’s Actually Happening In The 2026 Primaries And Why I’m Paying Close Attention

I’m not a pollster, nor do I run focus groups, nor am I a reporter. I am though a political junkie. I listen to a lot of smart people, and I make sure I listen to Republicans that have left the Republican Party and Republicans who will never vote for a Democrat but might be fed up with this administration. I listen so you don’t have to. But I do need you to vote.

And while every day is a complete and total mess, and it’s hard to watch our country struggle, it might get worse before it gets better.

The Good News

The Republican MAGA party is starting to show splinters. Not enough yet to vote against the President on major issues, maybe one or two or three votes here and there, but ordinary Republicans are starting to acknowledge this is not what they voted for. That matters.

I believe we will see significant gains in the House and Senate in November. The energy is there. The anger is real. The votes are moving our way.

The Part That Concerns Me

Democrats on the other hand are starting to concern me. We are being labeled leftists, socialists, communists, and I hear friends and neighbors asking, would you vote for a democratic socialist? The answer is YES. Why? Because go back to the definition. We already are.

Would I vote for a leftist? YES. Typically the far left in our party doesn’t pass the extremes they want but they fight for the underdogs. Do I like Mamdani? YES. Why? Because he made promises to help struggling people in NYC and he is keeping his word. The wealthy have not fled and he is getting things accomplished. Things the people voted for him to do.

I want candidates that will stop Trump and his corruption but also have a plan to help people. I want candidates that will stop ICE from acting like they can arrest anyone they just don’t like, but who also have a solid immigration plan that keeps America safe from real criminals while allowing people with good faith to come to our country.

I don’t want our party to turn on each other, which seems to be happening. Let’s keep our eye on the ball.

And Then There’s The Mail-In Ballot Fight

This one is moving fast and it’s confusing by design.

Here’s what you need to know. In June the Supreme Court actually ruled in our favor, upholding states’ rights to count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day but received up to five days after. A win.

But just this week, six days ago, the same court sided 6-3 with Trump allowing him to move forward with parts of an executive order that would give the US Postal Service unprecedented control over who receives mail-in ballots, creating federal approved voter lists and blocking delivery to anyone not on them.

Here’s the part that matters for November. Multiple injunctions are still blocking implementation and the administration itself has acknowledged there may not be enough time to fully execute this before Election Day. So mail-in voting this November will likely proceed largely as normal.

But 2028 is a different story. The legal groundwork is being laid right now to dramatically restrict who can vote by mail in the next presidential election. That’s what this is really about.

The confusion is not accidental. Even if nothing changes for November, enough uncertainty about whether your ballot will count can be enough to make someone stay home. Don’t let it.

If you typically vote by mail, check your state’s rules right now at vote.org. And if there’s any doubt, make a plan to vote in person.

Tiles On The Table

mah·jong (noun) — a game of Chinese origin usually played by four people with 144 tiles that are drawn and discarded until one player secures a winning combination. In the American version, players use a card that changes annually listing winning combinations, adding a fresh strategic challenge each year. In plain English, part strategy, part luck, part reading the room, and entirely social. Not unlike democracy itself.

I recently jumped onto the Mahjong craze. It seems to be exploding everywhere. I’ve known of the game for years and put off learning it until I retired. I posted on a local website asking if anyone was interested in starting a group or adding someone with zero knowledge of the game. I was invited to join a group of women that started playing two years ago and they were kind enough to take me in. Wednesday nights hosted at a different home, come and learn. Wow that was fast. Now I had to show up.

I got the address of the next Wednesday night game and off I went, hostess gift in hand. Never hurts to bring yummy chocolate to a stranger’s home. The game has a lot of rules, nuances that don’t make sense, but that’s just how it is. I would ask why can’t I use a joker with a pair? The answer, not sure, that’s just how it is. And we’d laugh. Here I am in a stranger’s home with five other women, learning the latest craze, not knowing anything about anything. Admittedly I was a bit nervous, but after two hours of fun, laughter and a tiny bit of knowledge we were talking about next week’s game.

It’s been five weeks and I’m getting the hang of the game, met a bunch of new friends and have no idea about their politics. It’s not the place for politics. It’s a time for fun.

Turns out the key to winning is eliminating what isn’t working and focusing on keeping what is working to complete your sequence. There’s some luck to what comes your way, some frustration to seeing clearly what you need but not being able to get it, and the satisfaction of sometimes being the winner.

If I can show up to a stranger’s home and learn something completely new at almost 69, you can show up to vote this November. Showing up was the hardest part. It always is. And it was absolutely worth it.

Action Of The Week

This post is a bit longer than usual. So this week I want our actions to be simple.

Action 1 — Check Your Registration Right Now Go to vote.org and confirm your registration is current and active. Then text three people you know and ask them to do the same. Takes five minutes. Could make all the difference.

Action 2 — Have One Conversation Talk to one person this week about voting. Not politics. Just voting. Ask them if they’re registered. Offer to go with them. Keep it simple and kind.

Action 3 — Show Up Whatever showing up looks like for you this week, do it. Vote. Volunteer. Make a call. Write a postcard. Bring chocolate to a stranger’s house and make a new friend. Just show up.

One Last Thing

By November 4th we will be almost two years into this administration. Let’s make their last two years the most lame duck we possibly can. We are in the fight of our lives and we will win.

And if this resonated — like it, comment, and share it with one person who needs to read it.

Because this isn’t my newsletter. It’s ours.

Everybody Needs To Show Up publishes every week. If someone forwarded this to you — welcome. Subscribe here and join us. We’re just getting started.

And remember — you are not powerless. Not even a little bit.

A Newsletter About Showing Up, Even When You’d Rather Not

Ordinary citizens are making a difference and we need every single person to help save our democracy. Sitting this out is not an option.

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

Welcome, Let Me Tell You Why I’m Here

If you haven’t read any of my previous issues, my name is Jennifer Goodman. Doesn’t ring a bell? It shouldn’t.

I grew up in a household with three brothers and a sister. Life was good, I always felt safe and I was taught right from wrong. After high school I went to culinary school and followed my passion for cooking. Eventually I married my high school sweetheart, had a couple of kids, and everything was good, like a good ordinary American story. I followed politics the way most people do, from a distance. I believed our country was better off helping the underserved, lifting up people who needed it, and pro choice, because we should all be able to make certain choices, especially the ones that affect only ourselves. I really thought most people were like me, I guess I’m a bit naive. I got involved with the CASA program, did food drives, donated clothes, all the things I felt mattered. None of it was extraordinary, because I’m an ordinary person. As my kids went off to college, life got quieter at home, and it gave me more time to look around at other parts of the country and the world. Life took me in different directions, but I am still the person I’ve always been in my heart. Jump ahead to 2015........

Like a lot of people, the first time Trump won the presidency, I was shocked, how in the world did this happen? And then it happened again. His first term, he had some people around him to tell him no. This time, the guardrails are gone, only complete “yes” men surround him now.

That’s the long version of why I’m here.

We are in uncharted territory, and if we sit back assuming we’ll win the next election and life will go back to normal, we will be sorely wrong. And naive will not be what I call myself anymore.

So we can either be on the right side of history right now, or we can wake up one day in a country we no longer recognize.

Reflecting and The Absurdity of it All

re·flect (verb) — to think carefully or deeply about something. Also, to throw back an image of what’s really there.

re·flec·tion (noun) — serious thought or consideration. Also, a discredit, a sad reflection on something.

ab·surd (adjective) — wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate. So unreasonable as to be ridiculous, almost comically.

ab·surd·i·ty (noun) — the quality of being absurd. An absurd act, statement, or situation.

Both meanings apply this week. So let’s reflect, and let’s look at what’s actually being thrown back at us.

Trump spent $16 million renovating the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. He personally picked the color for the bottom of the pool, “American Flag Blue,” and handed out the contracts himself, no bidding process, no competition. One of the contracts, $1.7 million, went to a company called GREEN WATER SOLUTIONS owned by a Trump donor who once gave $250,000 to his campaign.

THE COMPANY HIRED TO STOP THE POOL FROM TURNING GREEN IS CALLED GREEN WATER SOLUTIONS. I could not make this up if I tried.

The other contract, over $14 million, went to a company that had never won a federal contract before, but had previously done work at Trump’s own golf club. Within days of finishing, the pool turned bright green with algae. A $16 million pool, painted a patriotic color, turned GREEN within days

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By now most of you have heard stories about the reflecting pool, and probably about his UFC fight on the front lawn of the White House. Now they are putting on one of the most ridiculous State Fairs to celebrate our 250th year. Here are some facts about them. Talk about absurd. None of these events should be happening and there will be more to come I’m sure.

Trump hosted a UFC fight on the White House South Lawn on June 14th, his 80th birthday, complete with a 92-foot lighting structure called “the Claw” and a $700,000 re-sodding bill for the grass UFC tore up. Only 16% of Americans, and just 31% of Republicans, thought it was appropriate. A federal judge let it go forward anyway, even after a lawsuit called it “deeply corrupt.” Trump’s own financial disclosure shows he owns stock in the company that owns UFC.

The Great American State Fair opened on the National Mall this week to sparse crowds, a broken Ferris wheel, power outages, and a Confederate flag controversy in the North Carolina booth. Oregon and Pennsylvania refused to participate at all, citing cost and the event feeling “more partisan than originally presented.” Trump claimed 45,000 people showed up. Reporters on the ground described attendance more like a summer outdoor movie screening than a state fair, and showed video of crowds streaming toward the exits in the middle of his speech.

But we need to be very clear here, these are all very real stories in the news. This actually is happening. This is where we are. These are the moments I’ve been reflecting on. How did we get here, and how can we all help take our country back.

Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things When We Vote

When things seem looneytoons, take some time and reflect. Take a deep breath, reflect. Reflect on how your life was before. Think about people you don’t know and how their lives might be. Think about what you would like to see for your future, our future. We can all have differences and healthy discussions that might not be the same as each other, but I think we know right now does not feel right. I am going to share with you some statistics that hopefully will lift your spirits, give you hope. When history looks back on this time, will you say, I was there, I was on the right side of history and here is how I helped.

Since Trump took office:

1. Democrats have flipped 9 state legislative seats in special elections. Republicans have flipped zero. Not one seat. Ordinary people, showing up to vote in races most of the country never hears about, and it is making a real, measurable difference.

2. In Virginia, Democrats swept all 13 statewide elections in November 2025, flipped 13 House of Delegates seats, and now hold their largest House majority since the 1980s. Abigail Spanberger won the governor’s mansion outright.

3. In New Jersey, Democrats won the most Assembly seats in 50 years, building a new supermajority alongside Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill’s win. Democrats also broke Republican supermajorities in Iowa and Mississippi’s state senates, and flipped a state Senate seat in a deeply Republican part of Pennsylvania.

4. Democrats flipped two seats on Georgia’s statewide Public Service Commission, flipped all three city council seats in Georgetown, South Carolina, unseated the last remaining Republican city council member in Orlando, won back mayoral races across Connecticut, and took control of the Onondaga County legislature, which includes Syracuse, for the first time in fifty years. A Charlotte, North Carolina city council seat switched parties for the first time since 1999. Small town races add up to great state changes!

5. In New Jersey’s governor’s race, campaign staffers reported people coming up to them saying, “I’m an independent. I voted for Trump, but I’m backing Mikie Sherrill.” Every single county in the state shifted toward Democrats in 2025, even the ones that still voted Republican overall. That was HUGE!

None of these people made the news the way a green pool or a UFC fight on the White House lawn did. They just showed up to vote in a special election in March, in a state most of us couldn’t find on a map without thinking about it.

That’s the whole point of this newsletter. You don’t have to be extraordinary to do something extraordinary. You just have to show up.

Action Of The Week

Action 1 — Find Your Local Democratic Office and Volunteer

Go find your local Democratic party office and walk in or call and say you want to help. They have postcards that need to be written, phone calls that need to be made, and canvassing for those who like to meet people in their community. You don’t need experience. You don’t need to know everything. You just need to show up.

Find your local office at democrats.org

Action 2 — Realize Your Value

Reflect on what you can actually give. One hour a week? Five? Ten? Think about the issues that matter most to you, healthcare, inflation, cost of living, education. We are all busy. But are we too busy to be involved at a time when so much of what we took for granted is being taken right out in front of our eyes?

Action 3 — Last But Not Least This Week

Let’s stop wringing our hands, angry and scared. Let’s take action.

One Last Thing

Let’s keep in mind, our country has been in ugly places before. This isn’t the first, it won’t be the last, and we will come out strong on the other side. Each and every one of us can make a difference. And while we fight we can also take the time to be with ones we love, because we won’t let anyone take away our joy.

And if this resonated — like it, comment, and share it with one person who needs to read it.

Because this isn’t my newsletter. It’s ours.

Everybody Needs To Show Up publishes every week. If someone forwarded this to you — welcome. Subscribe here and join us. We’re just getting started.

And remember — you are not powerless. Not even a little bit.

A Newsletter About Showing Up, Even When You’d Rather Not

Ordinary citizens are making a difference and we need every single person to help save our democracy. Sitting this out is not an option.

Estimated read time: 5 minutes

Welcome, Let Me Tell You Why I’m Here

I hope you take a minute to read what this newsletter is about. I’m Jennifer Goodman, an almost 69 year old woman from Gloucester Massachusetts. No college degree. Average jobs my whole life. And mad as hell about what’s happening to our country.

Writing is not in my comfort zone, but now is not the time for me to stay comfortable. Now I am asking for you to do something, something to help save our Democracy. Will you consider joining me?

What Life Looks Like In The US Right Now

Your Vote Is Under Attack. Last week I covered this in detail. I owe you the actions you can take to help save our election from being stolen, the many reasons people are afraid to vote, or not vote at all. That will be covered in Actions for the week at the end of this newsletter.

The Good News, Because There Is Some

Today I could talk about a million things that are going on in the US that aren’t great. This has been a tough week for news, that’s for sure, so this week I want to talk about the good stuff. There is plenty. We just don’t hear about it nearly enough. I think good news is important, especially for people who can’t bring themselves to stay engaged right now. I want everyone to know that people are being heard, judges are starting to say no, and dare I say there are things happening that I didn’t think I’d see until 2029.

Trump’s name is officially off the Kennedy Center. Congress named that building for President Kennedy, and only Congress can change it. Not a board. Not a president.

THIS IS HUGE

Historical truth is getting restored too. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to put back hundreds of signs about slavery, Native American history, and climate change that were stripped from national parks last year. The deadline is July 4th. The judge wrote that the removals amounted to rewriting history “with a white-out pen,” and that our shared history deserves to be honestly told ahead of the country’s 250th birthday, not erased.

SEE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU VOTE

There’s real movement on the ground too. Michigan Democrats just won a special state Senate election by 19 points, in a district Kamala Harris only won by 1 point in 2024. That’s not a poll, that’s an actual VOTE, and it’s a big swing. Election analysts still say Democrats are favored to take back the House in November.

DON’T MISS THEIR SPEECH ON YOUTUBE

And this week, something genuinely joyful, the Obama Presidential Center and Library officially opens to the public in Chicago on June 19th, more than a decade after it was first announced. It’s just good to see something being built. The speeches that both Michelle and Barack Obama make will bring you to tears, the good kind.

Even Ukraine has had some wins to point to, striking deep into Russian territory, hitting oil depots and refineries that fund Russia’s war machine, not just battlefield targets. It’s a brutal war with no end in sight, but Ukraine is not sitting back.

None of this erases everything else going on. But it’s true, and it matters, and I wanted you to have it this week. Look around, flowers are blooming, schools are out for summer fun, take a moment to enjoy something simple. A hug, a walk, ice cream, because our daily lives matter the most. We will work hard and have joy. Let’s not let anyone take that away from us. I don’t want anyone to feel like I am belittling how rough it can feel and if things are tough reach out to someone and ask for help. There are plenty of people to help.

Anytime you’re ready, the world will be waiting.

The People Fighting Back

Because there always are people fighting back.

The League of Women Voters

They have been fighting Trump’s voting restrictions in court since day one. Just this month a federal court declared New Hampshire’s anti-voter law unconstitutional, a direct win from their litigation. They are in courts across the country right now.

Website: lwv.org

The ACLU

They are the ones who got Trump’s passport requirement permanently blocked. They are currently fighting the citizenship database matching system. They need your support.

Website: aclu.org

Common Cause

They place trained poll monitors at polling places specifically in communities with a history of voting problems. They staff the election protection hotline. They inform voters of their rights and help election officials handle problems in real time.

Website: commoncause.org

Democracy Docket

This one deserves more attention. Democracy Docket tracks every single voting rights lawsuit in the country in real time. If you want to know exactly what is being fought and where, this is your resource.

Website: democracydocket.com

Action Of The Week

Action 1, Check Your Registration Right Now

Go to vote.org or your state’s election website and verify your registration is current and active. Do it before June 30th when the new database system goes fully operational. Then text three friends and tell them to do the same thing.

If you find you were purged, re-register immediately and call 866-OUR-VOTE for help.

Action 2, Become A Poll Worker

This is the one I feel most strongly about this week.

There is a critical shortage of poll workers across the country. And here is something important, poll workers are not just counters. They are the people who greet voters, answer questions, and make sure the process runs fairly. When communities that are afraid to vote walk in and see a friendly face, that matters.

You do not need special skills. You get a small amount of pay. You serve your community directly.

Contact your local town or city clerk’s office and ask how to sign up. Or go to protectthevote2026.org where they are building a 500,000 volunteer election protection program for November 2026.

Action 3, Take Someone With You

This one costs nothing.

Think of one person in your life who is nervous about voting. Offer to go with them. Drive them if they need a ride. Walk in together. Wait together. Walk out together.

You do not need to be an organization to protect someone’s right to vote. You just need to show up alongside them.

The Hotline

Save this number in your phone right now:

866-OUR-VOTE, 866-687-8683

This is the national nonpartisan Election Protection hotline. Call or text with any voting question, registration, absentee ballots, early voting, problems at the polls. It works year round not just on Election Day. Share it with everyone you know who has questions or concerns about voting.

One Last Thing

I know this is a lot. I know life is busy and sometimes it all feels too big. But you read this far, which means some part of you is ready. I’ll take it. See you next week.

Everybody Needs To Show Up publishes every week. If someone forwarded this to you — welcome. Subscribe here and join us. We’re just getting started.

And remember — you are not powerless. Not even a little bit.

A Newsletter About Frustration, Helplessness and the Things That Keep My Brain Up All Night

Ordinary citizens are making a difference and we need every single person to help save our democracy. This is not hysteria, this is me watching our democracy crumble.

Estimated read time: 7-8 minutes

Welcome, Let Me Tell You Why I’m Here

I hope you take a minute to read what this newsletter is about. I’m Jennifer Goodman, an almost 69 year old woman from Gloucester Massachusetts. No college degree. Average jobs my whole life. And mad as hell about what’s happening to our country.

Writing is not in my comfort zone, but now is not the time for me to stay comfortable.

I know many citizens are going about daily life, ignoring politics and little has changed for you. You follow a bit of news and know what’s happening is not normal. I’m not sure everyone understands the consequences we are facing.

For many Americans life has changed dramatically. Life has become each day a day of fear, hiding, wondering if you might be deported. Wondering if you have enough money for rent, food, gas. Wondering if our system will ever be a democracy again. Will voting be allowed? Will it become as corrupt as all of our norms that are disappearing?

I have friends and neighbors who are afraid to vote. Good people who have voted for years, legal citizens, and now they are afraid. And I think we can do something about that.

A quick note before we dive in, this week there are no actions. I had a wonderful week with family, life happened, and this is running a little late. So this week I’m just going to catch you up on what you need to know about your right to vote. Actions, organizations and what you can do will be front and center next week. Sometimes life comes first, and that’s okay.

But first, a little more about where I come from.

Why “No Pot To Piss In”

It’s been suggested by my kids that this is not an appealing title. I came up with this because my focus for the first few posts I’ve written were also tied into my family history. My father who I quote often, was born into poverty and worked his way out and became a fairly wealthy guy. Many people suggested he write a book. He would simply say “too many people will get hurt.” I had no idea what he meant. I now know.

My Dad was 1 of 12. After his youngest brother died in WW2 he became the youngest. He worked from morning till night helping one of his brothers before he himself went into music publishing. His brother was Benny Goodman. For those who haven’t heard of him, he was the greatest clarinet player to this day. He was called the King of Swing. Benny made history in 1936 by bringing African American pianist Teddy Wilson and vibraphonist Lionel Hampton into his quartet, at a time when integrated bands were almost unheard of. All people are created equal has always been a part of the fabric of my life. The fact that this is my family is luck, but I don’t ever take it for granted. My obligation to help the less fortunate has never been stronger.

My father Eugene and his brother Harry were partners with Leonard and Phil Chess in a music publishing company called Arc Music, the publishing arm of Chess Records. Chess Records was home to Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Etta James, Bo Diddley. Some of the greatest musicians who ever lived.

The music business in the 1950s and 60s was not kind to Black artists. The standard practice, and Arc Music was part of this, was to acquire publishing rights to songs when artists fell into debt. An artist would owe money, and instead of cash they would sign over their songs. The publisher then collected royalties on those songs forever. The artist got nothing going forward.

Howlin’ Wolf sued Arc Music for $2.5 million for copyright fraud. Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon filed similar lawsuits. They settled, quietly, with sealed terms. Arc ultimately returned some copyrights. An acknowledgment, without saying so directly, that something had gone wrong.

My father tried to help artists manage their money. That is also true. Both things can be true at the same time.

I tell you this because I am not here to point fingers at anyone I haven’t already pointed at my own family. Corruption is not something that happens only to other people in other places. It lives close to home. Sometimes in people you love. Understanding how it works, the mechanisms, the rationalizations, the way good people can participate in bad systems, that is exactly what this newsletter is about.

What was happening in my family was nothing compared to what we are witnessing today. But I will tell you, when you find out corruption lived close to home, in people you loved, it doesn’t feel much better. I wish my Dad wrote a book, admitting his faults. I also hope that just because someone might have got caught up in something wrong, doesn’t mean they can’t change and be forgiven.

I sincerely think the corruption in our country by our administration is also being done with purpose to hide so many wrong doings that have nothing to do with politics.

This is the last week I’ll be telling my family story in this section. You know who I am and where I come from. Now it’s time to get to work.

Have You Noticed How They Name Bills In Congress?

I need to take a minute to talk about something that drives me absolutely crazy.

Have you noticed how they name Bills in Congress?

The SAVE America Act. Sounds great right? Who wouldn’t want to save America?

Here’s what it actually does. It would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo ID to cast a ballot. It passed the House 218 to 213. One Democrat joined Republicans to pass this. The proof of citizenship is completely different than simply providing ID. That is the language that confuses a lot of people.

Here’s the part that should make every woman furious, and let’s not forget our daughters, daughters in law, and future young women voters who will have to go through this when they register. Many of us reading this are already registered, but this is just another example of women’s rights diminishing. 84% of women who marry change their surname, meaning as many as 69 million American women do not have a birth certificate that matches their current legal name. Under this bill they would be required to provide additional documentation about their name change or sign an affidavit just to vote. The bill makes no mention of being able to simply show a marriage certificate.

And think about this practically, if you’ve been divorced, you probably don’t have your marriage certificate anymore. Why would you? I’ve been divorced and I certainly don’t have mine. So now what?

It also affects an estimated 4 million men who have legally changed their names, and LGBTQ+ individuals whose birth certificates don’t reflect their current legal name.

These extreme measures are not designed to make voting safer. They are designed to make it harder for certain people to vote. Deliberately buried inside a bill called the SAVE America Act.

They do this over and over. The PATRIOT Act. The CLEAR Act. The SAFE Act. The BIG BEAUTIFUL Bill. Beautiful words wrapped around things that are anything but.

When you hear a bill with a name that sounds like a bumper sticker, dig deeper. Always dig deeper.

What Life Looks Like In The US Right Now

Your Vote Is Under Attack. Let me walk you through it.

I just explained how women’s votes are under attack. Now I need to connect the dots, which can get really confusing. Hang with me here.

The Trump administration has been building a centralized system to verify voter citizenship by matching your voter registration against Department of Homeland Security and Social Security databases. That system is scheduled to be fully operational by June 30th 2026. This is highly controversial and courts have already found similar measures unconstitutional. It’s also only a few weeks away.

A database error, a typo, a name change after marriage, a clerical mistake from decades ago, could flag you as potentially not a citizen. They have done a test run with 67 million voters already.

Many groups are fighting back with lawsuits and are winning. The President signed an Executive Order in March of 2025 requiring voters to show a passport or citizenship documentation just to register to vote. The ACLU sued. A federal court permanently blocked it. The court ruled clearly that the President does not have the authority to unilaterally change election procedures, that power belongs to Congress and the states. The courts held. But the President immediately said he would try again through new executive orders and the SAVE America Act. The SAVE America Act is hiding these voter registration changes by burying them in a bill that is overwhelming to read and misleading with its name.

In Wisconsin alone 192,000 voters were purged from the rolls. When researchers looked at who was removed they found 190,000 Black voters in Milwaukee, and only 86,000 were still active and able to vote.

This is not a mistake. Aggressive removal of voters from rolls has become a deliberate strategy.

I suggest you go check your own registration. You can go to vote.org to check your registration status.

If you are not registered or were purged, re-register immediately. Then tell everyone you know to do the same thing.

Fear is real right now, and it is deliberate. This might not be something you fear but it’s safe to say you know there are many communities facing this fear. I don’t know which way people would vote. That’s not the point. The point is if you are paying taxes and have been able to vote in the past, you should not need to fear voting now.

Fear has been a strategy from this administration for getting what they want in many ways. I can’t live in fear, I can’t live with my head buried in the sand, I can’t let others be brave and sit on the sideline. And I hope you won’t either.

And the antidote to fear is community. Showing up together. Nobody should have to walk into a polling place alone if they don’t want to.

One Last Thing

This week I tell you the truth about my family. It’s not easy to speak about the secrets we know. It is important to acknowledge imperfections.

And I thought about the people who fought for the right to vote in the first place. Who literally died for it. Who were beaten on bridges for it. Who faced far worse than a database error or a long line.

Corruption is not a party. But right now one party is working systematically to make it harder for certain people to vote.

And if this resonated, like it, comment, and share it with one person who needs to read it.

Because this isn’t my newsletter. It’s ours.

No Pot To Piss In publishes every week. If someone forwarded this to you, welcome. Subscribe here and join us. We’re just getting started.

And remember, you are not powerless. Not even a little bit.

A Newsletter About Frustration, Helplessness and the Things No One Wants to Say But Need to Be Said

Because ordinary citizens are making a difference and we need every single person to help save our democracy.

Estimated read time: 5-6 minutes

Welcome — Let Me Tell You Why I’m Here

If you’re new here — welcome. I hope you take a minute to read what this newsletter is about. I’m Jennifer Goodman, an almost 69 year old woman from Gloucester Massachusetts. No college degree. Average jobs my whole life. And mad as hell about what’s happening to our country.

If you were here last week — welcome back. I meant what I said. I’m not going anywhere. Admittedly writing does not come natural to me. But life being comfortable right now doesn’t seem like a possibility. My strengths are typically doing. Doing things I’ll be asking you to do. Because we need all hands on deck right now. And we are seeing things change a little bit at a time.

Each week I highlight an organization doing great work — maybe a place that hits you at your core and compels you to take one step toward helping us get through this moment.

This week I want to talk about something that is happening right now, in facilities not far from where most of us live, that most people don’t know nearly enough about.

But first — a little more about where I come from. Who I am and where I came from helps tie together how politics became a big part of my life.

Why “No Pot To Piss In”

Last week I told you my grandfather David worked two jobs — tailor by day, shoveling pig lard in the stockyards by night — and died young leaving his family with nothing. NO POT TO PISS IN. My father’s words to me throughout my life.

My grandfather’s family in that Chicago tenement had almost no food. It was 1916. Poverty then looked different than poverty now, but the feeling of having nothing — of being invisible, of having no power over your own most basic needs — that feeling hasn’t changed.

I thought about my father this week when I read that detainees in a New Jersey immigration detention facility are currently on a hunger strike. Not because they want to starve. But because the food they are being given contains worms. Spoiled and expired food. And a hunger strike was the only power they had left. My father would refer to his dinner as slop, slop in a big pot on the stove. It sat there all day long, what was left over got some water and scraps added to it and it was still slop.

The same helplessness. A hundred and ten years apart. My dad lived until 106.......

That’s why this newsletter exists.

What Life Looks Like In The US Right Now

People Are Disappearing. Literally.

The following information can be hard to read. It is important and hopefully will give you enough fire in your belly to help with the actions for the week.

There are currently more than 70,000 people held in immigration detention in the United States. That is the highest number ever and with no plans of stopping. It’s been reported there’s talk of ramping up. Maybe they think it’s a sign of strength and I believe there are Americans that think this is making us safer. It was a campaign promise to get the worst of the worst and anyone illegally here. But that is not the truth. The truth is 70-90% of the detainees have no record. The other truth — 70% of Americans on all sides of the political spectrum believe it’s gone too far.

Since mass deportation began more than 40 people have died in immigration detention — the highest number recorded in such a short period.

The tool that allows families and lawyers to find their loved ones — has become so unreliable that people are literally disappearing for days. Lawyers cannot find their clients. Families cannot find their children, their parents, their spouses. They have disappeared.

This is happening in America. Right now.

The Facilities Getting Attention

Delaney Hall — Newark, New Jersey

Just last week federal agents fired pepper balls and mace at protesters outside Delaney Hall, a privately run detention facility in Newark. Inside, detainees are on a hunger strike. They describe spoiled and expired food sometimes containing live worms, inadequate medical care, unsanitary housing and ignored due process rights.

Camp East Montana — El Paso, Texas

This is the largest immigration detention center in the United States. It is a tent facility on a US Army base.

Three people have died there. Guards have been accused of betting on which detainee would die next. Detainees receive two pieces of bread, a piece of bologna, a slice of cheese and a cookie — for all three meals of the day.

California City Detention Center — Kern County, California

Over 1,600 people held in a former prison operated by CoreCivic. Congressional oversight visits found one single physician providing medical care for the entire facility — with no backup doctor available.

The Facilities Nobody Is Talking About

This is the part that keeps me up at night.

The facilities above are getting attention because people are fighting to make them visible. But the administration is deliberately building new facilities in places specifically chosen so you won’t hear about them.

Warehouses. Industrial buildings. In rural areas far from lawyers, advocates, journalists and cameras.

In Social Circle, Georgia — a warehouse purchased by ICE to be converted into a detention center. Local officials found out about it from the news.

In Lumpkin, Georgia — Stewart Detention Center, holding over 2,000 people daily, in a town so rural and remote that legal representation is nearly impossible to access.

In Natchez, Mississippi — Adams County Detention Center, another 2,000 people, in one of the most isolated parts of the country.

In Williamsport, Maryland — a planned warehouse detention facility that the state is actively fighting in court.

The locations are not accidental. Rural, remote, far from legal resources, far from media.

Out of sight. Out of mind.

The Strategy Nobody Is Reporting

After digging a little deeper it seems ICE is now planning to purchase the private detention centers outright. Why? Because when ICE owns a facility directly, state oversight laws no longer apply.

They are not just expanding detention. They are deliberately structuring it to avoid accountability. Pretty scary and we need to make noise.

The People Fighting Back

Because there always are people fighting back. And this week I want to highlight an organization doing so much. They are calling out a lot and deserve your attention.

Steve Schmidt and the Save America Movement

Steve Schmidt was a Republican strategist. He broke completely with the Republican Party over Trump and founded the Save America Movement — known as SAM.

What makes SAM different is where they’re fighting. They’re running ads against Trump on MAGA websites and conservative news sites — taking the message directly to Trump’s own voters rather than preaching to people who already agree.

Find SAM at thesaveamericamovement.org and on Substack.

I follow him on Substack and it was a Live that I watched about the detention centers that caught my attention..... again. With so much news sometimes we forget about what’s happening on our own soil. We should not let up on our own. EVER.

Steve said: “What is happening today — this system of mass detentions, this institutionalized human trafficking — will go down in history as one of the most shameful chapters this nation has ever faced.”

I believe him. Now let’s get to work.

Action Of The Week

Action 1 — Write A Letter

This week’s action is one of the most human things you can do. And it costs almost nothing.

Write a letter to someone in immigration detention.

A letter tells them someone knows they exist, someone sees them, someone cares.

VIDA Pen Pal Program Website: https://www.abqvida.org/homeabqvida@gmail.com Updated February 2026. They work with Freedom for Immigrants’ guidelines and match volunteers with detained immigrants specifically. They will give you everything you need — who to write to, where to send it, and how to do it safely and meaningfully. The website is very easy to navigate.

Imagine someone you know, being isolated from the life they were living, now living in unspeakable conditions. Get a piece of paper and just start writing like you’re writing to a friend. Then sign up for the program and wait for instructions on where to mail it. I believe this is an easy compassionate act that will fill your heart.

Action 2 — Follow the Save America Movement

Look up SAM — the Save America Movement — founded by Steve Schmidt at thesaveamericamovement.org or search for them on Substack, The Warning with Steve Schmidt. Start with a free subscription. Read what they’re doing. If their work resonates with you and you want to support it, go back and choose a paid subscription.

This is a Republican who broke with his own party because he believes democracy matters more than party loyalty. That’s worth paying attention to. That’s worth supporting.

Action 3 — Call Your Congressperson Today

This one is urgent. Call your congressional representative and your two senators and tell them clearly:

“I am calling to demand that you oppose any plan that allows ICE to purchase private detention facilities. Buying these facilities would strip state officials of their legal right to make oversight visits and inspect conditions. This is not acceptable in a democracy. I expect you to act.”

Find your representative at house.gov Find your senators at senate.gov

You do not need to be eloquent. You do not need to know every detail. You just need to call. Staff members answer these phones, they log every call, and they report the volume of calls to the member of congress. Your call counts. Make it today.

One Last Thing

I want to come back to the food.

My grandfather shoveled pig lard so his children could eat. The family had NO POT TO PISS IN. They were hungry. They were invisible. They had no power.

A hundred and ten years later, people in detention centers on American soil are going on hunger strikes because the food contains worms. They have no power either. They can’t call a lawyer. They can’t find out if their family knows where they are. They can’t leave.

The scale of what we are witnessing is enormous. I know that can feel paralyzing.

But a letter is not nothing. A letter to one person who has been made invisible is an act of resistance. It is We The People doing what our government will not — seeing a human being and saying so out loud.

Corruption is not a party. It is a human tendency that grows when power goes unchecked. I believe there are good people in both parties. That said — nothing like what we are witnessing today has happened before in our lifetime. And we cannot look away.

My mother marched on Washington because she believed every person deserved dignity. I believe that too. I think you do as well — or you wouldn’t be reading this.

So write a letter this week. One letter. Put it in the mail.

And if this resonated — like it, comment, and share it with one person who needs to read it. Tell me your stories. Tell me what you’re seeing in your community. Tell me what gives you hope.

Because this isn’t my newsletter. It’s ours.

No Pot To Piss In publishes every week. If someone forwarded this to you — welcome. Subscribe here and join us. We’re just getting started.

And remember — you are not powerless. Not even a little bit.

A Newsletter About Frustration, Helplessness and the Things No One Wants to Say, But Need to Be Said

Welcome. Let Me Tell You Why I'm Here.

I am a 68 almost 69 year old woman, held jobs with average pay, no college degree, and I'm mad as hell.

I've always felt if you do the right thing, help people along the way, give back to society, you'll live a decent life.

I also believed if you extended a hand to someone, one day a hand would come back.

I was taught we are all created equal by my parents. That turned out to be untrue. As I got older I learned my childhood was great, but the outside world did not match my beliefs. I also learned that my parents did not fully believe what they were teaching, but hoped they instilled good values and morals in me.

I started to see cracks in my beliefs. I started to see who had advantages and who got taken advantage of.

And I'm here to say — we are in trouble America, and we need every ordinary person like me to help our country.

I see more and more people losing faith, giving up, thinking they can't do anything about what is happening. They tell me: "I just want to enjoy my life. I don't want to let those people ruin my life. What can I do? I'll vote. That's all I can do."

So what I am here to say is — you are not powerless. There is a lot you can do. I am here to help you find your courage to do small things that will make a difference.

That's what this newsletter is about. Not turning away. Not thinking it's too complicated. Not just blaming our congress for not doing enough.

We The People is exactly this moment.

I've watched people get something taken from them because they didn't understand the deal they were in. I've watched powerful people use charm and access and money to make themselves untouchable. I've watched institutions that were supposed to protect people look the other way because looking the other way was more convenient.

And I've watched ordinary people — good, hardworking, decent people — get so overwhelmed by all of it that they just... stop looking.

That's what this newsletter is about. Looking. Not turning away. Not pretending it's too complicated to understand. Not leaving it to the experts who are sometimes the very people doing the taking.

Why "No Pot To Piss In"?

It's a story my Dad shared with me when I was in my late 50's. I will share the story over time. It's a true American story, like so many others have shared. It is immigration, music, poverty, survival, money and power.

You don't know me yet. And you don't owe me your trust just because I have an interesting backstory.

Trust is earned. And I'm here to earn yours.

What I'll share with you now is this: I come from people who came from nothing and built something. I hear a lot of people running for office say this. But what they don't say — I will say. Not everything was easy, or perfect, or even legitimate. They could rationalize it all. Because real life is not always a morality play, and pretending otherwise is its own kind of dishonesty.

Our family history gave me something I think is actually rare in writing right now: the ability to understand that corruption and wrongdoing is not an abstract evil — but a human instinct that sometimes people can't resist.

That's what I'm bringing here.

What Life Looks Like In The US Right Now

We are living through the most documented, most brazen, most openly financially complex corruption of the presidency in American history. I say this because of what I research on independent journalist sites right here on Substack. I also fact check — that is important. I follow Grounded News. Worth a subscription. This is what I know to be true.

A president whose personal wealth has tripled since taking office. Cryptocurrency ventures that function as pipelines for foreign money. A $400 million jet accepted from a foreign government. Suspicious stock trading. A president who said he didn't care about Americans' wellbeing. Broken campaign promises.

And underneath all of that — a network of relationships, compromises and dependencies that goes back further and runs deeper than most people realize. Powerful people who know things about each other. Leverage held and used. Institutions that look the other way because they've been looking the other way for so long they've forgotten what looking directly feels like.

None of this is secret. Most of it is documented. Some of it is sitting in 3.5 million pages of DOJ files that were read aloud in Tribeca by ordinary citizens — because that's what it has come to.

The problem isn't that we don't have information. The problem is that the scale of it is so overwhelming that people don't know where to start. And when people don't know where to start they either become paralyzed or they look away.

I'm not interested in paralysis. And I'm done looking away.

And I'm hoping to convince a few people to join me.

This isn't for the already great organizations doing great work. It's for all of their followers to have a connection to a person like them — who will hopefully steer you to a place where you feel comfortable taking more action.

What This Newsletter Will Be

Every issue of No Pot To Piss In will do three things:

Follow something specific. Not everything. Not the general outrage. One thread. One institution that is failing to do its job and why. Specific, documented, explained in plain language.

Connect it to an action plan. Connect it to organizations that are doing the work. Tell you what you can do — not in a vague "call your representatives" way. Where your time and money actually move the needle.

Support you. With my time. Help you with your fears. And most importantly — continue to tell my story. I want to hear your stories too. I won't be doing this five times a day. Just once a week. It will give you time for the busy lives we lead. And give you time to act.

One Last Thing

I'm not going to pretend the problem is only on one side. Corruption is not a party. It's a human tendency that seems to accelerate with power and money. Not all wealthy people are corrupt and I believe we still have a lot of good people in politics. But we will hold anyone accountable.

I'm not going to give up. That's too easy.

Stay engaged. Stay informed. Stay together. That's how we will get through this.

A Bit Of My Story

My mother was an activist. She marched when it was uncomfortable and spoke up when it was inconvenient and believed with her whole heart that every person deserved dignity and equality. She died too young.

My father was a businessman from the streets who could make a deal like nobody you've ever seen. He was not always innocent. He was always honest about that.

Between the two of them they taught me something I've carried my whole life:

As the saying goes — all good things are worth fighting for.

That's what we're doing here.

I'm glad you found this. Come back next week. I'll have some action plans and I hope to see some comments on what else you'd like to hear about.

No Pot To Piss In publishes weekly on corruption, accountability and the mechanics of power. If this resonated — subscribe, share it with one person who needs to read it, and come back. We're just getting started.