Great article, Mike! You hit on all of the essential points and appealed to readers' conscience and logic without being condescending or insulting. I hope lots of people read it. You are right - we must get into some "good trouble" to change our collision course with fascism.
Thanks. I had some help from a writer in the local dem party. I reached out to them wanting to do more and was doing research at all the farmers, vets, seniors and poor people that are being affected….and NO ONE was talking about it here. So I wanted to appeal to our humanity to each other. Right here in my county. Start local. Y’all can do the same! Get after it!
We need to thank Tillis and the other 6 Republican cosponsors to the senate bill that would strip Trump of tariff authority. S.1272 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) Cantwell, D, WA is main sponsor.
Thank you for posting this comment and for listing the Republican co-sponsors to this very important bill to strip Trump of his authority to impose tariffs.
"Being wrongfully identified as dead in Social Security records “can lead to benefit termination … and severe financial hardship and distress to affected individuals.” Because the DMF is leveraged by many federal and state agencies to determine eligibility — and by the Treasury Department’s government-wide “Do Not Pay” system to prevent improper payments — false inclusion of a death date can lead to an individual losing their health coverage through Medicare, having their tax return delayed, or having their Social Security or other eligible benefit payments cancelled, among other harms.
"The DMF is also used by some private-sector companies with a legitimate business or anti-fraud need for the data — including financial institutions, credit agencies, insurance companies, and pension administrators. As a result, being inappropriately listed as dead can result in severe financial consequences like disruption in bank account access, credit cards being cancelled, pension benefits being paused, insurance coverage being cancelled or claims being denied, rejected employment applications, or denial of credit.
"The first group of people to be wrongfully and knowingly declared dead by the Trump Administration are reportedly being targeted in an immigration enforcement effort focused, at least in part, on people who were lawfully present and eligible to work until the Trump Administration abruptly terminated their lawful status. These individuals would have been correctly issued Social Security numbers (SSNs) upon obtaining their lawful immigration statuses, and any change in those statuses should not limit their access to their own financial resources in U.S. banks."
Would it be beneficial to circulate a document with this thank you letter for folks to sign and keep circulating? Seeing how many of us are calling out and naming the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage those republicans to do more. And seeing the names of the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage more maga folks to look at why they are resisting the regime. Maybe?
We do realize that this bill when sent to the US House will never see the light of day because MAGA Mike Johnson would never allow it to come up for a vote. My cynical self says this: The Republicans in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say that they tried to do something about the tariffs but there just wasn't enough bipartisanship. Them knowing that the legislation is going nowhere. The Democrats in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say they tried to do something about the tariffs but those darn Republicans and "ain't it awful".
Not to mention that Trump would never sign this legislation and the US House and US Senate would never have the votes to override Trump.
Trump has denied a FEMA extension of matching 100% recovery funds to Western NC. This area is still reeling from the devastating hurricane last Fall. We need to let all our fellow North Carolinians know he has directed this malicious and vindictive denial toward our neighbors and friends.
My neighbor has a house in the mountains that was affected by the hurricane and he didn’t know. So I told him, your FEMA was just canceled. He was speechless.
What a great article! I shared it on Blue Sky and with friends. Hopefully those supporters of this administration will start to see what is really happening and not viewing the world with rose colored glasses as most maga politicians do.
Thank you for writing so clearly what many of us think in many parts of the country today. I’m old enough to remember the late 50s and the 60s and all the turmoil we went through at that point. That was nothing compared to today.
Great, great job. What an honest letter and I am so happy that your newspaper published it. Freedom of the press. Could it be that someone is getting tired of all these harmful acts?
Thank you for speaking out in your deep red area of NC! I live in the Raleigh area (Wake county) where it is a little more liberal. Your message is so important for all of us to hear!
This is a great article, VERY well written! I’m thrilled that The Pilot published it! I live in NC, too, nearer the beach than the Blue Ridge, and we’re feeling it the same as everyone else. I’m going to share your article, too.
The mental health terminology for Trump’s current behavior is ‘escalating’. When someone’s historical methods for dealing with controversy and challenges, those with emotional liabilities will ‘escalate’ those behaviors - intensify and elevate. They have never developed alternative coping skills, so they have to try harder with what has always worked…till now. He is being ‘boxed in’. And as the behaviors escalate with no effectiveness, the ego structure will decompose further. So brace yourself. We’ve not hit true melt down yet…
Exactly, Eileen. You've hit the nail on the head. Don't know if you are a mental health professional but I learned a great deal from watching numerous interviews over the last 10 years with Dr Bandy Lee, forensic and social psychiatrist with expertise in violence. As pressure mounts against Trump his mental pathologies will worsen causing more bizarre and psychotic behavior. I have felt that we have been way past impeachment and that invoking the 25th amendment to the US Constitution has been long overdue. But that would have to be initiated by the VP and invoke the Cabinet. Not currently possible, unfortunately.
Americans, if we wish to preserve our precious democratic Republic, must put the pedal to the metal with increasing and massive peaceful protests against Trump, et al causing removal from office either via impeachment or 25th amendment.
Once the Republican politicians fear the mounting intense wrath of their constituents against this regime more than they fear retribution from Trump, a tipping point will be reached. We're not there yet but it's coming.
I am a retired mental health professional. I have watched his mental/emotional decay for sometime. He is currently being propped up the Project 2025 henchmen around him. And this is why it was so important for him to be surrounded by loyalists, because the players who could yell ‘foul’ won’t. It is going to fall to ‘we the people’ keeping the pressure on those who can bring it down. The big problem? The line of ‘survivorship’…..vice president, speaker of the house…yikes. The road to recovery is long.
Yes, Trump is the useful idiot for extremist right wing entities such as the Heritage Foundation and their draconian medieval Project 2025, Leo Leonard/The Federalist Society and a plethora of White Christian nationalist groups.
These entities may actually not truly be aware of what they are dealing with in Donald Trump. If he feels desperate in a very rare scenario he could possibly even turn on them as his threadbare grip on reality continues to decline.
I believe that our democracy will prevail and much will be uncovered over time that will shock the American public. The level of corruption and sociopathic behavior is off the charts but typical for the type of mental pathologies exhibited by Trump, his sychophants and many of his supporters.
Yes, Daniel, I had read about this. Thanks very much for the link.
IMHO, it's really not about Left vs Right now. It's about morality, right vs wrong and the rule of law.
Overall, Americans are very decent generous people. The introduction of social media platforms with their plethora of sources, pundits, opinions, misinformation and disinformation has distorted, warped and severely damaged our social fabric over the past few decades.
This, along with the fact that 50% of Americans are reading at a sixth grade level and 20% are reading at or below the third grade level and lack critical thinking skills is disastrous and cannot stand. If we continue on this path of self sabotage, the rest of the world will leave us in the dust.
Unfortunately you hit the nail on the head. It’s about who can win, who can do the most outrageous thing. Trump is “edgy” and “unhinged” and that’s what his supporters want. They don’t give a damn about the world as long as they can say that trump is president and “democrats were wrong”
What we need are compassionate, kind, caring people in government. Then they can debate on issues. But without having decent humans, all we have is hatred and chaos.
That was always a baseline, convincing ethics, that was a requirement for any authority & power - trustworthiness. How that has been replaced entirely by hollow lying, I don't understand. How could people put so much faith in a man's ability to manipulate others rather than the principles we know support quality of life & the human experience? I don't know, but you are exactly right, an authentic foundation of emotional maturity & decency is what is needed.
We just have to keep fighting but I fear we may end up in a civil war if we don’t start to change the minds of these MAGA morons and I’m petty sure that’s going to be difficult. It’s extremely hard to reprogram those in a cult
Keep going! I got this published in my local Deep red area newspaper here in NC. I’m trying to do something! https://www.thepilot.com/opinion/column-it-s-time-for-us-to-make-wishes-known/article_d7ba8c03-baff-4525-92f0-5789b187465c.html
Congratulations, Mike. It’s folks like you in the deep red areas who have both the hardest work and the greatest chance to make change.
I agree 💯
Thanks, I appreciate that
that’s fantastic!!! they published this? This article is excellent. And not combative. Just explanatory
Great article, Mike! You hit on all of the essential points and appealed to readers' conscience and logic without being condescending or insulting. I hope lots of people read it. You are right - we must get into some "good trouble" to change our collision course with fascism.
Thanks. I had some help from a writer in the local dem party. I reached out to them wanting to do more and was doing research at all the farmers, vets, seniors and poor people that are being affected….and NO ONE was talking about it here. So I wanted to appeal to our humanity to each other. Right here in my county. Start local. Y’all can do the same! Get after it!
We need to thank Tillis and the other 6 Republican cosponsors to the senate bill that would strip Trump of tariff authority. S.1272 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) Cantwell, D, WA is main sponsor.
Cosponsor Date Cosponsored
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]* 04/03/2025
Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] 04/04/2025
Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] 04/04/2025
Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] 04/04/2025
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] 04/04/2025
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] 04/04/2025
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] 04/04/2025
Thank you for posting this comment and for listing the Republican co-sponsors to this very important bill to strip Trump of his authority to impose tariffs.
How about -- " at the direction of DOGE, [SSA] has begun knowingly adding living people to SSA’s death records — the Death Master File (DMF) — by assigning them false “dates of death” to “terminat[e]” their “financial lives.” " https://www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-and-doge-claim-power-to-falsely-list-living-persons-as-dead-in-social-security-records
What member of Congress supports that??????
"Being wrongfully identified as dead in Social Security records “can lead to benefit termination … and severe financial hardship and distress to affected individuals.” Because the DMF is leveraged by many federal and state agencies to determine eligibility — and by the Treasury Department’s government-wide “Do Not Pay” system to prevent improper payments — false inclusion of a death date can lead to an individual losing their health coverage through Medicare, having their tax return delayed, or having their Social Security or other eligible benefit payments cancelled, among other harms.
"The DMF is also used by some private-sector companies with a legitimate business or anti-fraud need for the data — including financial institutions, credit agencies, insurance companies, and pension administrators. As a result, being inappropriately listed as dead can result in severe financial consequences like disruption in bank account access, credit cards being cancelled, pension benefits being paused, insurance coverage being cancelled or claims being denied, rejected employment applications, or denial of credit.
"The first group of people to be wrongfully and knowingly declared dead by the Trump Administration are reportedly being targeted in an immigration enforcement effort focused, at least in part, on people who were lawfully present and eligible to work until the Trump Administration abruptly terminated their lawful status. These individuals would have been correctly issued Social Security numbers (SSNs) upon obtaining their lawful immigration statuses, and any change in those statuses should not limit their access to their own financial resources in U.S. banks."
I recommend that Meidas interview Ed Weir, PhD, Former Social Security Manager. https://www.youtube.com/@MyGovExpert
Wait… what?! WTF!
Would it be beneficial to circulate a document with this thank you letter for folks to sign and keep circulating? Seeing how many of us are calling out and naming the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage those republicans to do more. And seeing the names of the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage more maga folks to look at why they are resisting the regime. Maybe?
Good idea. Post on Jerry's substack.
Which Jerry?
https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
We do realize that this bill when sent to the US House will never see the light of day because MAGA Mike Johnson would never allow it to come up for a vote. My cynical self says this: The Republicans in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say that they tried to do something about the tariffs but there just wasn't enough bipartisanship. Them knowing that the legislation is going nowhere. The Democrats in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say they tried to do something about the tariffs but those darn Republicans and "ain't it awful".
Not to mention that Trump would never sign this legislation and the US House and US Senate would never have the votes to override Trump.
They're in reconciliation. Subject to change everthing.
That 'never" is deafeatist.
This is heinous!! The whole administration needs to be in the gulag!!
SSA’s Death Master File can be used to fiscally “disappear” someone without kidnapping.
This can be more damaging, harder to fix, than having a National Security Letter dropped on someone.
Looks like they've started. I'd lay it out but I don't want to give anyone ideas.
Very well-written article. Congrats on getting it published. Someone there had heart enough to see to it. 💪🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Trump has denied a FEMA extension of matching 100% recovery funds to Western NC. This area is still reeling from the devastating hurricane last Fall. We need to let all our fellow North Carolinians know he has directed this malicious and vindictive denial toward our neighbors and friends.
My neighbor has a house in the mountains that was affected by the hurricane and he didn’t know. So I told him, your FEMA was just canceled. He was speechless.
https://ncnewsline.com/2025/04/12/fema-will-stop-matching-100-of-helene-recovery-money-in-nc-stein-says/
What a great article! I shared it on Blue Sky and with friends. Hopefully those supporters of this administration will start to see what is really happening and not viewing the world with rose colored glasses as most maga politicians do.
Thank you for writing so clearly what many of us think in many parts of the country today. I’m old enough to remember the late 50s and the 60s and all the turmoil we went through at that point. That was nothing compared to today.
Great, great job. What an honest letter and I am so happy that your newspaper published it. Freedom of the press. Could it be that someone is getting tired of all these harmful acts?
Bravo. An excellent column.
Thank you for speaking out in your deep red area of NC! I live in the Raleigh area (Wake county) where it is a little more liberal. Your message is so important for all of us to hear!
This is a great article, VERY well written! I’m thrilled that The Pilot published it! I live in NC, too, nearer the beach than the Blue Ridge, and we’re feeling it the same as everyone else. I’m going to share your article, too.
Very well done (from another North Carolinian!).
Excellent! I don’t know you but I’m proud of you.
Excellent to read your Pilot piece. I call this Anger in Action, Mike!
Clear and factual. Great to see your link shared here at Meidas Touch.
Love the John Lewis reference...good trouble!!! Thank u for what u r doing...#theresistance!!
💙 Thanks for all you do for democracy! 💙
Keep on reporting & the sane Americans will keep on fighting!
To all Representatives who hold the people's trust,
Uphold the guiding principles; be noble, fair, and just.
Under the eyes of history, your choices shall be weighed,
And should you stray from justice, truth cannot be delayed.
To corporations and leaders whose power steers our fate,
Your actions ripple outward; they carry heavy weight.
If profit trumps compassion, or greed consumes your path,
Consequence will awaken, to mete its measured wrath.
Let clarity ascend, let fairness take its place,
Let justice rise unyielding, to shine across this space.
Balance restored, intentions clear, reflections ever bright,
In this moment, in this world, let truth reclaim its light.
So it is spoken, and so it shall be,
Justice reigns enduring, boundless as the sea.
What a beautiful sonnet!
Never Surrender. In Matters Great or Small. Never Surrender. Never Ever Surrender.
The mental health terminology for Trump’s current behavior is ‘escalating’. When someone’s historical methods for dealing with controversy and challenges, those with emotional liabilities will ‘escalate’ those behaviors - intensify and elevate. They have never developed alternative coping skills, so they have to try harder with what has always worked…till now. He is being ‘boxed in’. And as the behaviors escalate with no effectiveness, the ego structure will decompose further. So brace yourself. We’ve not hit true melt down yet…
Exactly, Eileen. You've hit the nail on the head. Don't know if you are a mental health professional but I learned a great deal from watching numerous interviews over the last 10 years with Dr Bandy Lee, forensic and social psychiatrist with expertise in violence. As pressure mounts against Trump his mental pathologies will worsen causing more bizarre and psychotic behavior. I have felt that we have been way past impeachment and that invoking the 25th amendment to the US Constitution has been long overdue. But that would have to be initiated by the VP and invoke the Cabinet. Not currently possible, unfortunately.
Americans, if we wish to preserve our precious democratic Republic, must put the pedal to the metal with increasing and massive peaceful protests against Trump, et al causing removal from office either via impeachment or 25th amendment.
Once the Republican politicians fear the mounting intense wrath of their constituents against this regime more than they fear retribution from Trump, a tipping point will be reached. We're not there yet but it's coming.
I am a retired mental health professional. I have watched his mental/emotional decay for sometime. He is currently being propped up the Project 2025 henchmen around him. And this is why it was so important for him to be surrounded by loyalists, because the players who could yell ‘foul’ won’t. It is going to fall to ‘we the people’ keeping the pressure on those who can bring it down. The big problem? The line of ‘survivorship’…..vice president, speaker of the house…yikes. The road to recovery is long.
Yes, Trump is the useful idiot for extremist right wing entities such as the Heritage Foundation and their draconian medieval Project 2025, Leo Leonard/The Federalist Society and a plethora of White Christian nationalist groups.
These entities may actually not truly be aware of what they are dealing with in Donald Trump. If he feels desperate in a very rare scenario he could possibly even turn on them as his threadbare grip on reality continues to decline.
I believe that our democracy will prevail and much will be uncovered over time that will shock the American public. The level of corruption and sociopathic behavior is off the charts but typical for the type of mental pathologies exhibited by Trump, his sychophants and many of his supporters.
All of that. Those groups made a deal with ticking time bomb….
*Correction of name: Leo Leonard should be Leonard Leo who is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federalist Society
I believe some of his own cabinet members don't even know what they are really dealing with here.
Yes, Sally. Mostly they are probably clueless unless they have expertise in mental health issues. They have made a Faustian bargain.
We're close. Feathers of Hope. E.G. https://bacon.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2616
Yes, Daniel, I had read about this. Thanks very much for the link.
IMHO, it's really not about Left vs Right now. It's about morality, right vs wrong and the rule of law.
Overall, Americans are very decent generous people. The introduction of social media platforms with their plethora of sources, pundits, opinions, misinformation and disinformation has distorted, warped and severely damaged our social fabric over the past few decades.
This, along with the fact that 50% of Americans are reading at a sixth grade level and 20% are reading at or below the third grade level and lack critical thinking skills is disastrous and cannot stand. If we continue on this path of self sabotage, the rest of the world will leave us in the dust.
*should be involve the Cabinet, not invoke the Cabinet
I read and watch everything the MTN posts. Thank you for all you do!
Unfortunately you hit the nail on the head. It’s about who can win, who can do the most outrageous thing. Trump is “edgy” and “unhinged” and that’s what his supporters want. They don’t give a damn about the world as long as they can say that trump is president and “democrats were wrong”
What we need are compassionate, kind, caring people in government. Then they can debate on issues. But without having decent humans, all we have is hatred and chaos.
That was always a baseline, convincing ethics, that was a requirement for any authority & power - trustworthiness. How that has been replaced entirely by hollow lying, I don't understand. How could people put so much faith in a man's ability to manipulate others rather than the principles we know support quality of life & the human experience? I don't know, but you are exactly right, an authentic foundation of emotional maturity & decency is what is needed.
We just have to keep fighting but I fear we may end up in a civil war if we don’t start to change the minds of these MAGA morons and I’m petty sure that’s going to be difficult. It’s extremely hard to reprogram those in a cult
First felon president. Republicans did this.
Its a new record. It's this fools SECOND time in office. So they did it twice
Long live Meidas!! Bravo to you guys and a big thank you from a very grateful Australian xo 👊🏽👏🙏
And from a grateful New Zealander! 🇳🇿🇦🇺
Thank you, Ben! 💜
*hugs you tightly* Thank you!
We are right there with you Ben. Please keep on speaking truth to power.
I think it’s time we stopped calling them MAGAs and start naming who they really are:
Xenophobic, fascist, white supremacist, Nazis