Squeaky Wheel Productions
A message from Between The Lines' executive producer, Scott Harris
To Our Between The Lines Friends:
While Donald Trump is no longer in the White House, "Trumpism" is still very much alive across the U.S. The disgraced former president's big lie about election fraud and his brand of white nationalism that promotes hate and division have taken a firm hold of the Republican Party with disastrous consequences for our nation.
Due to his big lie, the Republican party is now in the U.S. attempting to pass over 360 laws in 47 states to make it more difficult for communities of color and young people to vote. Their strategy poses an existential threat to our already deeply flawed democracy and must be stopped. Two pieces of legislation would go a long way to mitigating some, but not all of the Republicans' voter suppression anti-democracy tactics. One is the For The People Act, a comprehensive bill to defend democracy and reduce the role of big money in U.S. elections. The other is the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore what the U.S. Supreme Court notoriously gutted from the 1965 Voting Rights Act that allowed dozens of states to disenfranchise voters since 2013.
And, right-wing politicians are going after movements. The spate of G.O.P. anti-protest bills introduced this year (81 in 34 states to be exact) is alarming. But it also shows that they fear effective organizing.
GOP politicians and right-wing TV and radio pundits are further perpetuating Trump's big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him by Joe Biden, the Democrats and millions of fraudulent votes cast by black and brown voters -- by insisting that pro-Trump insurrectionists were simply touring the Capitol on Jan. 6 to assert their rights, didn't hurt anyone and had every legitimate reason to be there. What's worse is that these same shameless politicians and commentators continue to falsely claim that the real culprits in the violence at the Capitol weren't Trump supporters, but antifa and Black Lives Matter activists posing as Trump supporters. These claims are reminiscent of the Nazis setting fire to Germany's Capitol building, the Reichstag -- and then blaming the arson on the communists -- justifying repression and a state of emergency that enabled Adlolf Hitler and the Nazis to take control of Germany's government.
Republican politicians and their right-wing media echo chamber further continue to promote disinformation and bogus conspiracy theories about the coronavirus, mask wearing, social distancing -- and vaccinations. This is especially dangerous now that more contagious mutated variants of the virus are taking hold across the U.S. and the world. While we certainly should agree that a non-political commission be formed to investigate and understand who are the parties responsible for the Jan. 6 Trump insurrection and attack at the U.S. Capitol, it's also critical that a deadly serious investigation be launched into the conduct of Donald Trump, members of his administration, the CDC and state governors regarding their failure to follow common sense, science-based public health guidelines, resulting in the needless deaths of more than half a million deaths caused by COVID-19 -- the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined. These unnecessary deaths constitute mass murder and a crime against humanity. Those responsible must be held accountable.
Progressives have played an important current role in pressuring the Biden administration and the Democratic Congress to pass pandemic relief, honor campaign pledges and pursue policies to responsibly and effectively address inequality, universal healthcare, climate change, police reform, immigration reform and common sense gun control. In some cases, Biden and the Democrats have even gone beyond expectations, with generous monthly payments to families with children under 18, as pandemic relief; a proposed infrastructure bill to create jobs in a renewable energy economy, federally funded with research and development; expanded Internet to rural areas and caregiving support for seniors.
Over the past few months, Between The Lines has focused our coverage on the need to hold the Trump regime accountable for the preventable deaths they are responsible for, as well as immediately getting to work on repairing the gaping holes in our nation's economic and health care system that have been exposed by the pandemic and the hard work necessary to uproot long-standing institutional racism in virtually every corner of America's economy and society.
Between The Lines, which is broadcast on more than 65 stations across the U.S. each week, has been broadcasting timely, in-depth progressive analysis since 1991. We take pride in the fact that our nonprofit group has produced a weekly show these many years with an all-volunteer collective, funded exclusively by our supportive listeners. With your help, we've recently expanded distribution of our podcasts beyond Pacifica Radio Network, to new aggregators like Progressive Voices Network on TuneIn, with over a million listeners, and nine other podcasting platforms, including iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, TuneIn/Alexa, iHeart Radio, Stitcher and Overcast.Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Squeaky Wheel Productions, Between The Lines' tax-exempt nonprofit organization for the Great Give 2021 from May 4-5. The Great Give is a 36-hour fundraiser sponsored by the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and many other philanthropic organizations to help Greater New Haven area nonprofits support their social missions.
Make an online donation here
Or, you can mail us a check, made payable to Squeaky Wheel Productions and addressed to:
Squeaky Wheel Productions
P.O. Box 110176
Trumbull, CT 06611
Any contribution you make to Between The Lines during this critical moment in U.S. history will help us purchase the hardware, software and services necessary to upgrade and expand our online and mobile presence -- allowing progressive voices featured on our program and website to reach new listeners in places like New Orleans, Louisiana; Kansas City, Missouri and Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Thanks for all your past and continued support in the struggle for a more peaceful and just world for the next generation!
For more information, we can be reached at contact @ btlonline.org or (203) 268-8446.
In Solidarity,
Scott Harris, Executive Producer, Between The Lines and Squeaky Wheel Productions
and the rest of us at Between The Lines - Melinda, Denise, Anna, Bob, Elaine, Hank, Richard, Leslie, Jeff, Susan, Mary, Cat, Marco and Ruth Anne