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I hope you are feeling much better this evening JV. Despite the current anti-American rhetoric and hate speech on social media and Elan Musk’s disgusting tweet fueling disinformation about Paul Pelosi’s attack and Kari Lake’s making fun of the situation among her followers, it’s been a tough day for all of us. The good, the bad and the ugly have all come to visit us on the same day as we approach a one week stretch to cast our votes to save us from tyranny and violence. I have channelled my outrage and fear into a deep understanding of clarity that I will not allow fear to win. I will see you on the side of justice for we will win. Thanks for your commitment to this all important cause. We applaud you.

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Speaking of Elon..I encourage everyone to take a look at Steve Schmidt’s The Warning offering today here on Substack..Joyce I hope you won’t mind..I believe ya’l will feel well represented by what is proffered..

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Very well said. Evil needs fear to exist. We must all have faith and stay in prayer asking The Almighty to deliver us from this evil. He will.

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I'm amazed that busy women like Joyce Vance work long hours on their "day jobs" and also spend time in front of cameras valiantly sharing their expertise on what most of us readers and viewers only somewhat know or think we know and then over and above normal expectations also find time to write about what's actually going on. Bottom line, she's exemplifying what it means to be informed, to be civil, to separate the wheat from the chaff (the fertilizer from the BS) and to VOTE TO SAVE DEMOCRACY, for the sake of common sense, decency, sanity. Civility just shouldn't be this difficult. Thanks for being a courageous leader, Ms. Vance.

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The silence you hear from the GOP is support for the hate, vitriol, racism, antisemitism and violence..Full Stop! This is exactly what they are and want..We are past the “Let’s sit down and talk over a cup of coffee and share ideas” moment.. What is becoming blistering clear to me is The United States has since its founding been here before, dodged the bullet and by shear luck remained a Democratic Constitutional Republic. This moment in the country is a rerun of what went down in 1940 & 1941..Listen to the Podcast Ultra by Rachel Maddow, Nazis working with members of Congress and the America First Org..These are Desperate Times that require Desperate Measures!! Make no mistake..

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You hit the nail on the head.

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Thanks Joyce, it’s disturbing to me that so many of us have not learned from our history. And amazingly haven’t the ability to step into the shoes of another..

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Not sure what you are alluding to by “desperate measures” but I will remain focused and centered. Yes we have been here before and do understand that we can create the outcome to hold the Rule of Law in place by letting go of fear which is the greatest deterrent to saving our democracy.

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I am alluding to pushing through fear, letting nothing stand in our way to getting to the resolve that will create the outcome you speak of. That is what is required to hold on tight to the rule of law and our Democracy..

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Absolutely.

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Joyce, I hope you're on the mend. Maybe those amazing witches in your yard had a miracle cure? And I'm sure the children in your 'hood had a blast last night.

After reading today's Civil Discourse, I can't help but wonder how Clarence Thomas is still on the SCOTUS? Is there truly no entity, no person, no hope that someone, anyone oversees the court?

I grew up in NYC, the trumps kept trying to be friends with our family. One day my brother received an invitation to attend donald's b'day party. My mother ripped up the invitation and said, "You are not to have anything to do with that family. They are in bed with the Mafia." My mother had never said anything like that about anyone, so I was shocked (my brother was 16, I was 13). But I never forgot that. when tRump became president I nearly fainted. I saw him (metaphorically) as Kali the Destroyer of Worlds. People laughed at me when I said so.

turns out I was right. He long ago sold any soul, any humanity he had. He was raised to be dishonest and crooked. He has always been liar and a thief. I'm not calling him names, I'm using factual descriptions. Putin must be so proud of his two proteges: tRump and musk.

So Joyce, more chickens please.

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You are speaking the truth. Must call Donald and his people what they are. We must remember that the racist groups years ago announced they were going into politics. Well, here they are. Nazis, and other racist hate groups hand in hand doing evils bidding. Sad but true. The key, pray. We are no match for an evil force. Ask all to ask to be delivered from evil. Watch the Hand of GOD move.

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It's like a Democrat's lips are moving but no sound is coming out, but let some idiot on twitter repeat something vile, and it's all everyone talks about. It's so frustrating. You give me comfort, Joyce, with your down-to-earth and grounded information.

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There are some dark thoughts that I have carried with me in recent years. They center around who we really are in America. How moral are we? How ethical are we? Do we genuinely believe in equity and empathy? Are we still a society, or have we become to self-absorbed to care? Have we devolved into valuing power over freedom? Would we advance our position in society at the expense of our brothers and sisters?

I fear I know the answers to these questions........and I feel helpless to do anything about it.

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founding

I have had many of the same dark thoughts Mr. Johnson. I think of the Ghandi quote of "We must be the change you wish to see in the world". What happens if the change too many people want is dark, self-serving, planet-killing, racist and sexist?

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You are not helpless. We are not helpless. As JV keeps saying, “We are all in this together.” America is diverse and some corners compete for attention and power by ramping up division in falsehoods. Paying attention and remaining steadfast to our ideals by voting will help us bridge that gap. This is our finest hour ❤️🇺🇸🗳️

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We are helpless!

We human beings are no match for an evil force.

We must pray and ask others to pray.

Heavenly Father, deliver us from evil.

Let it be, Amen.

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It really is despicable that Republicans have devolved into the likes of trump & his cronies. Hopefully, some of the trump crimes will land him in prison, solitary confinement (please) and incommunicado. What is up with Alexander trying to stir up a military coup in Brazil? He shouldn't be allowed to inject his right wing views into another country's politics. Joyce?

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I was watching Michael Cohen being interviewed on MSNBC. He said, “You can’t put an ex president in jail. Especially not one like donald” , I was baffled, then he explained, “because he will trade govt secrets for a pack of gum. He doesnt care. He’d be wheeling and dealing in there because thats who he is. So he’d need some kind of house arrest to keep us safe.”

Well, I’d never thought of that. But The deeply redeemed Mr Cohen has been spot on about all things trump... and he seems to have made a cogent point about prison.

What a mess!

I want tRump locked up, where we never have to hear his voice or see his face or read his tweets again. Lock him up in his NY apartment, or in a bank vault, i dont care. Just need him to disappear from the American stage.

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The best idea I've heard was to put trump at Camp David, which is rarely used these days anyway, with military guards, no phone, no computer, no way to get anything to the outside world.

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Thank you, Joyce, for keeping us informed.

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Joyce, Thank you for your post and giving us an education. I fear for our Democracy. Is there a bottom to the insanity?,,I not so sure. Be well love the chickens

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Every time the white supremacist and pervert Justice Thomas opens his mouth he displays his evil and ignorance. He should not have been confirmed. Ironically, if he had been white he would not have been!

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. I believe you are correct.

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He is a white supremacist isn't he?

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yeah... well... raised by white parents in South Africa, right? If he isn't a white supremacist, he's doing an awesome job of imitating one!

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I did not know that!

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Dee Dee you got me I had to check. Born in Pinpoint Georgia. Father left them. Mother remarried. Big time catholic education in school where he was only black. He has grown through the years to bebe a total ass-hole. ….. like many Yale Law School grads!

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Oops Hale. I confused the thread. I see why u thought I was talking about thomas. I just had oral surgery and got two substack threads confused.

Apologies to all.

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Hi Hale. We are clearly talking about two diff people. Elon Musk was definitely born and raised in South Africa, and is now a Naturalized American. Thankfully he can never run. for Pres.

Who are you talking about? A Black man from GA???

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I think he thinks he is white and emulates the worst of white men!

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I'm so tired of the Republican BS...I have never seen such horrible behavior from a party as a whole..I am just sick of ignorant, hateful people at times it is hard to hold my tongue...

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Don't hold your tongue.

We the people of the United States have been silent too long. Me included. When I turned 71 years old I found my voice. A little late, but being female and a woman of color, we were taught to hold our tongue. Not anymore! Enough is enough. Speak the truth.

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founding

I would love some discussion about “day two”. I’m thinking all of us together need to require of our elected official they develop and show us a high level strategy for either outcome- Nov 9th while waiting for results, & thereafter accounting for any election outcome. I don’t want to feel the sucker punch feeling of 2016. And even if by some some incredible twist of fate D’s win both houses of the legislature, how do we ensure our representatives keep as a priority the eliminating the existential threat to democracy? Afterall winning an election wont magically fix the situation we are in.

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And... if the dems win, how do we keep them safe? 🫤

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We must pray and they must pray.

Fear and hate is what evil needs to exist.

We are no match for an evil force, but the Creator is, no matter what Name He is called.

Have you seen the true story about the team of 13 boys trapped in a cave? The world was praying, all faiths, denominations, even the unbelievers were turned. The world came to help. Find it on Netflix, "The Trapped 13: How we survived The Thai Cave."

Unbelievable, moving, faith building . They all survived. A miracle. The Almighty sent help!

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Pray! Prayer is the key.

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Thank you for another clear explanation of the hell we are currently in. I pray every day that we as a country wake up from this nightmare.

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Yes, prayer is the key. Please ask everyone to pray.

Heavenly Father, Mighty One, Creator of Heaven and Earth, deliver us from evil.

Let it be, Amen.

There is only One true GOD. He is 100% Love. He is known by different names.

How to know the difference? GOD is gentle and kind. Evil pushes you around.

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Thank you for calling out the leadership of the Republican Party. I have lost all respect for them.

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Attorney Vance has guts.

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After the 2012 election, the Republican Party supposedly did some soul-searching in terms of their future prospects for winning elections. They've decided to pursue a different path to power--outrageous lies, appealing to bigots and white supremacists, curtailing or outright overturning elections, fear and intimidation, violence. As we saw in the financial free-fall of 2008, it doesn't matter what kind of pain is inflicted on the American people as long as the ultra-wealthy, billionaire donors aren't discomfited.

Sadly, the Fourth Estate has failed us for the most part the past seven years--the NYT never acknowledged their hand in playing HRC as a demon in 2016, hyping "her emails" and paling drastically in comparison with Trump's theft of sensitive documents--just one glaring example. Rick Wilson tweeted last night that Paul Pelosi's attack isn't framed the way it should be--an attempted assassination attempt. Too true.

We need to stop pretending that the Republican Party we knew will ever return. And without a public platform that holds those stoking the violence to account, instead of playing "both sides"? Our republic is sunk.

Thank you for shining a light in the darkness.

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Excellent post, Anita -thank you!

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Thanks JV. I have reluctantly deactivated my Twitter account to save what political sanity I have left. I am glad that I’m subscribed to Civil Discourse where I know I will: 1) get the true facts, 2) get explanations that I can understand, and 3) get fun stuff about your chickens and knitting. Thanks again.

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