Sure, love is good, but have you tried a little F-U lately?

Letters from a Canadian

Dear friends,

Waaaaay back in early October I sent this email to every single Republican senator. I then shared it with R. to get her opinion.

Me: Am I being too hard on these Republicans? Her: How can you be?

Dear Senator_____ ,

Yesterday, while you and your Republican colleagues willingly allowed our government to shut down rather than support the Democrats’ efforts to keep health care affordable for millions of Americans, the Felon-in-Chief, alongside failed Fox News host and renowned alcoholic and woman abuser, Pete Hegseth recklessly endangered our national security in order to, embarrassingly, play ‘tough man’ in front of our nation’s top military rank. As a result, we are all losers. We have lost our government. We have lost our safety. We have lost our sense of decency. We have lost our democracy.

Everything Hegseth and Trump did and said in that ridiculous shitshow was illegal, anti-democratic, racist, misogynistic, and dangerous. While the Draft Dodger-in-Chief spent yesterday openly musing about turning Democratic cities into live-fire “training grounds” for the military, and encouraging unchecked violence against the so-called ‘left’ and Democrats (who’s the party of violence now???) Pete – Signalgate – Hegseth ranted about making our military brutal, racist, homophobic, and female-free rather than effective. I’m sure that even you can admit that Hegseth has no business being the Secretary of Defence, and it is absolutely appalling that he called all of our top military personnel away from their duties (to the tune of millions of tax dollars!) just to play GI Joe in front of them. Epic fail.

Eight months into this presidency that you have fervently supported, our government is shut down, Trump is turning our military on civilians, Americans are sinking into deeper poverty while Trump abuses his office to grow his family’s fortunes, Trump is wasting millions of tax dollars turning OUR White House into HIS golden palace, and we are the laughingstock of the world. Everything that Trump says is an outright lie, and yet I have not heard you challenge him once. Certainly, you are not so delusional as to believe the nonsense that man spews.

Yet again, I am writing to remind you that you were elected to uphold the Constitution and to represent your constituents. I am dismayed that you have, yet again, chosen to use your powers as an elected representative of the American people to uphold the fragile ego of the wannabe dictator and forsake your oath to uphold the Constitution.

Jessica

I know in last week's newsletter I was purporting the power of love in these troubled times. I stand by those sentiments, but I also feel the need to point out that sometimes circumstances call for a more "fuck you" approach, and the circumstances we find ourselves in now, even worse than when I wrote that letter in October, definitely require both love and an immense amount of directed rage. As someone who tends to take the "You catch more flies with honey" approach to civic engagement, it has been a challenge to channel my inner 'Karen' (apologies to all the beautiful people named Karen out there), but we really can't afford to play nice with those who would destroy everything. Yes, let's love our neighbours, our friends and family, our communities, but we also need to stand up to the wannabe fascists and challenge them in every way we can.

Don't we all harbour an inner bitch?

After reading last week's newsletter, my friend T. (who has a heart of gold, a sharp wit, and a spicy tongue) accused me of being all sweetness and light. Au contraire! While I definitely try to lead my life with love, I am not hesitant to unleash my ire when I see others under attack. In less than a year, the Republicans have cruelly assaulted brown folk, black folk, trans folk, women folk, and anyone else who does not neatly fit into their pasty white patriarchal view of the world. They've enabled the Toddler-in-Chief to break everything we hold dear. They've neglected their oath to uphold the Constitution and instead, have catered to every vile whim of the great orange narcissist and his Nazi henchmen. These Republicans have made it very easy to focus my fury on their role in the chaos we have endured this past year, and I do not feel that I have held back. Yeah, I try to be sweetness and light most of the time, but I feel no compunction about outing my inner bitch and giving these fascist enablers a piece of my mind. As always, I invite you to join me.

But you're Canadian!

In my second newsletter I wrote about how, no matter who we are or where we live, I believe that if we are being affected by the DC shit show (and, let's face it, the whole world is being affected), then we have the right to speak up. Likewise, no matter where we are in the world, if we are witnessing racist oppression and violent assaults on a specific demographic, it is our responsibility to say something. Humanity does not recognize or require borders. Attacks on trans kids in the US are attacks on trans kids everywhere.

Put your money where your mouth is - boycott the enablers.

Boycotts have consistently proven to be a successful form of protest. When enough of us boycott a company, it both hurts them financially as well as gives them the clear message that they really suck. There are so many billionaires who have flagrantly lined the overflowing pockets of the Grifter-in-Chief, buying even greater privilege for themselves while financing the fascist take-over, it's impossible to boycott them all. But we can start somewhere. I have a particular disgust for Amazon, and have found it quite easy to boycott this loathsome behemoth. Perhaps you'll join me in withholding your support of this truly despicable corporation. Amazon has made mass consumerism addictive and oh-so convenient, but at what cost?

This one-stop-online-shop has wrought havoc with local small businesses everywhere. The photo above is from when I owned Singing Bowl Granola and would deliver handmade granola to my customers in reusable buckets. Too often when I delivered to condo-dwellers, my lone reusable bucket would be parked among piles of Amazon boxes in the building's parcel room. Imagine if each of those boxes had been a purchase made at a local business? One of the key benefits of shopping locally is the human connection (that our online world has decimated) made between vendor and consumer. A friendly chit-chat, a smile, sometimes even genuine interest in each other's lives - none of which is available with your Amazon order. Many of my customers became friends as we were able to build relationship through our reciprocal transactions. Again, not a thing when you order through Amazon. And, of course, when you shop locally, a vast percentage of your money remains in your community. When you shop with Amazon, the bulk of your bucks land directly in the pockets of the obscenely rich, ring-kissing, boot-licking Jeff Bezos. (But how do you really feel about him, Jessica?).

And, just don't get me started on how fucked Amazon is for our planet! From the mass production of shite we probably don't need, to the shipping it hither and yon, the excess packaging, and those massive-ass delivery vans being recklessly piloted by overworked, underpaid employees (while Bezos rakes in billions more), Amazon is an environmental nightmare. Amazon rant over! Let me know which companies you're boycotting these days.

Let's make 2026 our year to smash the patriarchy.

Friends, I'm pissed. I mean, really pissed. This past year we have watched the worst of the patriarchy rear its ugly head, spewing violence and hatred everywhere, affecting us all, even those of us with privileges coming out the yin yang. Every week, every day, every hour over this past year, they've hurled yet another new unthinkable attack on decency. The ongoing protection of the Pedophile-in-Chief and the god knows how many other men involved in destroying the lives of young girls must not be allowed to go unchallenged. The enabling and excusing of the imprisonment and torture of innocent immigrants must not be allowed to go unchallenged. The turning a blind eye to the breaking of every goddamned law written in the US Constitution must not be allowed to go unchallenged. Whether you are writing or calling politicians or shutting down racist, transphobic, or misogynist comments made by your inappropriate uncle or a stranger online, let's make 2026 the year we commit to 'not making nice with Nazis', calling out bad behaviour, and unleashing our inner bitch on those who willingly protect the violent patriarchy. Let's make 2026 the year we commit to speaking up for those whose voices have been silenced.

May you find ways to fight the systemic cruelty of the patriarchy in ways that feel successful and satisfying in this coming year. With love,

Jessica (she/her)

p.s. And, because I do try to be kind, and, ultimately, I do believe "you catch more flies with honey", I also email politicians when they've done something good to thank them.