An Andisheh Almanac

Tag: Democracy

  • Beer Hall Putsch

    In 1923, Adolf Hitler attempted a coup at a beer hall in Munich. He got away with a slap on the wrist and held rallies at the beer hall celebrating the coup’s anniversary.

    In 1939, Georg Elser tried and failed to kill Hitler at one of the rallies. Elser was caught and held at Dachau concentration camp, where he was eventually murdered.

    The beer hall was demolished in 1979. The site is an arts center and hotel. The only remnant of the site’s infamy is a plaque in a public courtyard. It honors Elser.

    Photo of a plaque on the ground. German text: An dieser Stelle, im ehemaligen Bürgerbräukeller, versuchte der Schreiner Johann Georg Elser am 8. November 1939 ein Attentat auf Adolf Hitler. Er wollte damit dem Terror-Regime der Nationalsozialisten ein Ende setzen. Das Vorhaben scheiterte. Johann Georg Elser wurde nach 5 1/2 Jahren Haft am 9. April 1945 im Konzentrationslager Dachau ermordet. English translation text: On this site, in the erstwhile Bürgerbräukeller, on November 8, 1939, the carpenter Johann Georg Elser made an attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler. He intended therewith to put an end to the terror regime of the National Socialists. The attempt failed. After 5 1/2 years of imprisonment, Johann Georg Elser was murdered on April 9, 1945, in the Dachau concentration camp.

    German text: An dieser Stelle, im ehemaligen Bürgerbräukeller, versuchte der Schreiner Johann Georg Elser am 8. November 1939 ein Attentat auf Adolf Hitler. Er wollte damit dem Terror-Regime der Nationalsozialisten ein Ende setzen. Das Vorhaben scheiterte. Johann Georg Elser wurde nach 5 1/2 Jahren Haft am 9. April 1945 im Konzentrationslager Dachau ermordet.

    English translation text: On this site, in the erstwhile Bürgerbräukeller, on November 8, 1939, the carpenter Johann Georg Elser made an attempt on the life of Adolf Hitler. He intended therewith to put an end to the terror regime of the National Socialists. The attempt failed. After 5 1/2 years of imprisonment, Johann Georg Elser was murdered on April 9, 1945, in the Dachau concentration camp.

    Every year Munich’s city government awards the Georg Elser Prize to honor courageous acts in support of democracy.

  • Decatur City Commission, District 2

    Congratulations Cheryl Kortemeier, the new Decatur City Commissioner for District 2 (my district!). There are a handful of people who show up and work hard at every neighborhood or school event that needs volunteers. Cheryl is one of them. We’re lucky to have her as our rep.

    Turnout for this election was enormous. In the last competitive election for this seat in 2019, 1,880 people voted. Cheryl and her opponent, Deanna Jue Sutandi, both received more than 2,000 votes. The population here didn’t double. Enthusiasm for voting did.

    Voter enthusiasm in this election is primarily the result of our democracy-enjoying area being fired up about [waves hands in the direction autocrat], but credit to Cheryl and Deanna for being two great candidates who the neighborhood was excited to support.

    Like Cheryl, Deanna is someone who volunteers her time and skill for all of us. When I was on PTA, she took the hardest volunteer job (the auction) and was great at it. When she asked me to put a sign in my yard, I was proud to. I hope she runs for something else.

  • Tell your representative and senators to fight Trump harder and louder

    If Trump’s coup against Constitutional rule horrifies you, you write a letter to Congress and call.

    I know from professional experience that members of Congress pay attention to their constituents. It doesn’t mean they always act accordingly, but if enough people push, they will bend.

    I live in Georgia’s 5th Congressional district. I’m represented in the House by Rep. Nikema Williams and in the Senate by Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock. I have left phone messages with all three of them, and several emails.

    Find your representatives and your senators here.

    Here’s my latest letter to them. You’re welcome to use it and adapt it if you find it helpful:

    Hi, my name is [NAME]. I am one of your constituents. I live in [City, State, Zip Code]

    I voted for you. I donated to your campaign, and regularly volunteer in support Democratic candidates.

    I am calling to implore you and your Democratic colleagues begin treating Donald Trump’s historic crime spree like the mortal threat to the republic that it is. 

    Trump is conducting a coup against Congress’s Constitutionally mandated control of the nation’s budget. And every day since January 20, it seems Trump has committed an impeachable crime bigger than the day before.

    Trump will not stop. He must be stopped. We elected you to try to stop him.

    I implore you and every Democrat to tell your constituents every day that Trump is committing historic crimes that must be stopped and punished. No one is stopping Democrats from using their voices to rally the country.

    I implore you tell media and constituents that restoring the rule of law and protecting Constitutional rule is your top priority. Every day. Make it the only issue.

    I demand you take every opportunity to stop Republican initiatives you can stop, and slow the ones you can slow. Withhold Democratic support for any budget resolution or debt ceiling increase until the rule of law is restored. No unanimous consent until the crimes stop.

    Trump is carrying out a coup and so far Democrats are taking a wait and see attitude. Our house is burning and Democrats are worried yelling “fire” might upset a mythical swing voter somewhere.

    I’m taking note of who is forcefully and convincingly speaking up for democracy – Rep. Ocasio-Cortez. Sen. Brian Schatz. Rep. Sean Casten. Sen. Adam Schiff. and handful more. I want to put your name on that list.

    History, and voters, will remember as heroes the people who fought for our country and the rule of law. They will remember everyone else as collaborators and enablers who fiddled while American democracy burned.

    I’m begging you to scream and yell about Trump’s real and unprecedented crimes with the same intensity and relentlessness as Republicans scream about made-up crimes.

    We need your leadership now.

    Sincerely,

    NAME