The Antidote to Despair is Action
We Can NOT Let Them Prevail.
Dear Fellow Democrat,
Our natural inclination is to be overwhelmed, to despair, and to give up. We are bombarded daily and our minds and hearts are not designed for this. Not a day or, it seems, a moment goes by without some other outrage breaking. Today, decent people are reeling not just from the news that government goons murdered an innocent woman, but also from the recognition that the government is lying straight to our faces about what we can see with our own eyes. It is incomprehensible. But EVERY thing inside me tells me that we can Not give up. We have to use this fear and outrage to fuel our efforts to make change. And where can we actually effect change? LOCALLY.
We Have Work To Do. Let's talk about it.
Tonight is our second-Thursday RAD Book Discussion. "Giving Up is Unforgiveable: A Manual for Keeping our Democracy" by Joyce Vance is the book we'll be discussing. I recommend the book - it will help you focus on what you Can do and the steps to take to do it.
January 11 is our Kindred Table gathering. We started this in November as a way to acknowledge the individual and collective weight we carry and find tools to manage it. This is a woman-centric gathering and while we know that women aren't the only ones experiencing this, we are starting here. In January, we'll be welcoming Heather Anderson of Radiance Soul Wellness to lead us in a sound bath experience. If this sounds like something you'd like to share, join us.
January 13th, RAD is joining DFW clubs in hosting a Statewide Meet & Greet on ZOOM! We expect to hear from candidates for every office from Governor to Comptroller and all the great in-betweens! Please register to get all the details and join! We need to be informed and educated to elect the best candidates to win in November. This is a great opportunity to familiarize yourself with the statewide candidates who you likely have not gotten to know!
January 15th is our first RAD Happy Hour of 2026! We're looking forward to hearing from several primary candidates because Early Voting starts in about 5 weeks! We've got Marcos Velez, running for Lt Governor, coming up from Houston to speak with us! Ben Flores, candidate for Texas Land Commissioner, will talk with us about his vision for winning this critical race! Cory Carlyle who is stepping up to run for Chief Justice for the Texas Supreme Court will be with us! Several more judge candidates will present their case for why we should support them: Mandy Reichek (5th Court of Appeals), Allison Grinter Allen (Judge of 282nd Court), and Adam Schwartz (JP 3-1, "the Bubbliest Wedding Officiant"!). And Tony Grimes, candidate for Dallas County Clerk will round out the evening! Please make plans to join us - the weather looks amazing (for January?!) and we need to be together in community.
January 22nd is our BIG Attorney General Debate! We will be co-hosting with the Student Government Association at the Richland branch of Dallas College on January 22, from 6:30 to 9:00. All three candidates for Attorney General were invited but Tony Box was unable to join us, so it will be Senator Nathan Johnson and former Mayor of Galveston Joe Jaworski on stage. James Barragan of Capitol Tonight will be the moderator. The hall will hold 500, and we'll be livestreaming on our YouTube channel as well as broadcasting live with Progress Texas!! This is a really great opportunity to see whom you want to support in the primary for this very WINnable race! The stakes are so high - this office is arguably the most powerful AG in the country and will have enormous impact, either for good or evil. Register HERE for details!
As usual, we continue to show up weekly, ROARing on the bridge and with our signs! We are now FIVE months into our weekly protests, and they continue to be a fun and effective way to be inspiring to others and to lift our spirits in community. You can join the ROAR Bridge Brigade on Thursday evenings from 3:30 - 5:30 and Saturday mornings from 9-10 on the Collins Blvd Bridge over I-75 (park at Cafe Max on the east side and walk up!) - they are always happy to have more hands to hold the banners and flags and wave at the honking cars on Central! We also meet every Saturday morning from 10-11 on the southeast corner of Campbell & 75 to let our community know that there is a resistance in Richardson! Join Us!
I TRULY believe that we can flip Texas and when we do, we will not only save Texas from this insanity, but the country and the world. We must believe that it is not impossible, and if it's not IMpossible, it is POSSIBLE. Let's work like it.
~ See You Soon ~
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Once again, if you haven't done so yet, we invite you to join or renew your membership in Richardson Area Democrats. Your suggested donation of $10/month will help us continue to build this inclusive community! Thanks for all you do.
