Indivisible: Government Shutdown
Category: Government and Society
Indivisible Palooza
Fratelli Tutti’s spiritual basis for the Palooza rally (described in the post after this one).
“Social love” makes it possible to advance towards a civilization of love, to which all of us can feel called. Charity, with its impulse to universality, is capable of building a new world. No mere sentiment, it is the best means of discovering effective paths of development for everyone. Social love is a “force capable of inspiring new ways of approaching the problems of today’s world, of profoundly renewing structures, social organizations and legal systems from within”.
Pope Francis in the Fratelli Tutti encyclical
October 18th
We are living in difficult, tumultuous, important times. If you believe our government and way of life as a nation is seriously threatened, as I do, I encourage you to learn about the demonstrations for true democracy set for October 18th, and to participate in a huge peaceful demonstration in support of the values and beliefs on which our country was founded.
With better wording than I am capable of, I post here part of a recent e-mail from MoveOn. I am most interested in your becoming aware of what is happening and hopefully joining the resistance. This is from a MoveOn request for financial support, but I seek not so much your money but your participation on October 18. MoveOn is sending the e-mail asking members to donate. If you can do that, I’ve left the last paragraphs, about donations, on the e-mail.
Dear MoveOn member,
On June 14, we did what many claimed was impossible.
In partnership with hundreds of organizations, we peacefully mobilized more than 5 million people to take to the streets in every corner of the country and declare with one voice: America has no kings. It was one of the largest single days of nonviolent mass protest in U.S. history—and it mattered.
The world saw the power of the people. Donald Trump’s outrageous birthday military parade was drowned out by protests in every state and across the globe. His attempt to turn June 14 into a coronation collapsed, and the story became the strength of a movement rising against his authoritarian power grabs.
But Trump has doubled down since. And he has teetered our country into authoritarianism, causing grave harm to many people already and threatening the safety of all of us.
His administration is sending masked agents into our streets, terrorizing our communities. They’re targeting immigrant families, profiling, arresting, and detaining people without warrants. They’re threatening to undermine free and fair elections. Gutting health care, environmental protections, and education. Rigging maps to silence voters. Ignoring mass shootings at our schools. Driving up the cost of living while handing out massive giveaways to billionaires, as families struggle.
Trump thinks his rule is absolute. But in America, we don’t have kings—and we won’t back down against chaos, corruption, and cruelty.
That’s why we’re coming together for No Kings Day on Saturday, October 18, the next nationwide day of protest and defiance.
As Trump escalates his authoritarian power grab, the No Kings nonviolent movement continues to rise stronger. On October 18, we’ll unite once again to make crystal clear: America has no kings. The power belongs to the people.
But organizing a nonviolent mobilization of this scale—bringing together millions of Americans in cities and towns nationwide—takes significant resources. We need to support thousands of local organizers, provide materials for protests, ensure safety and security, coordinate across all 50 states, and ensure the protests are plastered everywhere in the media.
Indivisible Rally
Today Indivisible Louisville held a rally along Frankfort Avenue to protest the present administration’s policies and practices.
The signs of the protesters were plentiful and creative! The cars honking in support were great, too! About 250 people were at this rally, most of them in the over 50 group.
US Bishops: One Big Beautiful Bill
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on Trump’s signature bill:
“The final version of he bill includes unconscionable cuts to healthcare and food assistance, tax cuts that increase inequality, immigration provisions that harm families and children, and cuts to programs that protect God’s creation.”
Immigration: US attitude
According to a recent Gallup poll, the number of American people in favor of immigration has reached a record high, 79%. In 2024, 55% thought immigration should be reduced. Now that number favoring a reduction is 30% in 2025.
The American public has greater sensitivity and more Christ-like values than our present Washington administration.
Less hate, more great
Pope Francis
The Catholic presence in Cambodia is quite small. There are fewer than 10,000 Cambodian Catholics in a population of 16,000,000 people. Officialdom here has noted the death of Pope Francis, though. Today, on behalf of Bishop Olivier, the bishop of Phnom Penh, I posted to social media and websites three letters of condolence from King Sihomani and from the present and former prime ministers.
Is that first caption true?
The caption above says Cambodia is not leaning toward China and away from the USA.
But look at the captions of these other four pictures which were beside the first picture in one photo spread. Every one of them emphasizes China’s dominant relationship with Cambodia.
They speak of international cooperation, an ironclad shared future with China, vital cooperation with China, a major railway infrastructure project funded by China, and cooperation with China in a digital economy.
China’s Premier Xi Jin Ping was in Cambodia last week speaking of all these things (after first visiting Vietnam and Malaysia). At the same time, the US government was attacking China economically and cutting off trade and imposing tariffs. IMHO China doesn’t need to win the war with the US because the US has decided to lose the war.
[All the photos come from the Khmer Times, a local English newspaper.]
Memorial for a King
