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"You may fire when you are ready, Gridley" [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2025-03-27

Unlike the ship’s broadside Captain Gridley fired in response to Admiral Dewey’s permissive command, I am talking about political broadsides and speech.

“Broadsides — by far the most popular ephemeral format used throughout printed history—are single sheets of paper, printed on one side only. Often quickly and crudely produced in large numbers and distributed free in town squares, taverns, and churches or sold by chapmen for a nominal charge, broadsides are intended to have an immediate popular impact and then to be thrown away. Historically, broadsides have been used to inform the public about current news events, publicize official proclamations and government decisions, announce and record public meetings and entertainment events, advocate political and social causes, advertise products and services, and celebrate popular literary and musical efforts. [emphasis added]

“Ephemeral?” Get them big words outa here -- you pointy headed liberal smartass!* The definition of ephemeral format, “lasting for a very short time,” also describes the attention span of the intended audience of political broadsides. When the property ownership requirement was dropped and voting rights were granted to the lower classes, “Keep it simple, stupid,” became the rule for political broadsides, and the broadsides were more frequently used to attack a candidate than to promote a candidate.

Today social media formats and blogs have replaced broadsides, and like broadsides, social media platforms can be used for multiple purposes. When used for political purposes, social media is often a canvas displaying content that is quickly and crudely produced, is intended to have an immediate popular impact, and then be thrown away or ignored. The more restrictive the format is regarding the number of words or characters permitted the cruder and more polemic the content tends to be. Regardless of its friend me function, Face Book and broadsides share the problem of people occasionally posting on your property something you find obnoxious. “I’m pulling that shit off my wall, and I unfriend you.” As you can probably tell, Face Book is not for me, and Zuckerberg is not someone I want to further enrich. Furthermore, go it alone Google and Word Press blogs make you feel like you are ranting in a closet with the door closed. Finding a way to draw an audience to your personal blog is not easy.

My inner Walter Middy wants more. Many of you probably have the same fantasy. You are at some place resembling speakers’ corner in Hyde Park**, and an attentive audience has gathered to hear you shout:

“A rabid Musk-rat is mauling federal agencies and departments, chewing up and shredding earned benefits programs such as Social Security, Medicare, Veterans Benefits, etc. His destruction of agencies and departments is also destroying our ability to do the scientific research needed to prevent viral pandemics and develop cures for diseases such as cancer. Furthermore, the Musk-rat is wreaking this havoc at the behest of President Trump and in Violation of the Constitution and the laws of this nation. It is tempting to think of the billionaire Musk as Trump’s house pet, but Trump’s worship of wealth makes it unclear as to who owns whom. What is clear is that the Trump-Musk relationship is not good for you, our country, or the world!”

You look around for reporters. Where are the reporters? Someone should preserve your brilliant utterances for posterity. But let’s face it, even if you find a place and an audience for your political remarks, the odds of your rhetoric ever making it into Vital Speeches are astronomical! So, you write your thoughts rather than saying them, and you post them on a group blog that shares most of your political ideology. And, like me, you are preaching to the choir.

Sorry about that. But the passion behind the rhetoric is not wasted. April 5, 2025 is a day of global protests against Trump and Musk.

Please join the crowd to make your congressperson feel your anger. Test your writing skills by making protest signs and your speaking skills by telling your groveling Republican Congressperson to stop being such a coward and start representing you!

The congressperson for my district is Jay Obernolte, and from 12 – 2 PM all the Democratic clubs in his district are going to show him the outrage of his constituents. If you are not protesting in your congressional district, please join us at:

Hesperia Civic Plaza (City Hall)

9700 Seventh Ave

Hesperia, CA 92345

*This is a comment about the anti-intellectualism of the right wing and the demagogic pandering to unsophisticated people who fear what they do not understand.

**Hyde Park Speakers' Corner has been established as a point of free speech and debate since 1872.

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[1] Url: https://dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/27/2312911/-You-may-fire-when-you-are-ready-Gridley?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=more_community&pm_medium=web

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