20250930 STAND Newsletter – Defining fascism
Traducción (Spanish)
What’s new with STAND
STAND is out telling the stories of the people with our story tent! We found our way to Refuge Coffee’s “Run for Courageous Welcome”. Let us know if you know of a place we should go next!
Action NOW!
STAND, alongside more than 25 civil action organizations across the greater Atlanta area, is hosting United In Light on October 4th. This is an easy way for us to show solidarity with the larger activism community – please check out the mobilize and RSVP now!!!
On October 14th, Indivisible and other organizations across Atlanta will be holding a remembrance for George Floyd. More details to come.
The next national day of action is Saturday, October 18th. Join STAND for NO KINGS 2: Democracy Rising in Downtown Decatur. It’ll be family friendly, and impactful – you know how we roll.
Here are some other vetted actions sponsored by allies in the area including an opportunity to volunteer at a vaccine clinic.
Dear Friends,
On the 25th of September the White House released a memo that I believe is important to bring to your attention, and I’m attaching it here. Those of you that have been following along know that I rarely discuss the Trump administration directly because I actually don’t think it’s particularly useful. I know how inundated we are all with the news, how fast things are changing, and how overwhelming all of that can be. I don’t think that it’s particularly useful for me to continuously harp on that, especially when building local community to stand with the vulnerable remains the primary effort.
This memo is a bit different because it was designed specifically to frighten you, and fear must always be addressed head on. Many of you know that the death of Charlie Kirk has seemingly accelerated the willingness of the Trump administration to target groups perceived to be hostile to his agenda. Following the shooting, the administration stoked years-old fears about anti-fascist (antifa) organizations encouraging violence in the streets, and is now using that to justify a crackdown on left-leaning groups designed daring to voice dissent. A few notes about that:
The term fascist refers to a governmental state that is violent in orientation, intellectually constraining by design, recognizes only the validity of the state, and is controlled by a singular central authority. Dissent, peace, religion, free speech, and basic principles of Democracy are a direct threat to fascism.
In confronting Italy and Germany in World War II, both fascist states, the allied powers in World War II were, by definition, anti-fascist.
By promoting democratic norms including the inclusion of voices, free expression, and adherence to constitutional constraints, STAND, most most mobilization groups currently active in the space, and the vast majority of the US federal government are also, by definition, anti-fascist.
This administration knows that, and is attempting to redefine the term to both exonerate its own tendencies and force organizations like ours into self-censorship and preemptive capitulation by making them afraid to speak the truth for fear of vague, unspecified, and unconstitutional consequences.
We will not do that.
Instead of doing that, we will continue to do what we have been doing – STANDing in solidarity with our friends and neighbors, defending our first amendment rights, and working towards a more just, inclusive, and free society. We have an opportunity to do that on Saturday evening for an evening vigil at Dearborn Park from 7-8 standing with hundreds of folks across Atlanta holding similar vigils stretching from midtown to Stone Mountain. We’ll have candles for you there – come stand with us.
STANDing with you,
Matt
