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niyad's Journal'We Need a Gentle Anger': The Triangle's Raging Grannies are Protesting Injustice through Music
‘We Need a Gentle Anger’: The Triangle’s Raging Grannies are Protesting Injustice through Music
PUBLISHED 5/2/2025 by Chloe Courtney Bohl
Founded in Canada in the 1980s, the Raging Grannies have “gaggles” around North America—and plenty to sing about.
(Jenny Warbug)
Even in a crowd of thousands, they’re instantly recognizable by sight and sound: silver-haired women wearing colorful aprons and floppy hats, brandishing cardboard signs and sheafs of lyrics, singing acerbic protest songs set to cheerful nursery tunes.“We were angry when you raised all those taxes on the poor / We were outraged when you authorized those pipelines / Our infrastructure’s gone to pot, and our grandkids are getting shot / So we’re raging, ’cause now you’ve pissed off Grandma!” The Raging Grannies originated in Canada in 1987, following the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion the year prior. The Grannies’ first-ever protest, staged on Feb. 14 in Victoria, British Columbia, involved an umbrella punched through with holes—a dig at the idea of protection beneath a “nuclear umbrella”—and a broken-hearted “Un-Valentine” delivered to an unsympathetic member of parliament, accompanied by a satirical lullaby.
Today, there are more than 50 groups of Grannies (gaggles, in their vernacular) spread across Canada and the United States. They protest peacefully against injustices in their communities and farther afield, from war to political corruption and environmental degradation. The gaggles operate independently of each other but share song lyrics and a penchant for loud, gaudy outfits. “We’re mocking the stereotype,” says Vicki Ryder, who joined the Triangle Raging Grannies more than a decade ago and is one of the group’s most prolific songwriters. “We’re gonna look like what you think grandmothers look like, but when we open our mouths, we’re gonna make you sit up and take notice.”
(Jenny Warbug)
. . . . . .
(Jenny Warbug)
. . .
You won’t hear Donald Trump’s name in Ryder’s lyrics. “It didn’t start with Trump and it’s not going to end with him,” Ryder says. “Getting rid of Trump is not going to get rid of the problem. We will still have racism that is allowed. We still will have poverty that is allowed. We will still have environmental destruction that is allowed, and it’s allowed by the courts, it’s allowed by the Congress, and it’s allowed by the media.” Ryder’s activism is a full-time commitment. “What has suffered, I think, is time with my grandchildren,” she says. “They know what I do. They respect me for it. I have apologized to them over and over by saying, ‘I know I’m not spending as much time with you as we both would like, but I’m doing this for you. I’m 82 years old, but you’re the ones who are going to have to live with what we leave for you, and so this is my way of showing my love for you.’ And they understand that.”
Libby Johnson, another Triangle Raging Granny, also has decades’ worth of activism under her belt. While working as a nurse practitioner and social worker in Alabama during the civil rights movement, Johnson met her husband, Erik, a Presbyterian minister. They were both politically active, committed to anti-nuclear and anti-imperialist causes. She and Erik frequently moved their five children between congregations and states. (“We would last about six or seven years before they said, ‘You’re too radical.’”) She encouraged her kids to care about peace and justice, sending one to the Soviet Union for a “fellowship of reconciliation” and bringing them all to protests against the Gulf War.
Jo-Hanna Read, Rosy Betz-Zall, and Laurie Rostholder, members of the Seattle Raging Grannies, share a laugh during the ShellNo flotilla demonstration against Royal Dutch Shell on May 16, 2015 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
. . . .
https://msmagazine.com/2025/05/02/we-need-a-gentle-anger-the-triangles-raging-grannies-are-protesting-injustice-through-music/
How Trump's America Is Normalizing Violence Against Women (trigger warning)
How Trump’s America Is Normalizing Violence Against Women (trigger warning)
PUBLISHED 4/28/2025 by Rita Smith
Trump’s presidency has turned the fight against violence toward women into a political battleground—protecting abusers, punishing survivors and dismantling decades of progress.
A protester holds a homemade sign that says, "Trump is Not America" An attendee of a protest against Donald Trump’s 74th birthday outside Trump International Tower in Manhattan on June 14, 2020. (Ira L. Black / Corbis via Getty Images)
Under Trump’s America, violence against women isn’t just ignored—it’s become a deliberate political strategy. Powerful men accused of abuse are actively protected and celebrated by the Trump administration, while survivors and those who stand up for them are punished and silenced. (Just look at the attacks and public shaming Christine Blasey Ford had to endure after courageously coming forward with her sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.) From legal interventions and judicial appointments to funding cuts, Trump has systematically dismantled protections for women and emboldened those who harm them. For years, the fight to protect survivors wasn’t a political issue—it was about basic safety and justice. It was bipartisan common sense. I’ve worked with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass and reauthorize critical survivor protections like the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and the Violence Against Women Act because the right to safety should never be a partisan issue. But today, that consensus is being dismantled.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration pressured Romania to release Andrew and Tristan Tate, despite their human trafficking and rape charges. The brothers are notorious promoters of rape culture, and Andrew Tate has been banned from almost every social media platform for his extremist misogynistic rhetoric, including blaming women for their own sexual assaults and claiming that women become their husbands’ property after marriage. (Initially, Andrew Tate was banned multiple times from Twitter, but Elon Musk reinstated his account when he took over Twitter, now X, in 2022.) Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—no stranger to hard-right politics—publicly denounced their return. Yet Trump brought them back to the U.S. as symbols of his alignment with male grievance politics.
. . . . . . .
But why normalize violence against women? Because just as MAGA wants you to believe that all immigrants are dangerous criminals, they also need to frame white men as the real victims of gendered violence. But MAGA’s white male victimhood narrative collapses under the weight of reality. A recent national study found that 90 percent of women disclosed experiencing multiple instances of sexual assault, and 60 percent reported assaults that met the FBI definition of rape. Research also reveals that one in four women experience rape or sexual assault during their college years. With about 94 percent of perpetrators being male, the long-neglected epidemic of violence against women implicates men directly, something MAGA cannot accept. When powerful men accused of abuse are protected, it signals that survivors do not matter. When convicted domestic abusers are given their guns back, it emboldens those who seek to harm women. When domestic violence programs are dismantled, it leaves survivors with nowhere to turn. These are not isolated incidents—they are part of a calculated effort to erode protections for women and normalize violence.
This is not new. During his first term, Trump rolled back Title IX protections for sexual assault survivors, appointed judges hostile to women’s rights, and excused or defended men accused of sexual violence, including himself—by callously dismissing without evidence accusations as “hoaxes.” Trump’s return to power has only escalated this pattern, turning what was once a dog whistle into a governing philosophy.This is not normal. This is a crisis. We are becoming a nation where it is even harder for a woman to escape violence. A nation that shields abusers poses a threat to everyone—not just women and girls. Whether you’re an advocate, a survivor or simply someone who values basic safety, your voice is needed now more than ever. Silence is not neutrality; it’s complicity. We must speak out, organize, and fight back today because women’s lives depend on it.
https://msmagazine.com/2025/04/28/trump-violence-against-women-pete-hegseth-politics/
How Trump's America Is Normalizing Violence Against Women (trigger warning)
How Trump’s America Is Normalizing Violence Against Women (trigger warning)
PUBLISHED 4/28/2025 by Rita Smith
Trump’s presidency has turned the fight against violence toward women into a political battleground—protecting abusers, punishing survivors and dismantling decades of progress.
A protester holds a homemade sign that says, "Trump is Not America" An attendee of a protest against Donald Trump’s 74th birthday outside Trump International Tower in Manhattan on June 14, 2020. (Ira L. Black / Corbis via Getty Images)
Under Trump’s America, violence against women isn’t just ignored—it’s become a deliberate political strategy. Powerful men accused of abuse are actively protected and celebrated by the Trump administration, while survivors and those who stand up for them are punished and silenced. (Just look at the attacks and public shaming Christine Blasey Ford had to endure after courageously coming forward with her sexual assault allegations against Brett Kavanaugh.) From legal interventions and judicial appointments to funding cuts, Trump has systematically dismantled protections for women and emboldened those who harm them. For years, the fight to protect survivors wasn’t a political issue—it was about basic safety and justice. It was bipartisan common sense. I’ve worked with Democrats and Republicans in Congress to pass and reauthorize critical survivor protections like the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act and the Violence Against Women Act because the right to safety should never be a partisan issue. But today, that consensus is being dismantled.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration pressured Romania to release Andrew and Tristan Tate, despite their human trafficking and rape charges. The brothers are notorious promoters of rape culture, and Andrew Tate has been banned from almost every social media platform for his extremist misogynistic rhetoric, including blaming women for their own sexual assaults and claiming that women become their husbands’ property after marriage. (Initially, Andrew Tate was banned multiple times from Twitter, but Elon Musk reinstated his account when he took over Twitter, now X, in 2022.) Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—no stranger to hard-right politics—publicly denounced their return. Yet Trump brought them back to the U.S. as symbols of his alignment with male grievance politics.
. . . . . . .
But why normalize violence against women? Because just as MAGA wants you to believe that all immigrants are dangerous criminals, they also need to frame white men as the real victims of gendered violence. But MAGA’s white male victimhood narrative collapses under the weight of reality. A recent national study found that 90 percent of women disclosed experiencing multiple instances of sexual assault, and 60 percent reported assaults that met the FBI definition of rape. Research also reveals that one in four women experience rape or sexual assault during their college years. With about 94 percent of perpetrators being male, the long-neglected epidemic of violence against women implicates men directly, something MAGA cannot accept. When powerful men accused of abuse are protected, it signals that survivors do not matter. When convicted domestic abusers are given their guns back, it emboldens those who seek to harm women. When domestic violence programs are dismantled, it leaves survivors with nowhere to turn. These are not isolated incidents—they are part of a calculated effort to erode protections for women and normalize violence.
This is not new. During his first term, Trump rolled back Title IX protections for sexual assault survivors, appointed judges hostile to women’s rights, and excused or defended men accused of sexual violence, including himself—by callously dismissing without evidence accusations as “hoaxes.” Trump’s return to power has only escalated this pattern, turning what was once a dog whistle into a governing philosophy.This is not normal. This is a crisis. We are becoming a nation where it is even harder for a woman to escape violence. A nation that shields abusers poses a threat to everyone—not just women and girls. Whether you’re an advocate, a survivor or simply someone who values basic safety, your voice is needed now more than ever. Silence is not neutrality; it’s complicity. We must speak out, organize, and fight back today because women’s lives depend on it.
https://msmagazine.com/2025/04/28/trump-violence-against-women-pete-hegseth-politics/
Faux feminism has left the planet
Faux feminism has left the planet
As the planet burns and women struggle to survive, a billionaire’s fiancee claims inspiration from the edge of space.
Belén Fernández
Al Jazeera columnist
Published On 17 Apr 202517 Apr 2025
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This handout photo from Blue Origin shows US singer Katy Perry upon return to Earth after a flight on Blue Origin New Shepard NS-31, which brought the passengers beyond the Karman line - the internationally recognised boundary of space, in Van Horn, West Texas, April 14, 2025 [AFP]
On Monday, April 14, six elite American women blasted off into space from west Texas on a self-piloting rocket ship developed by the space technology company Blue Origin, owned by bazillionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. The “crew” of the much-ballyhooed all-female flight – marketed by Blue Origin as a giant leap not only for womankind but for the entire world – included pop star Katy Perry, television personality Gayle King, and Bezos’s fiancee Lauren Sanchez, author of the children’s book The Fly Who Flew to Space and the organiser of the wannabe feminist space excursion. In preparation for the star-studded spectacle, Elle magazine ran a fawning cover story on the “historic mission”, which the magazine described as “the first time anybody went to space with their hair and makeup done”. By the end of the article, which is basically a continuous succession of aneurysm-inducing lines, one finds oneself with little hope for the world aside from that an asteroid would strike and just put an end to it all.
Perry, for example, is quoted as declaring that “we are going to put the ‘ass’ in astronaut”, while also sharing the scintillating logistics of celebrity space travel: “I was like, What am I going to wear?” Then there’s an exchange between Sanchez, who predicts that “we’re going to have [eye]lash extensions flying in the capsule!”, and King, who wonders if the lashes will “stay on”, prompting the response from Sanchez: “Mine are glued on. They’re good.” Fellow “crew” member Aisha Bowe, an aerospace engineer and entrepreneur, explains that she “wanted to test out” her hair to make sure it was rocket-ready: “So I skydived in Dubai with similar hair to make sure I would be good.” None of this is to say, of course, that women can’t care about their eyelashes and hair. But in a world in which a whole lot of women don’t have money to eat – much less skydive in one of the planet’s most expensive places to see how their hair might fare during an 11-minute, multimillion-dollar jaunt in outer space – such chatter does nothing to further female empowerment.
It does everything, however, to reinforce inequality – and makes a mockery of Sanchez’s pre-flight claim that “we’re going to be able to come back and inspire people and bring people together.” Following the completion of Monday’s flight, she was quoted as reflecting on her quick inspection of the Earth from above: “You look at this, and you’re like, ‘We’re all in this together.’” To be sure, it requires an astronomical hypocrisy to invoke a collective “we” when not all of “us” are engaged to the world’s second-richest human, who as of March had a net worth of $231.2bn. We’re also not really “in this together” when Bezos himself is actively abetting the obliteration of solidarity in the United States, cosying up to President Donald Trump – whose anti-feminist agenda is, mind you, clear as day – as he goes about happily dismantling whatever semblance of rights remain in the country.
. . . . . .
In the end, the stunt did not receive quite the rave reviews that were expected from the press and social media commentariat. It was so bad, in fact, that even The New York Times felt compelled to use the word “capitalism” in its assessment that “Blue Origin’s all-female flight proves that women are now free to enjoy capitalism’s most extravagant spoils alongside rich men.” Indeed, this is capitalism on rocket fuel – taking acute socioeconomic injustice and blasting it into outer space. Perry, who dramatically kissed the ground after descending from the rocket ship, professed to now “feel super connected to love” and pronounced the trip “all for the benefit of Earth”. The vast majority of the earth’s inhabitants would no doubt be forgiven for failing to detect any sort of “benefit” – like, say, the Palestinian women and children currently being bombed to smithereens in the US-backed genocide in the Gaza Strip.
In the meantime, we can only hope everyone’s eyelash extensions stayed on.
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/4/17/faux-feminism-has-left-the-planet
Profiles in Courage: Danielle Sassoon, a Prosecutor of Principle, Quits After Rejecting Trump-Appointed AG's Order to Sh
Profiles in Courage: Danielle Sassoon, a Prosecutor of Principle, Quits After Rejecting Trump-Appointed AG’s Order to Shield Eric Adams
PUBLISHED 5/2/2025 by Eleanor Wesley and Sheree L. Williams
Her resignation underscores the stakes of ethical leadership in a justice system under political pressure.
Profiles in Courage is a new series honoring the extraordinary women and men who have transformed American institutions through principled public service. At a time when trust in government is fragile, these stories offer a powerful reminder of what ethical leadership looks like—from those who litigate for civil rights and resign on principle, to those who break military barriers and defend democracy on the front lines.
This month, we spotlight women in the Department of Justice, federal agencies and the military whose careers have been defined by integrity, resilience and reform. Their quiet heroism—often at personal cost—reaffirms the enduring role of public servants who choose justice over self-interest. Through their stories, Ms. pays tribute to a tradition of service that safeguards democracy and inspires the next generation to lead with courage.
After graduating magna cum laude from Harvard in 2008, Danielle Sassoon attended Yale Law School, then clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. (Southern District of New York)
In the annals of American justice, Danielle Sassoon will be remembered not just for the cases she prosecuted but also for her unwavering integrity with which she upheld the law. A career federal prosecutor and former interim U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), Sassoon exemplified the highest ideals of the Department of Justice—courage, independence and an unyielding commitment to the rule of law. Appointed to lead one of the country’s most prestigious U.S. attorney’s offices, Sassoon took the helm of SDNY during a time of immense political and legal scrutiny. Just three weeks into her tenure, she was confronted with a directive that would test the very core of her professional and ethical commitments: Drop the office’s corruption case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams.
Rather than succumb to political pressure, Sassoon chose to resign rather than compromise her duty to the American people. In a letter to then-U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, she made it unequivocally clear that such an order would violate both the law and the principles she had sworn to uphold:
“This directive raises serious concerns that render the contemplated dismissal inconsistent with my ability and duty to prosecute federal crimes without fear or favor and to advance good-faith arguments before the courts,” she wrote in her resignation letter, as first obtained by The Associated Press. "I cannot fulfill my obligations, effectively lead my office in carrying out the department’s priorities, or credibly represent the government before the courts, if I seek to dismiss the Adams case."
Danielle Sassoon
Sassoon’s decision was not just an act of personal integrity—it was a resounding statement on the independence of the judiciary and the absolute necessity of prosecutorial discretion free from political influence. In a justice system where public trust is paramount, she stood as a sentinel against corruption, reaffirming that no individual—no matter how powerful—is above the law. Her resignation sent shockwaves through the legal and political landscape, earning widespread respect from her peers and legal scholars alike. But Sassoon was no stranger to accolades. In 2023, she was awarded the Women in Federal Law Enforcement’s (WIFLE) Top Prosecutor Award, a testament to her exceptional legal acumen, prosecutorial skill and steadfast commitment to justice.
Danielle Sassoon’s legacy is one of principle over politics, justice over convenience, and law over loyalty. Her decision to step down rather than bend to improper influence cements her place among her generation’s most respected and principled prosecutors—a beacon of justice in turbulent times.
https://msmagazine.com/2025/05/02/profiles-in-courage-danielle-sassoon/
Why donny two dolls as pope. First, the gold in the Vatican. Many of us
have forgotten, or, mercifully never heard, the qanon BS about the five miles of tunnels under the Vatican (Vatican City is only one square mile), that are piled to their ceilings with gold (we won't mention the catacombs). Second, all the pomp and circumstance of the office. And third, but to my nasty, cynical little mind, VERY important, the idea that he would somehow be in control of Catholic President Joe Biden.
donny two dolls fires the latest salvo in "The War On Christmas", explainiing
why it is absolutely imperative that children be forced to live with getting only two dolls, rather than their usual thirty.
I do not know of anybody who ever had in total, much less receiving all at once, 30 dolls.
Also, since we "know" that boys "don't play with dolls" (uhhhh, gi joe, anyone???), that remark seemed particularly sexist, as if he delighted in depriving the girls who are too young even for his perversions.
For my 75th birthday, this CrankyCrone/Witch/Bitch/CCLWV* has a
request to the Universe: remove the orange hellbeast currently fouling the world. Pretty please, with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles??? One present!!! I would be so happy with this one present. Thanks in advance.
*Childless Cat Lady Who Votes
Four puke governors want people to think they actually care about the health
of their citizens by controlling more and more of how SNAP benefits are used. Please notice that they don't care about the gmo stuff that is banned in civilized countries, that they don't care about the gutting of health and safety regulations and agencies. No, this all about control and punishment. And since they want to eliminate SNAP anyway, why bother? Please also note that no actual lists were provided to the public, and that there was a reference to "and other items". Does anybody remember that list a few years ago, from a WI idiot, that would have banned cheese? Wisconsin.
The sadly surprising thing to me when they do this is how many people jump on the bandwagon as though something good was being done. "unhealthy!" "poison!" "don't care about their kids!" And on. And on. Amazing how many people are happy with "big brother" when it aligns with their perspective. No taking into account about the legislative processes that abetted our less-than-optimally healthy food industries. No indication of any understanding about food deserts and lack of availability, and expense. No understanding of the intrusive and invasive processes for even getting SNAP, or how little many people actually get. .Nothing except "make them pay" because their choices and options do not agree with mine. We can't control the war machine, the extraction industries, big pharma, etc., etc., but we can control this group, and feel better about ourselves.
It is so very disheartening.
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