Dear John,
In a compelling New York Times interview, journalist Masha Gessen – who spent years covering Putin’s rise to power – described the “shock exhaustion” that sets in when terrible things take place in a short period of time, and the surprising ability of human nature to adapt to the harms. Gessen noted that because democratic institutions are not designed to respond quickly, significant and fast destruction becomes an effective attack weapon.
Gessen contends that immediate interventions are critical to avoid the window closing on the ability to take any action at all. Gessen described the importance of a “feedback loop” where we merge our hope for a better future with the need to engage in actions that can bring about those hoped-for results. And Gessen urged a belief in the goodness of humanity, and the shared desire for effective, anti-autocratic leadership.
Gessen’s words particularly resonate for LDAD and how we approach our mission. We live partly in a state of hope for our country to be unified by the rule of law and Constitutional principles, on the one hand, and hope for a more perfect union devoted to the ideals of freedom and equality, on the other. And we seek to realize our hopes with continuous actions, reinforced by a belief that the country is filled with like-minded people who also want to achieve a fully functioning democracy.
In the past week, we informed you of the meticulously detailed ethics complaint that we, along with other organizations and distinguished lawyers, professors, and former judges, filed against Attorney General Pamela Bondi. In response, The Florida Bar took a position antithetical to its obligation to investigate lawyers for possible violations of the rules of professional responsibility, refusing to review the complaint while Ms. Bondi served in federal office.
We invite you to follow some of the news coverage of this complaint on our In the News page, which we continue to update. Our long-time volunteer, Jamie Conrad, participated in the Legal AF podcast in which he described the allegations of the complaint and the relevant rules of professional responsibility.
We are also combining hope with action through our written advocacy. Former LDAD board member and continuing volunteer, Judge James McHugh (ret.), warned in the Fulcrum that we face the start of this year’s hurricane season with a woefully unprepared federal government, particularly FEMA. See: Thoughts on Gathering Storms.
Executive Director Lauren Stiller Rikleen wrote in the Contrarian about the capitulation of yet another law firm to the administration’s inexplicable war on diversity and equality. See: The New Norm at Elite Law Firms: Abandoning Ideals.
We invite you to merge hope with action and join us – volunteer, donate, do whatever you can. Democracy needs us all, and there is no time to lose.
Lawyers Defending American Democracy
P.S. We are living in extraordinary times that require constant advocacy to prevent our democracy from further backsliding. LDAD’s work depends solely on individual contributions like yours. Please join us in our efforts by donating to LDAD, a 501(c)(3) organization.
