Hello lovely reader,

 Escalation is the word describing our summer. The heat is rising. The madness of this regime is escalating. The cleansing of our national and social shadows is coming to a peak and what we do-- or not do-- will define the world we create: peace or violence, light or dark, democracy or tyranny. This is a defining moment. In this issue I include the report of the latest escalation, invitation to our summer focus and strategy and the information you need to stay awake, alert and safe as you take action.

 Maria Mar

Introduction

It’s Summer and the heat is not just the extreme weather. The cosmic energy of this Pachakuti* for this summer can be described as faring flames erupting from a volcano.

All the shadows, vices, hatred and bigotry in our national and human karma that have broken our democracy and have kept us from blossoming into our human potential are being flushed out to be healed so that we can evolve and help the planet repair itself. And then, comes the political eruption…

The regime is crumbling with the mad king-wanna-be going madder; so they are frantically escalating, which makes them extremely volatile and dangerous. But let’s not allow their madness to flood the zone. Let’s stay focused. The two focal points this summer to respond to that escalation are ICE and the elections.

Though I include an early notice of an election protection planning meeting, in this issue we will focus on ICE because it's escalation is lethal. As we cracked ICE and defeated all its 2025 tactics, it has come back with a vengeance (and a gargantuan budget to execute it). We need to crack that egg again.

I'm exploring a new format for my newsletter to see if it alleviates the overwhelm of the constant massive information we must digest to stay responsive to the madness of this regime. I will include stories and events inside the email newsletter. I will, however, include strategic articles in the blog and include a link to them in the newsletter. That way you can enjoy the inspiring stories and then click at your own time to study the strategic stuff. And I don't have to send two loaded emails every month. Let me know if this works for you... but do click and read the articles, otherwise it's doing no good.

OK. Now that we have that taken care of, let's continue with what is included in or with this newsletter issue.

To help with our new round with ICE thugs, I include an article with an excerpt from professor Robert’ Reich’s Substack that informs us of the new sneaky tactics ICE is using now and includes Response Tactics as well as Calls to Action. It's entitled: "The heat is rising as ICE is escalating."

I also include a summary and report of the planning event for a National Day of Vigils of the people ICE has just killed, with the  known details about them. This is followed by information on the National Day of Vigils and resources to plan your own event.

For this Summer. as the regime escalates, so must we. We need many more people practicing daily non-compliance to defeat this regime.

Strategic, massive, consistent non-compliance is one of the key elements (along with Unity) that leads to the successful retrieval of democracy in a democratic backsliding or fascist coup. Your participation makes the difference.

Many people are opposed to this regime and its violence. But they may not see how they can participate in the pro-democracy nonviolent resistance movement. It is up to us to invite, inspire and support them in joining this movement, regardless of the party they’ve belonged to or their political views—as long as they want to save democracy and believe in justice for all. Keep this in mind.

This is no longer blue Vs red. This is Democracy Vs Tyranny, Decency Vs. Corruption and Creation Vs. Destruction.

To inspire you to participate and help others do the same, I want to share two stories of people who came up with their own way to resist. One is a military officer. The others were former judges. The first is a story of individual courage. The second is an example of how we can start or join an institutional non-compliance practice.

I hope this helps. I know it's a lot. Let me know if the new format works for you. I'm doing my best not to  overwhelm you. But things are erupting so fast and furiously that I have to send you all you need to stay in the game-- and I can only send two issues a month in order to keep on with my own work!  I hope this new format works.

My advise: Sit comfortably in your armchair with a Mango Smoothie on the side. You know how I love those! Oh, well. OK. Drink your own favorite drink. 🙂  But just relax and put on your Warrior of the Light hat. S/he will reveal that shifting your focus from the regime's evil doings to what YOU are doing to defeat the regime is the antidote for overwhelm or fear.

In Unity and Soulful Joy,

Maria Mar

*Pachakuti  = Inca word for this painful period of human quantum evolution we are going through. It translates as "world reversal" or "death and rebirth"

PS 1. If this helps, let me know. Your feedback keeps me strong to keep going.

PS 2: If you’d like more creativity or more about the Pachakuti cosmic movement were all this chaos is inserted, let me know and I’ll include it.

In this Issue:

• Introduction
• FOCUS 1 for July: Abolish ICE
• People's Stories: Citizen Leaders Rising
• Article with Action Tools: LINK: The heat is rising as ICE is escalating.
• EVENT: Early announcement: LINK: Hands Off Our Vote! Indivisible Planning Meeting
• Event/Resource: ICE Resistance: National Day of  Vigils for the Fallen
• RESOURCES
  • Invitation to join Storytellers.Indivisible
  • General Resources
  • My resources

Summer Focus for July

FOCUS 1: Abolish ICE

ICE kept quiet for a while but they've been sneakily escalating. The article today will share ICE's new dirty tactics, how they have raised the death toll and how we can respond.

Our Strategy

We have already defeated dozens of tactics that ICE tried during 2025. We made them backfire to the point that it lost its funds, the public opinion turned against it, it had to go underground and its leaders were fired.

But they are back thanks to their Congress enablers. In the article today I'm tactics you can use to respond to each ICE tactic.

But in terms of the overarching strategy, it remains:

Melt the ICE with People Power by making each intimidation and abuse tactic that ICE throws at us to backfire; so that it activates a stronger public opposition that fuels a more powerful resistance to this regime~ until it is defeated.

Also: each action must be peaceful and whenever possible it should help potential victims avert capture or help their families fight back legally.

So let's do it!

Show up for Resistance!

During the last 4 decades, we broke our democracy, which also lead to human suffering and planetary destruction. The cosmos is repairing this during this cycle of Pachakuti (death and rebirth).

To repair this and create a democracy that works, each of us needs to become a citizen leader. That’s our task. That is what an evolved democracy that is truly of, by and for the people requires. It's not just about changing the leaders at the top. It's about becoming the leaders of our leaders.

We can look at this destruction and see only chaos and evil. Or we can see what is emerging under the ruins of what is broken: we are becoming the citizen leaders for an evolved democracy and an evolved humanity.

The stories in this issue reveal how we are growing into citizen leaders to defend our democracy and defeat authoritarianism.

People’s Story #1: I’m Keeping My Oath

If you look at the spotless, impressive military uniform of an Air Force Major that officer Jason Watson is wearing as he stands in front of the Capitol building, you’d take him for one of the old-fashion great leaders, the saviors of old. But Watson refuses to be a knight in shining armor for his fellow Americans.

From his first words he tells us that he is a “nobody,” another citizen in our democracy. And he ends his declaration calling us, the regular people, to find our way to protect our democracy.

"In the grand scheme of things, I'm just a nobody. What matters far more than who I am is what I have to say and the price I'm willing to pay to say it.”

And then Watson ends his speech calling us to join him.

“I am calling on average Americans everywhere to peacefully exercise your First Amendment rights en mass, every day until this administration is removed and our democratic republic is restored. I believe in America. I believe in us. If just a nobody like me can take a stand for our Constitution and our democratic republic, then you can too. I hope you will join me in the defense of our republic. Thank you."

Dressed in his active duty uniform as an Air Force Major, Jason Watson delivered a historic address to a group of reporters and activists convened in front of Congress, becoming the nation's first active duty service member to call for the immediate impeachment and removal of the Commander in Chief, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance.

In his speech, Watson methodically listed the constitutional violations that merited this impeachment and how they violated the integrity of our democracy and constitution—which he had sworn an oath to protect.

Watson was then arrested by the Capital police. He faces court martial, revocation of his pension, removal from the air force and even incarceration. And in this regime, who knows what he will face? And still he stood and spoke.

Why? First, he did it to fulfill his oath to our country, an oath to protect the constitution. Secondly, he did it to fulfill his duty as a citizen to protect our democracy, for which he is calling us to stand massively and consistently until we reclaim our democracy.

The question Watson is presenting to each and all of us is simple: What is in your power to do right now to stand up for our democracy and our country against this fascist coup? The answer Watson gives is this: You must do that which is yours to do and we must ALL refuse to comply, en mass, every day, until we reclaim our democracy.

This is what we are doing this Summer of 2026.

What you are called to do or the way you can participate does not have to be as risky as what Watson is doing. But it will be outside your comfort zone for sure.

But what Jason is telling us—no, what he is showing us with his action—is that we are collectively deciding if we take action to keep our democracy or play it safe and betray our country; in which case we are choosing tyranny.

What we are also learning as ICE escalates and innocent passersby get killed, is that there is no hiding, no safety place and no one exempt from danger.

Considering this, is not just a matter of courage, but of common sense and survival to stand up for our rights and freedoms. For me personally, it is about choice. What country, what world, do I choose to create through my actions? Who do I become with this choice?

How about you? What does this moment call you to? I’d love to hear from you.

What you can Do

These four questions can help you come up with what you can do right now to get a start:

1. What are the aspects that have been broken in our democracy that affect you the most or stir your passion the most? (ICE, elections, free speech and the media, immigration and violation of the rule of law, violence and cruelty, values and decency, the constitution, etc). My example: My first value is freedom, so for me it is about protecting our freedoms, starting with the freedom of speech, press and dissent.

2. Honoring your current conditions and limitations, what could you do to resist, reject and oppose that violation?  My example: I've had several falls that I'm still healing, so walking is painful. I can't march, but I can't document the marches. I can write, draw, create and share poems and stories. I can strategize and pass on information. So that's what I'm doing.

3. What leverage can you use? Skills, gifts, talents, experience, connections (audiences, readers, groups), tools (email, videos, conversation, technology, access to), vehicles (YT channel, blog, podcast, publications). My Example: I'm using my talents of writing, poetry, storytelling, visual art and communication. I am serving my audiences and readers and empowering them to spread the word so that we can act in unison. But also my age matters. My experience as a baby boomer during the Vietnam War helps me to frame news and events within a strategic perspective and makes me familiar with the devious tricks of corrupt politicians.

4. What simple thing you can do now to start and who can help you (or with what organization already doing this can you collaborate)? In my case, I joined Indivisible to gather more creatives so that I can magnify the impact of creativity and protect our free speech. I created Storytellers.Indivisible. What can you start or join? If the though lights you up, that's it!

I strongly exhort you to go ahead and do it now. We don't have time to pussy-foot. This summer the regime is escalating. It is losing and it is desperate. All we have to do for this regime to crumble is to resist massively and not comply actively; everyone, everywhere, every day.

Many of us are already doing it. We just need you and those you can reach to join. That is the essence of Major Jason Watson’s speech and invitation.

One last thing. As I do my Storytellers.Indivisible rounds, I’ve heard a lot of people saying: “What can I do? All I can do is…” followed by a simple action. But here’s the thing. What you and I can do individually may not seem much. But multiply that times a million others doing it, and it changes the course of history. We do not win this revolution working alone. We win it as a people.

To watch Watson’s declaration, go to: https://youtu.be/tCu6YDiJVs8?si=alXPKXBdiX0TXr2F

People’s Story #2: The Retired Judges

We are used to seeing young people, some baby boomers and those we label as "activists" opposing this regime. That seems like their role.

But resisting this fascist coup is the role of everyone everywhere that wants a working democracy and to abolish this regime.

It should not surprise us then that even a group of former judges in Ohio decided to do a tour through the state to bring attention to the actions of this regime against the rule of law.

They chose the 250^th anniversary of our Declaration of Independence to do this. They saw their tour as a crusade to promote the rule of law.

Part of the crusade was to converse with the people to let them know that as members of the judiciary, they stood for the rule of law and that its defense needed our participation.

One of the crusaders, former judge Maureen O'Connor, served 3 years as Ohio's Lieutenant Governor and 19 years as chief justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio. Now retired, O'Connor is joining what she called a crusade through the Great Lakes States promoting the rule of law. She stepped up to firmly and publicly criticize the Supreme Court's rulings.

This crusade, called the Justice in Motion Project, is organized by the Keeping our Republic and Democracy Rising Collaborative. The group took inspiration from 2020's March of 1000 Robes movement in Poland.

Another crusader was former Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly who declared: “Rights amount to nothing more than words on a piece of paper unless you have an independent judiciary that is there to enforce.”

In a profession that by definition and necessity acts in apolitical fashion, it is extraordinary that these former judges have taken to the streets to protest the threats this regime poses to the rule of law in our country.

Many of us are connected to one or several institutions. We can be an influence for the institution or some of those in the field to stand up for our rights.

• It can be through our field of work (as these judges did, as veteran members of the judiciary). Right now Veterans, Faith leaders, teachers and others are leading movements of non-compliance in their fields.
• It can be through our hobbies and passions, like a nature lover’s group. You could bring your arts and crafts, surfing or bird-watching group into using your talents and passion to stand for those things that this regime is destroying, like nature, art, health, education, books, free expression or the oceans.
• Your connection could take place through your volunteering in a community organization. As a volunteer you can contribute ideas on how the organization could stand for the causes and people it represents.
• Even our family can connect us to social roles that we can help practice non-compliance. For example, if you are part of a parent’s association you could start a non-compliance movement there. A group of mothers, grannies or working fathers can speak louder than just one person and can gain sympathies from thousands of people, creating a movement. All from one small act.

By joining your peers, you can increase non-compliance and be supported by others as you participate in the defense of our democracy. Promoting institutional or group non-compliance allows you to magnify the power of one action.

What you can do:

1. Check if there are some existing groups or organizations in your field, hobbies (sports, readers, nature-lovers, etc.) or roles (parents, etc.) that are promoting non-compliance and check them out. Joining them means you don’ have to start something from scratch.

2. If there are none, talk to a couple of peers who could join you and start an action to bring attention and create a start-up group. You could write letters to organize those who dissent in your field or institution. You could write a letter to the editor in a specialized publication or the local press. You can call for an initial Zoom meeting. Once you have 3-5 members, now you can expand. Before you know it, you have generated an effective non-compliance movement in your field.

To watch the Judges in their Protest Walk, go to: https://youtu.be/9z3eKsygyrc?si=IYz8pBsCWo-Ge8Z5

In July 25, 2025 we will have a National day of Vigil to honor Lorenzo and Johan. We ask that you:

• Organize a vigil in your community, among your peers or friends. Here are guidelines on how to do this. To get guidance on how to organize a Vigil, go to: https://peaceeconomyproject.org/wordpress/how-to-host-your-own-vigil-a-step-by-step-guide/
• You can do something simple and small or something large. That depends on your resources. The importance is to grief collectively, keep repeating their names, so that ICE cannot wash their hands and make the crime go away. Put pressure in the regime. Make their killings visible and demand accountability.
• Here is the criteria for the vigil:
  • What are we honoring or protesting?. We are honoring the lives of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Johan Sebastian Guerrero and standing in solidarity with their families and communities. We are demanding that ICE be out of our streets.
  • What message do we want to convey to attendees and the broader community? These are our demands:
    • Abolish ICE. Out of our streets!
    • Immediate release of the witnesses for Lorenzo’s murder.
    • Holds ICE agents accountable.
    • End collaboration of local law enforcement with ICE, not only in Houston and Maine, but in all our states and communities.
    • Promote end of collaboration of local business with ICE and get them involved in non-compliance and protecting the rights of their immigrants and Latino workers.
  • • How do we want participants to feel or act after the vigil? This is a peaceful process. We are transmuting our anger and outrage into commitment to resist, persist, and refuse to comply until ICE is abolished and the rule of law is restored. We are grieving with the families and communities of those who are fallen. Their names will not be forgotten. We will keep repeating them until justice is done for all.

If you want to organize a vigil, you can also find Indivisible’s toolkit here:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N71Qg6RzZr0Tk0vRyDkPbqj_bW1sdhix/preview?pru=AAABn4xb33Y*-dZzOSZ5J6AAYx5fiqjgyQ

Watch the replay of the Planning event, here: https://www.youtube.com/live/FAdIs0UDI3E?si=-cyO8llgU1dfTFOr