Mad King Watch (Take XI): Those Who Enabled Him: A Handy Visual Reminder

 

"Watching the reel as it comes to a close,

Brutally taking its time...

People who change for no reason at all,

It's happening all of the time...

"This is the crisis I knew had to come,
Destroying the balance I kept:
Turning around to the next set of lives,
Wondering what will come next..."
<Joy Division: "Passover">

<"Roll Call, Take I": The Reckoner>

Donate To The National Bail Fund Network

 

Once again, in the spirit of public service, we're presenting a different sort of appeal, which covers a rarely-discussed aspect of Trump's immigration terror apparatus -- what happens to those unfortunate enough to get swept under it? Like so many of these situations, getting out is way easier than getting in, particularly when it comes to the issue of bail, as in, who gets it (or who doesn't). And that's where this notice from The National Bail Fund Network comes in:

"There are no good words for what we’re living through right now. This is fascism. ICE’s violence is destroying lives across the country - and coming for anyone who dares to stand in their way. Each one of us is trying to play our part for humanity and freedom amidst chaos. As federal agents bring terror to our neighborhoods, the number of ICE prisons caging people are exploding. They are locking up our family members and friends, as well as neighbors standing up for each other.

"Immigration bond has also been limited by recent legal decisions. And while groups fight against mandatory detention in the courts, we are making sure that when bond is available to someone, it can be paid. Making sure that we fight for freedom, especially now.

"Because you have supported pre-trial, protest and immigration bond funds before, you know the transformative power of taking care of each other, of refusing to let government abandonment and fascism have the final word.

"You can make an impact right now by supporting freedom and donating to the National Bail Fund Network today!

"Donate to the Immigration Bond Freedom Fund here*, or directly to your local immigration bond fund here**. Your contribution to the Immigration Bond Freedom Fund at Community Justice Exchange will be distributed across the immigration bond funds of the National Bail Fund Network to help post bonds for individuals in immigration detention.

"Donate to the Pretrial Freedom Fund here***, or directly to your local pre-trial bail fund here. Your contribution to the Pretrial Bail Freedom Fund**** at Community Justice Exchange will be distributed across local, community bail funds in the National Bail Fund Network who are posting bail for people experiencing criminalization, including the criminalization of protest and dissent.

"With Appreciation,

The National Bail Fund Network."

As you can see, it's all fairly straightforward, though for ease of reading, you can follow the asterisks to the relevant link below, and take it from there. Bail reform is a cause that doesn't get as much attention as it should, even though money -- or, for most of us, lack of it -- greases the wheels of the legal system. It's the reason why "blacks rot in our county jails," to coin a phrase from the Crucifucks, while the overdogs who walk us suffer only a momentary lapse of their freedom.

The picture grows even starker when you other realities, such as the lack of court-appointed lawyers for civil matters. Why should people forgo basic legal rights, when the outcomes of losing an eviction case -- or a medical debt lawsuit -- can end up being just as crazy-making, and life-shattering?

If we're really serious about making a more equal America, these are the issues that we'll have to confront. But that's why we've also included the ABA editorial (see link below), which should provide plenty of food for thought. The only silver lining in all this is the backlash against the power of Big Money, which has the power to turn into a tsunami in 2026, and beyond. Donating to causes like these is one of the best ways to kick-start it. --The Reckoner

Links To Go: Community Justice Exchange/ National Bail Fund Network: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/nbfn-directory ****Community Pretrial Bail Fund Donations: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/pretrial-directory **Immigration Bond Freedom Fund Donations: https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/en/immigration-directory *National Bail Fund Network Donations: ttps://secure.actblue.com/donate/immbondfreedom ***Pretrial Bail Freedom Fund Donations: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/pretrialfreedom The American Bar Association: Legal Help For Civil Matters Shouldn't Be Reserved For The Rich: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/legal-help-for-civil-matters-shouldnt-be-reserved-for-the-rich