All organizing is local: How to throw sand in the gears of Trumpism.

When Republican lawmakers already are proposing to outlaw free speech by banning public protests that interfere with the convenient operation of automobiles, it's merely more proof that the loony bins have been emptied and the occupants have been elected to State Senate.

As we await Ron Grooms' inevitable vote in favor of gutting the Constitution, but not before he asks One Southern Indiana for permission, here are two articles from The Nation.

First, what you'll have to be doing quite apart from posting resistance memes on Facebook.

Throw Sand in the Gears of Everything, by Frances Fox Piven

When it comes to stopping Trump, petitions aren’t going to do it.

Chanting crowds are the familiar insignia of movements. And I think movement politics may even make resistance to a Trump regime possible. But while the great movements of American history were the crucial determinant of our most important democratic reforms—from the basic electoral elements of representative democracy, to Emancipation, to labor rights, to women’s and LGBTQ rights—none of these movements achieved their successes simply through the gathering of people to show their commitment. People gathered, of course, but what makes movements a force—when they are a force—is the deployment of a distinctive power that arises from the ability of angry and indignant people to at times defy the rules that usually ensure their cooperation and quiescence. Movements can mobilize people to refuse, to disobey, in effect to strike. In other words, people in motion, in movements, can throw sand in the gears of the institutions that depend on their cooperation. It therefore follows that movements need numbers, but they also need a strategy that maps the impact of their defiance and the ensuing disruptions on the authority of decision-makers.

Piven observes that "political leaders in big cities are beginning to provide just that sort of electoral resonance and encouragement," and while noting that New Albany is a small city without a coherent leader in a county that voted overwhelmingly for Trump, there is at least a possibility that cities can be incubators for the resistance.

We may even be able to do some of it here, but if so, it will come without either political or community pillar support -- and on occasion, you might be forced to miss an IU basketball game. Sorry about that.

Cities Have the Power to Finally Bridge MLK’s ‘Two Americas’, by Ras J. Baraka and Ryan P. Haygood (The Nation)

The solutions to the enduring problem of economic inequality will have to come from the ground up in our cities, not from Washington, DC, down

Fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., looked to our city, Newark, New Jersey, and other urban communities and explained that the country consisted of “two Americas,” divided by race.

... At this critical juncture in our nation’s history, on the eve of the presidential inauguration after one of the most divisive and racially charged presidential campaigns in history, our cities hold incredible promise to advance an agenda that unites us, and to incubate progressive solutions to finally bridging the two Americas.

To do this, we must ensure that every person has access to economic opportunity through employment that pays a true living wage. This is the most direct way to confront poverty in our nation, and to bridge our class and race divides.

The solutions to the enduring problem of economic inequality will have to come from the ground up in our cities, not from Washington, DC, down.

A book about Newark's attempt to rebuild its schools.

The reviewer calls it "one of the most important books on education to come along in years. It serves as a kind of corrective to the dominant narrative of school reformers across the country."

I'll ask two serious questions, because I don't know the answers.

When was the last time a City Hall team in New Albany got genuinely involved in matters of public education?

Conversely, when did school administration last take a serious interest in the city's management?

Yes, the mayor's wife is a principal, so I don't doubt there is interest. School administration cultivates an aura of lofty distance, but I'm equally confident that someone probably there cares how the city is run.

However, the public appearance is one of non-cooperation on the part of both "sides."

Is this accurate? Let me know what you think.

‘The Prize,’ by Dale Russakoff, a book review by Alex Kotlowitz (New York Times)

In America, education was long seen as the great equalizer, but that has become mostly myth. So, over the past decade, there has been a vigorous effort to fortify and rebuild our schools, and in this there is a recognition that we have failed our children, especially those living in poverty, those for whom education could — and should — be transformational. From Chicago to New Orleans, school reform has been engineered by the well heeled and well connected — from hedge fund managers to corporate heads to directors of foundations — who believe that with the right kind of teachers and pedagogy, and with a ­business-like administration, schooling can trump the daily burdens and indignities of growing up poor. “No excuses” has become the rallying cry of the reformers.

Along comes Dale Russakoff’s “The Prize,” a brilliantly reported behind-the-scenes account of one city’s attempt to right its failing public schools. When Russakoff began reporting this book in 2010, fewer than 40 percent of the students in the third through eighth grades in Newark, N.J., were reading or doing math at grade level — and nearly half of the system’s students dropped out before graduating. The schools were so broken that the state had taken them over. Something needed to be done. From this rubble emerged an exciting if not unusual partnership between three individuals who couldn’t have been more different from one another. The city’s black Democratic mayor, the charismatic and ambitious Cory Booker, joined hands with the state’s blustery and ambitious white Republican governor, Chris Christie, to reimagine Newark’s schools. Together, they enlisted Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, who pledged a whopping $100 million — to be matched by another $100 million, which the city raised, mostly from foundations and private individuals. It was such an extraordinary gift that Zuckerberg, with Booker and Christie by his side, announced it on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” As Russakoff writes: “Their stated goal was not to repair education in Newark but to develop a model for saving it in all of urban America.” This is what makes “The Prize” essential reading. Newark was to be our compass for school reform.

2014 Euro Reunion Tour, Day 2: A little bit of Portugal in Newark.

The night man at the front desk of the Robert Treat Hotel told us to go to Ferry Street, and that's what we did. The recommendation was spot on. Ferry Street boasts a great deal of Iberian character, and seated in a Portuguese bakery with sweets and coffee, surrounded by regulars speaking the language of Lisbon (and Sao Paulo), it was easy to imagine being elsewhere. This feeling always is part of the romance of travel for me, anyway. The photos do it scant justice, but when in Newark, check out Ferry Street. Next time, perhaps an evening meal will provide the opportunity to pair imported Sagres with tripe stew. Or, we may just go to Portugal and cut out Frankie Valli (see preceding).

Damned one-way streets. At least in Newark, people double park in them.

Walking back toward the hotel, there was a farmers market, yet again without permanent infrastructure to support it. How is it possible?

In early afternoon, the shuttle deposited us at Newark Liberty Airport. It was September 11, and I couldn't help recalling earlier transfers at Newark. Once was before 9-11, and the other after it. First the twin towers, and then a hole in the ground. Seeing the new tower on the horizon felt puzzling in a way. Still, there was a plane to catch. Following a meal of sushi and Sam Adams, we caught it.

2014 Euro Reunion Tour, Day 1: Working our way back to Berlin, via Newark.

(backdated for chronological unity)

Owing to the weirdness of United's flight schedules out of Louisville, we elected to spend a relatively inexpensive Wednesday evening in Newark, New Jersey, rather than endure eight hours waiting inside the city's airport on Thursday. As such, there'd be four or five hours to explore downtown Newark on Thursday morning and early afternoon, prior to the transatlantic flight.

Granted, Newark may not enjoy the finest reputation among holiday destinations, but even with New York City a scant eight miles away, it seemed fitting to take a look at the urban scene closest to the lodging. There's always something interesting, everywhere.

The night man at the front desk of the Robert Treat Hotel was quick to recommend Ferry Street as the best destination, and so the plan of action was clear: Following a good night's sleep on Wednesday amid the hotel's strange and dated elegance, we would embark upon an orientation hike the following morning.

However, what I didn't count on was the subliminal effect of reading a magazine article about Newark native Frankie Valli, and his group The Four Seasons. Merely seeing the names of songs caused them to begin playing in my brain, especially this unfortunate hit from 1975 -- not 1963.

Not the way I'd have chosen to begin a European trip, musically speaking.