Truth to Power Reading Hour - "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder

“American democracy must be defended from Americans who would exploit its freedoms to bring about its end” – On Tyranny 

Lest we begin adapting without first reflecting...

Politics. We are aghast when a person standing in front of us starts talking politics and this reaction is emboldened by its forbidden nature at gatherings because it’s “impolite”.

Why? Because the very topic of politics has become synonymous with hostility. (Perhaps, now, rightfully so.)

It is easier to be convinced who’s to blame when the opportunity to invite opposing views under an umbrella of human decency is terrorized by fear. 

It is easier to obscure the truth when the algorithms lead you through a labyrinth of echo chambers, repeating what they want you to believe instead of looking into another person’s eyes, hearing their story, and telling yours.

We participate by indulging ourselves in the two-dimensional world of social media, inflamed to yelling with our loudest fingers, as the media and politicians spoon feed every greed-soaked word into our mouths to satiate their hunger for power.

We wince at the flavor, but poison is as poison does. Our friends and family are transformed in front of our eyes to unrecognizable monsters who would sooner empty their bank accounts to see the other side beaten with ridicule (or just beaten) for 5 minutes than see the monster for what it really is…

A billion dollar lie. 

And so it is with an air of civil responsibility and moral justice that we participate in the oldest human tradition of storytelling. 

Join us at Terry Schrunk Plaza directly across the street from City Hall on SW 4th Ave. on June 6th at noon for our very first Truth to Power Reading Hour of On Tyranny, written by Timothy Snyder. If you are interested in volunteering to read aloud, please message me directly.

Please bring lawn chairs, blankets, and/or pillows to sit on.

To the resistance!

6
Attendees
Starts on
Friday, June 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM PDT
Ends on
Friday, June 6, 2025 at 2:00 PM PDT
Terry Schrunk Plaza
431 Southwest Madison Street
Portland, OR, 97204
United States
Get Directions via Google Maps

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