Good Riddance: The Bubbling over of Our Collective Rage Has Begun

On the state of politics in America, the rise in resistance, and a good old-fashioned middle finger.

A sign from the Hands Off! protest in New York City on April 5 where I joined tens of thousands of people marching. The sign says it all.

Welcome back to Good Riddance, our weekly series where you can let something go from the week before in the comments below.

Something has been bubbling underneath America—since the election, but also way, way before it—and this week, I’m finally feeling like it’s making its grand entrance to the surface. From people who have been on the frontlines of organizing for years to people who once were apathetic or uninformed or simply didn’t think they would be affected by politics—we are all cracking open with profound rage at the injustices taking place in the U.S. and the idea that we have no control over any of it; that we can’t or won’t be able to fight back or that democracy, as we know it, is over.

But best protest sign ever?

But nothing is over, and in fact, so much has only just begun. That anger, that rage, the energy you thought was lost, snuffed out by the reckoning of having to go through another era of this president all over again? It’s back. That push to recommit yourself to resistance is calling again. Can you feel it? The charge in you, electric with its fury?

Sen. Cory Booker’s historic 25-hour speech on the Senate floor was a seismic wake-up call. However simply symbolic it may have felt to some, we needed it. It reminded all of us how to hold our ground, literally and metaphorically, for as long as it takes, bathroom breaks be damned. The speech in and of itself did not change any laws or stop anything terrible from happening that is not already happening (the damage DOGE is doing, illegally disappearing innocent people to foreign prisons with no due process, wreaking economic havoc, pissing off our closest allies, etc.) but it did remind us of the power of standing up to something, of being bold and unapologetic and resilient and strong at a moment when even the biggest law firms, tech companies, and legacy media outlets are bending to the pressures of this administration, often preemptively. (Reminder: Do not obey in advance.)¹

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders have also been working to reignite resistance as they continue their highly attended “Fighting Oligarchy” tour in cities across the United States. It was with the same energy of that tour and Sen. Booker’s speech that millions took to the streets last week for a nationwide protest. The Hands Off! protest brought people out in massive numbers to progressive and conservative cities all over to remind those in power that they represent and work on behalf of the people.

Images from the NYC protest on April 5, 2025.

This week, I’m letting go of the notion that this country of ours is down for the count. I’m letting go of the opinion that we are a helpless nation in a state of foregone conclusion. Because I know there is still a lot of vim and vigor in the way we can and we are coming together to give this administration the finger—to show them, and the world, that America is still worth fighting for.

What are you letting go of (or giving the finger to) this week?

• April’s The Short and Sweet, Sunday, April 27 at 1pm ET: The next edition of The Short and Sweet, our Zoom get together for paid subscribers, will take place on Sunday, April 27 from 1pm-2pm ET. April is National Poetry Month, and to celebrate, I’ve asked the brilliant poet Sarah Kay to join us as we talk about how to write the best poems of our lives. We’ll explore how to craft a killer line and knowing when and how to edit your work. Join us for this creatively joyous experience. The Zoom link will be emailed to paid subscribers about thirty minutes before the start of the Zoom.

• 5AM StoryTalk
  Podcast + bonus episode: I had the pleasure of joining fellow Substacker Cole Haddon for his 5AM StoryTalk podcast where we talked about political resistance, nostalgia as a balm for creatively disruptive times, and much more. Listen to the episode here. And if you’d like to hear about the Tim Curry movie that changed my entire life, check out our bonus episode (dedicated entirely to my love for the 1985 Ridley Scott film, Legend).

1. From On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by

Timothy Snyder

(Crown, 2017)