Political Activist
Born with a rebellious streak, Betty has resisted traditions and practices that she felt were unfair. This was not always easy for her conservative parents! Her first visit to Washington, D.C. was to protest the Gag Rule in the Regan era. The most recent visit took place in 2017 at the Women’s March on Washington. It turned out to be her television debut on the national evening news.
For four and half years, Betty sent out daily action emails to a group of 300 resisters focusing on combating the Trump Administration’s destructive actions.
ELIZABETH REED WRITES ON MEDIUM
ELECTION NIGHT
DAY 1384
By Elizabeth Reed
You are invited to attend the most anticipated event since 2016
Election Night, Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020
To: Action Alert Group
Time: 8:00 P.M.
Place: Your device
Directions: usa.web.zoom/byedon/firetheliar/fighttruthdecay/vetothecheeto
Dress Code
Hillary Clinton’s supporters wore white pantsuits to the polls in 2016. In pandemic-2020 no one cares what you wear. But don’t associate fashion apathy with voting apathy. That infamous election catapulted Americans from their leather recliners and switched their channels from passive observation to active participation. I know, because I am one of them. Read more
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How Mike Pence Changed Me From a Hater Into a Lover
Photo by Zoaib KhanI used to hate you but now I love you
Because you know how to find real shit—and you eat it
Because you have not only one, but TWO red eyes
Because the sound of your name defines you—you fly, you lie
Because your humble origins begin as an ovum placed on carrion, dung or food waste, then turn into a crawling maggot, then cocoon in a pupa and emerge as a full adult
Because for nourishment you vomit on any pabulum, regurgitate it, suck it up and feed on it
Because you live in humble dumpsters and port-a-potties
Because you abandon polluted water sources
Because you’ve inspired unforgettable movies and scenes—The Fly, Amityville Horror and literary masterpieces of evil—The Lord of the Flies
Because you are a superspreader of dysentery, food poisoning, COVID-19?
Because you annoy and distract real humans
Because you are attracted to Aqua Net For Men.
Elizabeth Reed is an author, musician, political activist and traveler who has visited over 45 countries with her husband and one or two children in tow.
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CONSEQUENCE
Volume 8: Spring 2016
POCKETS OF RESISTANCE
January 11, 2017
by ELIZABETH reed
A few weeks ago I grabbed my raincoat as I ran out the door to attend my son’s orchestra concert. It wasn’t cold enough for a hat, but it was cool enough for gloves. When I searched my coat pockets, I found a plastic spider I’d forgotten to hang up on our web-covered bushes at Halloween and a campaign pin—a picture of Hillary Clinton with smart, ready, tested written on it. Halloween and autumn canvassing in New Hampshire felt like a lifetime ago.
As the concert music started I let Beethoven’s symphony wrap around me like a mantle of the determination that embodied him. Beethoven always carried a notebook in his pockets to jot down musical ideas, and later when he was completely deaf, to communicate with others in writing. He resisted against his deafness; he fought it in the best way he could—by composing one masterpiece after another. Beethoven showed us that silence is not the answer. His determination made me realize we must take our hands out of our pockets and resist. Read more
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DONALD TRUMP IS CANCER
December 8, 2016
Written by Guest Contributor Elizabeth Reed
The day after the election of Donald J. Trump I relived the day I received my first cancer diagnosis, ten years ago. This is what happens. I gape at the results—a malignancy has invaded my life. I sob. Nausea overwhelms me. My head pounds with a pressure headache. I cannot pause my mind’s loop tape—yesterday’s future is suddenly, shockingly at risk. I troll the internet, hunting down facts. I call my sisters and we cry. I pull the threads of my house around me to create a cocoon. I acknowledge the insidious hate this monster has spawned and vow to expel the venomous anger coursing through my veins. I drink too much wine at dinner. Controlling the angst is a herculean task that requires music and chocolate. At my piano I play Bach, whose pieces are intricate statements of peace. I eat a gigantic brownie for lunch. Read more
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