Applebaum and Joplin

The drive to Joplin is pretty straightforward for me…just go South. I was invited to speak there last Saturday by the Southwest Missouri Democrats and the newly-formed Joplin Indivisible group.

They hoped to have around 50 people — they were surprised to not have enough chairs for well over 200 people.

Standing room only it is…

It’s a four-hour drive to Joplin and I needed a new book to listen to on the way. I downloaded Anne Applebaum’s book — AUTOCRACY, INC, The Dictators Who Want to Run the World.

Lord have mercy. I could have picked something less intense. But, I like living on the edge — evidenced by my residing in a red state — and I also like to understand current events through history.

It’s also why I read Heather Cox Richardson every morning.

I have read Applebaum before, and she is a Pulitzer Prize winning author for a reason, but her work is not for the faint of heart.

She cuts through theocratic and autocratic systems of oppression and lays it out for all to see. Her book looks at autocracies - Russia and China and Iran and North Korea and Venezuela and Zimbabwe. Those autocratic countries that work together to support one another. How they preserve their power and undermine the democratic world.

I listened to the stories of very transparent corruption in these countries, and I couldn’t help but think about how all of the structures to support autocracy have been put in place in our country. I recognized these structures immediately because I live in a red state and we have been the proving ground for autocrats for decades.

The book was written before Trump’s second term, but she does mention him often. I felt that she knew that his second term was not unlikely, and maybe very likely.

Prescient.

After about three hours into the audiobook, I had to turn it off. It is horrifying because it doesn’t varnish the truth. A naked look at autocracy while you’re living it is difficult to bear.

I was starting to feel panic creep into my stomach and spread up into my throat. That’s a feeling I know immediately — it’s my nervous system telling me I am about to have a really bad day if I don’t quit whatever I’m doing that is upsetting it.

Fight or flight. Or turn off the audiobook.

I quickly turned on my soothing music playlist. It isn’t what you think…it’s mostly Nirvana and Rage Against the Machine which aren’t really soothing groups, but they are familiar and I know all the words, so it helps me get amped up for an event, but it also calms my nervous system with a familiar routine.

“F’ck you, I won’t do what you tell me.” ~RATM

The Joplin event was set to begin at 2 pm, but I could tell by the cars in the parking lot that this place was filling up by 1:30. I always know I am in the right place by the bumper stickers…I saw Harris stickers and rainbow flags and Ukrainian flags on the cars. I was definitely in the right place.

When I walked in, I went straight for the bathroom. I had to touch up my makeup and brush my hair.

I met a few ladies at the sink who told me they had driven from Arkansas to be with like-minded folks. They were also definitely in the right place.

I rounded the corner to walk into the community room, and as I opened the glass door, the room erupted into applause.

That has never happened before. These folks were ready…so was I.

Over 200 people gathered at the library in Joplin, Missouri. 5/31/25

My opening lines are always about what made me go from teaching to full-time to activism. Long story short: it was the near-total abortion ban instituted in 2018 and the fact that my State Rep at the time, Allen Andrews, voted to ban the procedure with no exemptions for Missouri women.

I spoke about the Missouri GOP overturning our will on abortion and earned sick time and a higher minimum wage and when I tell you the rage that seethed in that room at the mention of those things…it was palpable. The audience grew irritable and shook their heads and whispered to their neighbors.

It’s the visceral response I see and hear when I talk about the initiative petition process and the GOP consistently not fulfilling their Constitutional duties to follow the will of the people.

The groans and the gasps of irate constituents. The Republicans regularly negate our votes and it’s infuriating.

Republican lawmakers don’t even bother to show up to speak to their constituents, but I don’t know if showing up would actually be better.

Did you hear what Iowa Senator Joni Ernst told her constituents in a recent town hall? “We are all going to die” is no answer to why she plans to vote to cut Medicaid.

I take that back…that IS her answer to why she’ll vote to strip health insurance from the most vulnerable. She doesn’t care.

I speak on a regular basis now. Usually, at least once a week and occasionally up to four times a week. It’s an exhausting schedule, but it’s one I wish more were keeping because we have an opportunity right now, at this very second — show up and spread a Democratic message.

Show up. It sounds so easy…so why aren’t we?

I’m going to say something that sounds like an indictment, and it is, but I mean it in the softest way I can say it: elected Democrats, get into communities across your district and state. Don’t avoid an area because it has no Democratic representation. TARGET an area BECAUSE it has Republican representation.

Show up and see what happens.

Anne Applebaum was what I needed to listen to as I mentally prepped to talk to folks in Joplin. She wrote the things that frighten me most. She is telling the truth that I saw come to fruition in my GOP-dominated state. One that the Republicans, who are handled by the oligarchy, hope to take nationwide.

I finished the book, by the way. It is worth your time to read it. It’s important to read it.

Joplin was ready to hear what they already knew in a presentation on a Saturday afternoon. I know how to put on a pep rally, but I am nothing special. I don’t want to be the only person talking to red-state, rural people.

There should be dozens of us in this space, including elected Democrats.

I am a no one from nowhere. I gained a large audience when I told the truth and showed up when people asked me to show up.

When you are working in activist spaces, it’s pretty easy to see what needs to be done — but it’s not easy to do what needs to be done. The simplest thing to do is make yourself available to people who are begging to be heard.

No, demanding to be heard.

Listen to the people and give them ways to speak to their neighbors and offer them some hope. A task and solidarity.

Start by showing up.

~Jess