Rachel Brickner
@thethingofitis.bsky.social
Teaching Politics at Acadia U; dog walking and gardening in Wolfville, NS; reading books on my old couch; always rooting for my hometown, Detroit, MI.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
It has always been so obvious that the backlash to MeToo isn’t about whether the abuse is happening but whether people are allowed to want it to stop
November 17, 2025 at 9:27 PM
It has always been so obvious that the backlash to MeToo isn’t about whether the abuse is happening but whether people are allowed to want it to stop
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
October 30, 2025 at 8:07 AM
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
this rocks. when indiana edu killed the student newspaper, Purdue stepped up, printed the forbidden issue, drove it to Bloomington and stocked the boxes.
October 18, 2025 at 6:27 PM
this rocks. when indiana edu killed the student newspaper, Purdue stepped up, printed the forbidden issue, drove it to Bloomington and stocked the boxes.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
When you strip away humanity
July 26, 2025 at 11:31 AM
When you strip away humanity
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
Help @runforsomething.net meet the urgent demand for support. runforsomething.net/donate
June 29, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Help @runforsomething.net meet the urgent demand for support. runforsomething.net/donate
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
The takeaway is not that electoral politics will fix everything.
We know it won’t.
Obviously.
The takeaway is that people will show up if you give them hope & a way forward.
And that, my friends, can & must look like a lot of things right now.
We know it won’t.
Obviously.
The takeaway is that people will show up if you give them hope & a way forward.
And that, my friends, can & must look like a lot of things right now.
June 25, 2025 at 4:45 AM
The takeaway is not that electoral politics will fix everything.
We know it won’t.
Obviously.
The takeaway is that people will show up if you give them hope & a way forward.
And that, my friends, can & must look like a lot of things right now.
We know it won’t.
Obviously.
The takeaway is that people will show up if you give them hope & a way forward.
And that, my friends, can & must look like a lot of things right now.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
happy zohran day to all who celebrate
June 24, 2025 at 12:51 PM
happy zohran day to all who celebrate
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
the thing with Mamdani is that he’s obviously an incredible political talent - the campaign he’s run has been extremely impressive even if you don’t like his policies
the party should be delighted, and that they’re instead pulling out all the stops to beat him speaks volumes
the party should be delighted, and that they’re instead pulling out all the stops to beat him speaks volumes
June 22, 2025 at 6:59 PM
the thing with Mamdani is that he’s obviously an incredible political talent - the campaign he’s run has been extremely impressive even if you don’t like his policies
the party should be delighted, and that they’re instead pulling out all the stops to beat him speaks volumes
the party should be delighted, and that they’re instead pulling out all the stops to beat him speaks volumes
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
Peaceful 10K march in Los Angeles against ICE and National Guard. Trump is the one spewing vitriol and inciting violence.
June 8, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Peaceful 10K march in Los Angeles against ICE and National Guard. Trump is the one spewing vitriol and inciting violence.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
I've started explicitly addressing some of what's described in this article as I go on my merry way, institution to institution insisting that we can and must continue to teach writing. There's two main risks. Both are real. 🧵
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/t...
The Professors Are Using ChatGPT, and Some Students Aren’t Happy About It
www.nytimes.com
May 14, 2025 at 12:16 PM
I've started explicitly addressing some of what's described in this article as I go on my merry way, institution to institution insisting that we can and must continue to teach writing. There's two main risks. Both are real. 🧵
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/t...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/t...
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
A Chicago Pope implies the existence of an MLA Pope and APA Pope
May 8, 2025 at 5:36 PM
A Chicago Pope implies the existence of an MLA Pope and APA Pope
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
People using AI to cheat is one thing but what’s even more alarming is people talking about how they talk to ChatGPT all day, how they use it to write text messages to their friends, how it has usurped their own humanity at a time when we need people to resist tech fascism. That’s the real horror
May 7, 2025 at 2:03 PM
People using AI to cheat is one thing but what’s even more alarming is people talking about how they talk to ChatGPT all day, how they use it to write text messages to their friends, how it has usurped their own humanity at a time when we need people to resist tech fascism. That’s the real horror
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
Teaching the test across 4 decades? Student as customer about the same amount of time? AI purveyors should be grateful to have such a market groomed for them with so much help from the govering bodies of the institutions of higher learning
“Massive numbers of students are going to emerge from university with degrees, and into the workforce, who are essentially illiterate…Both in the literal sense and in the sense of being historically illiterate and having no knowledge of their own culture, much less anyone else’s.”
Everyone Is Cheating Their Way Through College
ChatGPT has unraveled the entire academic project.
nymag.com
May 7, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Teaching the test across 4 decades? Student as customer about the same amount of time? AI purveyors should be grateful to have such a market groomed for them with so much help from the govering bodies of the institutions of higher learning
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
Tremendous. By Joseph Fasano. poets.org/poem/student...
May 5, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Tremendous. By Joseph Fasano. poets.org/poem/student...
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
"Abolitionist" is not too strong a word here.
"We must not just seek just goals– an end to oppression, say, or accountability for harmdoers – we have to get there by striving to be the people we're supposed to be, every single step of the way."
"We must not just seek just goals– an end to oppression, say, or accountability for harmdoers – we have to get there by striving to be the people we're supposed to be, every single step of the way."
“We must not just seek just goals– an end to oppression, say, or accountability for harmdoers – we have to get there by striving to be the people we're supposed to be, every single step of the way.”
New:
What a popular Bible verse actually means, in context, w/plain & Kabbalistic understandings:
New:
What a popular Bible verse actually means, in context, w/plain & Kabbalistic understandings:
Pursue justice, justly
how to chase it beyond the slogan
www.lifeisasacredtext.com
April 21, 2025 at 1:34 PM
"Abolitionist" is not too strong a word here.
"We must not just seek just goals– an end to oppression, say, or accountability for harmdoers – we have to get there by striving to be the people we're supposed to be, every single step of the way."
"We must not just seek just goals– an end to oppression, say, or accountability for harmdoers – we have to get there by striving to be the people we're supposed to be, every single step of the way."
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
We need new leaders in Washington. I’m running for Senate to be one. Let’s go.
April 2, 2025 at 10:04 AM
We need new leaders in Washington. I’m running for Senate to be one. Let’s go.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
Are you keeping track?
Liberals or Democrats:
—won Wisconsin supreme court
—won Wisconsin school superintendent
—flipped mayorship of Aurora, IL's 2nd city
—flipped county executive position in WI's Winnebago
—strong results in school board races in WI
—very strong municipal results in IL
Liberals or Democrats:
—won Wisconsin supreme court
—won Wisconsin school superintendent
—flipped mayorship of Aurora, IL's 2nd city
—flipped county executive position in WI's Winnebago
—strong results in school board races in WI
—very strong municipal results in IL
Wisconsin's supreme court. Florida's congressional elections. Mayoral races in Aurora and Omaha. School board races.
Our 'big board' now contains the results from 13 major elections that took place on Tuesday.
Explore: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
Our 'big board' now contains the results from 13 major elections that took place on Tuesday.
Explore: boltsmag.org/whats-on-the...
The 20 Elections to Watch This April - Bolts
A Democratic candidate who railed against Elon Musk and his spending cuts flipped an ancestrally Republican district in Pennsylvania’s state Senate on Tuesday, March 25. Democrats, who will now repres...
boltsmag.org
April 2, 2025 at 4:08 AM
Are you keeping track?
Liberals or Democrats:
—won Wisconsin supreme court
—won Wisconsin school superintendent
—flipped mayorship of Aurora, IL's 2nd city
—flipped county executive position in WI's Winnebago
—strong results in school board races in WI
—very strong municipal results in IL
Liberals or Democrats:
—won Wisconsin supreme court
—won Wisconsin school superintendent
—flipped mayorship of Aurora, IL's 2nd city
—flipped county executive position in WI's Winnebago
—strong results in school board races in WI
—very strong municipal results in IL
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
When scholars of authoritarianism and fascism leave U.S. universities because of the deteriorating political situation here, we should really worry.
March 26, 2025 at 12:50 AM
When scholars of authoritarianism and fascism leave U.S. universities because of the deteriorating political situation here, we should really worry.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
If you accept that non-citizens have no right to due process, you are accepting that citizens have no right to due process. All the government has to do is claim that you are not a citizen; without due process you have no chance to prove the contrary.
March 24, 2025 at 10:18 PM
If you accept that non-citizens have no right to due process, you are accepting that citizens have no right to due process. All the government has to do is claim that you are not a citizen; without due process you have no chance to prove the contrary.
Truly glorious, hopeful thread! ❤️📚
being an indie bookseller in the helltimes has felt both very stable and very stabilizing, and part of me wishes everyone could be on my side of the counter for a little while, because I think it would help some of you be a little less cynical and doomy right now. so here is my VERY anecdotal data:
March 22, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Truly glorious, hopeful thread! ❤️📚
People asking who the leader of the Democratic Party is? She’s right here.
AOC: It is almost unthinkable why Senate Democrats would vote to to hand the few pieces of leverage that we have away for free when we've been sent here to protect social security, protect medicaid, and protect medicare.
March 14, 2025 at 11:56 AM
People asking who the leader of the Democratic Party is? She’s right here.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
The Department of Education is (was?) responsible for:
✅Distributing & monitoring spending for special-ed & low-income students;
✅Facilitating postsecondary financial aid; &
✅Civil rights enforcement
Impossible to see how dismantling it will do anything but hurt kids & students.
✅Distributing & monitoring spending for special-ed & low-income students;
✅Facilitating postsecondary financial aid; &
✅Civil rights enforcement
Impossible to see how dismantling it will do anything but hurt kids & students.
March 11, 2025 at 11:21 PM
The Department of Education is (was?) responsible for:
✅Distributing & monitoring spending for special-ed & low-income students;
✅Facilitating postsecondary financial aid; &
✅Civil rights enforcement
Impossible to see how dismantling it will do anything but hurt kids & students.
✅Distributing & monitoring spending for special-ed & low-income students;
✅Facilitating postsecondary financial aid; &
✅Civil rights enforcement
Impossible to see how dismantling it will do anything but hurt kids & students.
Reposted by Rachel Brickner
New Iraqi Uranium Tubes just dropped
Kevin Hassett suggests Canadian authorities are covering up major fentanyl operations: "I can tell you that in the situation room I've seen photographs of fentanyl labs in Canada that the law enforcement folks were leaving alone. Canada's got a big drug problem."
March 9, 2025 at 8:23 PM
New Iraqi Uranium Tubes just dropped
“There’s no Father’s Day card for men who turn their daughters into second-class citizens.”
JD Vance is a Bad Father
The empty masculinity of Trump’s men
open.substack.com
March 10, 2025 at 2:26 PM
“There’s no Father’s Day card for men who turn their daughters into second-class citizens.”