Jeff Spencer
@revjss.bsky.social
Pastor and Teacher of Niles Discovery Church (a DOC/UCC congregation), punster, and climate activist. CO2 level at birth: 319.5ppm. he/him http://linktr.ee/revjss
<- the message they carry is directed at all Americans: you must do what the Trump administration and its loyalists demand.”
You can read the whole “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-10...
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You can read the whole “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-10...
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January 10, 2026
Yesterday, in an apparent attempt to regain control of the national narrative surrounding the deadly shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis, Vice President J.D.
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
February 14, 2026 at 12:30 AM
<- the message they carry is directed at all Americans: you must do what the Trump administration and its loyalists demand.”
You can read the whole “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-10...
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You can read the whole “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-10...
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<- exercising their constitutional rights must submit, without question, to a white man holding a gun.
“This is the larger meaning of federal agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol in U.S. cities. While they are attacking primarily people of color, ->
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“This is the larger meaning of federal agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol in U.S. cities. While they are attacking primarily people of color, ->
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February 14, 2026 at 12:30 AM
<- exercising their constitutional rights must submit, without question, to a white man holding a gun.
“This is the larger meaning of federal agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol in U.S. cities. While they are attacking primarily people of color, ->
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“This is the larger meaning of federal agents from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Patrol in U.S. cities. While they are attacking primarily people of color, ->
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I’m behind reading many “Letters from an American,” by Dr. Heather Cox Richardson. I finally read her January 10 letter, which includes this vitally important insights:
“The thread that runs through both [the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and Renee Good] is the assumption that an American ->
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“The thread that runs through both [the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and Renee Good] is the assumption that an American ->
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February 14, 2026 at 12:30 AM
I’m behind reading many “Letters from an American,” by Dr. Heather Cox Richardson. I finally read her January 10 letter, which includes this vitally important insights:
“The thread that runs through both [the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and Renee Good] is the assumption that an American ->
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“The thread that runs through both [the killing of Ahmaud Arbery and Renee Good] is the assumption that an American ->
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Why, when the use of tear gas (or "riot control agents") as a method of warfare is banned by the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention and considered a war crime under international law, specifically the Geneva Protocol of 1925, we didn’t ban it’s use decades ago is beyond me.
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The military is banned from using tear gas on the battlefield, but police can use it on crowds at home. Here’s why | CNN
The use of the chemical agent to disperse crowds has come under criticism lately.
www.cnn.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:41 PM
Why, when the use of tear gas (or "riot control agents") as a method of warfare is banned by the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention and considered a war crime under international law, specifically the Geneva Protocol of 1925, we didn’t ban it’s use decades ago is beyond me.
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The chemicals bind to walls, carpets, clothing, furniture, and even children’s toys, they say, creating a toxic environment.
My fantasy is that the courts end up ordering all policing agencies to (federal to local) to stop using tear gas.
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My fantasy is that the courts end up ordering all policing agencies to (federal to local) to stop using tear gas.
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February 12, 2026 at 10:41 PM
The chemicals bind to walls, carpets, clothing, furniture, and even children’s toys, they say, creating a toxic environment.
My fantasy is that the courts end up ordering all policing agencies to (federal to local) to stop using tear gas.
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My fantasy is that the courts end up ordering all policing agencies to (federal to local) to stop using tear gas.
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This is a lawsuit to watch. The residents of affordable housing complex are suing the Trump administration, making a novel legal accusation. The U.S. government is knowingly releasing poisonous gas into the homes of its own citizens, they allege in their lawsuit.
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For Months, Tear Gas Has Entered Their Homes. Now They’re Suing ICE.
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:41 PM
This is a lawsuit to watch. The residents of affordable housing complex are suing the Trump administration, making a novel legal accusation. The U.S. government is knowingly releasing poisonous gas into the homes of its own citizens, they allege in their lawsuit.
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<- So, on the bus, when the officer said he was going to have to take me to jail, I looked at him with great peace and said, 'You may do that; I am free.'" (Rosa Parks reflecting on self-imposed suffering.)
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February 9, 2026 at 11:31 PM
<- So, on the bus, when the officer said he was going to have to take me to jail, I looked at him with great peace and said, 'You may do that; I am free.'" (Rosa Parks reflecting on self-imposed suffering.)
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When faith calls us to act boldly, which it almost certainly will, these words from Rosa Parks may be of comfort.
"I finally realized that for fear of that county jail, I had ended up putting myself in prison. That morning, as I realized what I had done, I decided to set myself free. ->
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"I finally realized that for fear of that county jail, I had ended up putting myself in prison. That morning, as I realized what I had done, I decided to set myself free. ->
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February 9, 2026 at 11:31 PM
When faith calls us to act boldly, which it almost certainly will, these words from Rosa Parks may be of comfort.
"I finally realized that for fear of that county jail, I had ended up putting myself in prison. That morning, as I realized what I had done, I decided to set myself free. ->
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"I finally realized that for fear of that county jail, I had ended up putting myself in prison. That morning, as I realized what I had done, I decided to set myself free. ->
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I was today years old when I learned the alternative spelling of “black” is “the most common species within the continental United States of”
February 9, 2026 at 4:04 AM
I was today years old when I learned the alternative spelling of “black” is “the most common species within the continental United States of”
<- for what happens in our community.’”
Read the full “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-7...
Read the full “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-7...
February 7, 2026
Yesterday two right-wing circuit judges signed off on the Trump administration’s new mass detention policy: the extraordinary assertion that vast numbers of noncitizens throughout the country can be a...
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
<- for what happens in our community.’”
Read the full “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-7...
Read the full “Letter” at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-7...
<- not subject to local zoning, what could I do?” But I think, when he reflected on the suffering that occurred at this camp, just outside of town, that those words would have sounded hollow even to him. Because in his heart he knew, as we do, that we are all responsible ->
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
<- not subject to local zoning, what could I do?” But I think, when he reflected on the suffering that occurred at this camp, just outside of town, that those words would have sounded hollow even to him. Because in his heart he knew, as we do, that we are all responsible ->
<- how ICE will use this warehouse. But we know enough. I ask you to consider what the mayor of Ohrdruf might have thought before he died. Maybe he felt like a victim. He might have thought, “How is this my fault? I had no jurisdiction over this.” Maybe he would have said, "This site was ->
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
<- how ICE will use this warehouse. But we know enough. I ask you to consider what the mayor of Ohrdruf might have thought before he died. Maybe he felt like a victim. He might have thought, “How is this my fault? I had no jurisdiction over this.” Maybe he would have said, "This site was ->
<- done by those that the German people chose to lead them, and all are responsible.”
“‘The morning after the tour, the mayor of Ohrdruf killed himself. And maybe he did not know the full extent of the outrages that were committed in his community, but he knew enough. And we don't know exactly ->
“‘The morning after the tour, the mayor of Ohrdruf killed himself. And maybe he did not know the full extent of the outrages that were committed in his community, but he knew enough. And we don't know exactly ->
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
<- done by those that the German people chose to lead them, and all are responsible.”
“‘The morning after the tour, the mayor of Ohrdruf killed himself. And maybe he did not know the full extent of the outrages that were committed in his community, but he knew enough. And we don't know exactly ->
“‘The morning after the tour, the mayor of Ohrdruf killed himself. And maybe he did not know the full extent of the outrages that were committed in his community, but he knew enough. And we don't know exactly ->
<- German civilians who viewed the scenes without muttering a word that they were to blame. One of the Germans replied that what happened in the camp was “done by a few people,” and “you cannot blame us all.” And the American, who could have been any one of our grandfathers, said: “This was ->
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
<- German civilians who viewed the scenes without muttering a word that they were to blame. One of the Germans replied that what happened in the camp was “done by a few people,” and “you cannot blame us all.” And the American, who could have been any one of our grandfathers, said: “This was ->
<- reminded the council of Ohrdruf, the first Nazi camp liberated by U.S. troops, on April 4, 1945. He said:
“‘The U.S. Army brought the leading citizens of Ohrdruf to tour the facility, which turned out to be part of the Buchenwald network of concentration camps. A U.S. Army colonel told the ->
“‘The U.S. Army brought the leading citizens of Ohrdruf to tour the facility, which turned out to be part of the Buchenwald network of concentration camps. A U.S. Army colonel told the ->
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
<- reminded the council of Ohrdruf, the first Nazi camp liberated by U.S. troops, on April 4, 1945. He said:
“‘The U.S. Army brought the leading citizens of Ohrdruf to tour the facility, which turned out to be part of the Buchenwald network of concentration camps. A U.S. Army colonel told the ->
“‘The U.S. Army brought the leading citizens of Ohrdruf to tour the facility, which turned out to be part of the Buchenwald network of concentration camps. A U.S. Army colonel told the ->
These three paragraphs are a warning and a call to all of us to stand up against these plans.
“On Tuesday, February 3, more than a thousand people turned out for the Surprise [Arizona] City Council meeting to oppose the establishment of the federal detention center. One of the speakers ->
“On Tuesday, February 3, more than a thousand people turned out for the Surprise [Arizona] City Council meeting to oppose the establishment of the federal detention center. One of the speakers ->
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
These three paragraphs are a warning and a call to all of us to stand up against these plans.
“On Tuesday, February 3, more than a thousand people turned out for the Surprise [Arizona] City Council meeting to oppose the establishment of the federal detention center. One of the speakers ->
“On Tuesday, February 3, more than a thousand people turned out for the Surprise [Arizona] City Council meeting to oppose the establishment of the federal detention center. One of the speakers ->
In her February 7, 2026, “Letter from an American,” Dr. Heather Cox Richardson offers a comprehensive roundup of DHS’s plans regarding the creation of more immigrant concentration camps. It’s appalling.
I found the final three paragraphs of the “Letter” to be especially powerful (in thread).
I found the final three paragraphs of the “Letter” to be especially powerful (in thread).
February 7, 2026
Yesterday two right-wing circuit judges signed off on the Trump administration’s new mass detention policy: the extraordinary assertion that vast numbers of noncitizens throughout the country can be a...
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 AM
In her February 7, 2026, “Letter from an American,” Dr. Heather Cox Richardson offers a comprehensive roundup of DHS’s plans regarding the creation of more immigrant concentration camps. It’s appalling.
I found the final three paragraphs of the “Letter” to be especially powerful (in thread).
I found the final three paragraphs of the “Letter” to be especially powerful (in thread).
"The last colder-than-average month on planet earth was in February of 1985, which means that no one under the age of forty has ever known one." Bill McKibben
February 9, 2026 at 12:13 AM
"The last colder-than-average month on planet earth was in February of 1985, which means that no one under the age of forty has ever known one." Bill McKibben
When we notice the holiness of every place and every being, when we look for the altars that are everywhere and mark the sacredness of all places and beings, we heal creation and our spirits.
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February 8, 2026 at 10:50 PM
When we notice the holiness of every place and every being, when we look for the altars that are everywhere and mark the sacredness of all places and beings, we heal creation and our spirits.
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In this sermon, I talk about what makes certain places sacred to us, the reality that all of creation is sacred, and that the places humans have desecrated need healing as do our own souls.
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February 8, 2026 at 10:50 PM
In this sermon, I talk about what makes certain places sacred to us, the reality that all of creation is sacred, and that the places humans have desecrated need healing as do our own souls.
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The manuscript for today’s #sermon, “There Are Altars Everywhere,” is on my blog. jeffsjottings.wordpress.com/2026/02/08/t...
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There Are Altars Everywhere
A sermon preached at Niles Discovery Church, Fremont, California,on Sunday, February 8, 2026, by the Rev. Jeffrey Spencer.Scriptures: Psalm 84 and Exodus 3:1-5Copyright © 2026 by Jeffrey S. Spence…
jeffsjottings.wordpress.com
February 8, 2026 at 10:50 PM
The manuscript for today’s #sermon, “There Are Altars Everywhere,” is on my blog. jeffsjottings.wordpress.com/2026/02/08/t...
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At least there are people tracking it.
The Birther-in-Chief's disgusting history of racism has its own page on Wikipedia.
See for yourself, here: shorturl.at/UQaXQ
See for yourself, here: shorturl.at/UQaXQ
February 7, 2026 at 11:50 PM
At least there are people tracking it.
Reposted by Jeff Spencer
To say “I don’t do politics” is to say “I don’t do power.” Politics is another word for power. To say “I don’t do power” is to say “dominate me.” Meaning, to say “I don’t do politics” is to consent to being dominated. Precisely what these authoritarian regimes want.
February 7, 2026 at 8:28 PM
To say “I don’t do politics” is to say “I don’t do power.” Politics is another word for power. To say “I don’t do power” is to say “dominate me.” Meaning, to say “I don’t do politics” is to consent to being dominated. Precisely what these authoritarian regimes want.
<- The Brennan Center for Justice found that if the measure passes, about 21 million Americans could lose their votes.
Read the full letter at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-6...
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Read the full letter at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-6...
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February 6, 2026
Late last night, President Donald J.
heathercoxrichardson.substack.com
February 7, 2026 at 11:47 PM
<- The Brennan Center for Justice found that if the measure passes, about 21 million Americans could lose their votes.
Read the full letter at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-6...
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Read the full letter at heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/february-6...
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<- their birth certificates, and the names of married women who took their husband’s last name and transgender Americans would not match their birth certificates. All of these groups tend to vote for Democrats. The bill also calls for state officials to purge voter rolls. ->
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February 7, 2026 at 11:47 PM
<- their birth certificates, and the names of married women who took their husband’s last name and transgender Americans would not match their birth certificates. All of these groups tend to vote for Democrats. The bill also calls for state officials to purge voter rolls. ->
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