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Byates

@byates.bsky.social
5.4K followers 4K following 279 posts

Retired after a 40-year career in Health Care executive management. Vietnam veteran, US Army. Left the Republican Party twenty years ago now a proud Democrat straight ticket voter.

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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
The Commencement Speech Graduates Need To Hear Graduates, faculty, families. I am the ground you walk on. I am the air you breathe. I am the quiet constant force that made this moment possible for you to experience. I am Mother Nature, and this is my message to you.
open.substack.com
The Commencement Speech Graduates Need To Hear
But Never Do
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Growing Up "In the Wild." My generations childhood was perhaps the last generation to grow up almost by definition “in the wild.” We survived. open.substack.com/pub/byates28...
open.substack.com
Growing Up "In the Wild"
Lessons For Adulthood
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
"Resist Much, Obey Little." The prophecy of Walt Whitman
substack.com
Robert (@byates2820)
“Resist much, obey little.” — Walt Whitman “To the States or any one of them, or any city of the States, Resist much, obey little, Once unquestioning obedience, once fully enslaved, Once fully ens...
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
There are many metaphors for moving along the timeline called life. A journey, a garden, a roller coaster, or, as Forrest Gump famously said, a box of chocolates. All holding the essence of the "motion of life" through happiness, sadness, worry and doubt while searching for contentment.
open.substack.com
Life Journey
The Wind, The Mountain and The Sea
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Today, May 1st, is Law Day, a national day set aside to celebrate the rule of law. When better than National Law Day to look back to 1973 and to one man who spoke up about corruption and lawlessness in the Nixon White House.
open.substack.com
A White House of Lawlessness
And the Man Who Spoke Up
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 16/04/2026
What we should have learned from Artemis II but didn't.
open.substack.com
Rethinking Spaceship Earth
Is It Mars or Bust for Earth
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
It is too late for us to switch to a parliamentary form of government. A snap election sounds real good right now!
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
No Kings 3.0 was a huge success and MAGA know it!
open.substack.com
No Kings Movement Success
MAGA's Biggest Fear
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
When America Was Actually Great Hey Baby Boomers, as my Pappy would say "something ain't quite right" and you know it.
open.substack.com
When America Was Actually Great
Boomers We Did It Once, We Must Do It Again!
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Trump Won't Declare a National Emergency Before Midterms Same old tired playbook. Just a bigger, big lie.
open.substack.com
Trump Won't Declare a National Emergency Before Midterms
But?
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Amazing, almost 70% of "America First" Republicans support the United States involvement in another foreign war. What is this? Mass amnesia? How many times did you hear Trump supporters cheer when he promised "no new wars"?
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Trump’s War on Iran Is Illegal "The 'other presidents did it' argument is no justification to depart from constitutional limits. Indeed, this argument is one of the reasons abuses of presidential power have now reached crisis proportions."
open.substack.com
Trump’s War on Iran Is Illegal
Neither a future threat nor regime change can be legal justification for war without congressional authorization.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 24/02/2026
Leonnig: "The whistleblower says in Dec. 2025, when there was a mass shooting at Brown U, Kash was on his FBI director jet in FL & there was only one other available jet, but Patel ordered it to be put on standby for another team. That meant an evidence review team had to drive through the night..."
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Finally, Trump is releasing the files! No, no, not those files. The UFO files.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
U S Women’s Hockey Team wins Olympic Gold in 3 on 3 extra time.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
The Comply or Die Policy is Here “We are in the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.” – Kevin Roberts, President, Heritage Foundation, 2024
open.substack.com
The Comply or Die Policy is Here
It Is Bloody and It Is Failing
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
Yesterday, February 9th, was Gulf of America Day. How did you celebrate?
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Alexander S. Vindman @avindman.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
It’s not just words/ memes from this sick tyrant. It’s his horrible racist actions brutalizing communities across our country. Trump has the Black and Hispanic community in his cross-hairs. This must stop. I’m running for the U.S. Senate to be the fighter for all Floridians.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 08/02/2026
One year ago today. This didn’t age well.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
When our government acts contrary to the will of the people, when our government fails to protect voting rights, and hinder public participation in governance by martial force, legitimacy ends and tyranny begins. To quote C. S. Lewis, “When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.”
open.substack.com
The Power of The People
You Have It, Now Use It
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Sympathetic plaintiff, video evidence, multiple witnesses, clinicians' evaluation. This one will cost taxpayers at least $20million. And that is not enough to every pay her for her suffering and abuse from ICE!
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Is anyone keeping a data base on MAGA supporters.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Four Faces of Innocence.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
When you realize it all started with a lie!
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Coming to a newsstand near you next week.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
During his one-hour rambling PC Trump talked more about oil that Drugs. He wants the oil. Denmark/Greenland are you listening. He wants your mineral deposits!
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
With the expiration of the ACA Premium Tax Credits Congressional Republicans are holding a ticking time bomb and they only have one chance to disarm it when they return in January.
open.substack.com
The Health Care Timebomb
That Only Republicans Can Disarm
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
What do you think about a man with a reported net worth of $7.3 billion trying to convince you that what you see with your own eyes, and what you feel with your own wallet isn’t real?
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Maureen Berzanski 🧷🇺🇦🇺🇸🏳️‍🌈🟧🌊 🐾 @moberzan.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
Thank you Phoenix @phoenix509.bsky.social ADD FIVE AND KEEP GOING @allie6179.bsky.social @arlie.bsky.social @neverstopthefight.bsky.social @bluebird4us.bsky.social @mlipsitt.bsky.social
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Paula who is persisting 🟦♿️🌻 @paula2168.bsky.social · 07/12/2025
@raykwong.bsky.social @bluestormcomin1.bsky.social @allie6179.bsky.social @amyg8907.bsky.social @docmurphydog.bsky.social @hopeful66.bsky.social @texasresister.bsky.social @ltwlauren.bsky.social @peppapaxpippa.bsky.social @lake-life-girl.bsky.social @moberzan.bsky.social
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Brian Cole, accused of planting pipe bombs at the RNC and DNC on January 6th has reportedly told investigators that he planted the bombs because he thought the 2020 election was stolen. You can’t get more MAGA than that! Not an “inside” job, not ANTIFA, just another fool who believed a lie.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Are you telling me that not one cabinet member sitting around this table for three hours didn’t notice this misspelled word? Come on man!
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
Pete Hegseth either ordered the murder of the two boat attack survivors or he has lost control of his operational commanders if they made the decision. Either way, he needs to fired.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
The Songs of Resistance and Reform Music has always been a powerful force in shaping societies, giving a voice to the voiceless, and, most importantly, inspiring collective action.
open.substack.com
The Songs of Resistance and Reform
Changing the Arc of History with Music and Song
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Maria Corina Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
A Bad Idea Then, A Bad idea Now I wrote this a year ago but now seems like a good time for a reminder of what happens when the U S Military is used against U S citizens.
open.substack.com
A Bad Idea Then, A Bad idea Now
When President Hoover Sent the Army to an American City
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Whoever brokered a cease fire in the "war-ravaged" City of Portland so 12,000 people could run in the Portland Marathon deserves to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Fear and Loathing America's New National Sport
open.substack.com
Fear and Loathing
The New American Sport
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 07/09/2025
Some earn it, some disgrace it. The men and women I spoke to on this day earned that right in the jungles, rice paddies and hills of Vietnam. I've known many Troopers who, with blood, sweat and death, have earned that Trooper Stetson and you deserve no such honor. Take off that hat!
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 22/08/2025
The Authoritarian’s Secret Weapon: They Never, Ever Leave Voluntarily "What Nixon tried to do in secret with plumbers, burglars, and hush money, Trump is doing in the open, loudly, and with the full backing of the Republican Party and its billionaire benefactors." - Thom Hartman
open.substack.com
The Authoritarian’s Secret Weapon: They Never, Ever Leave Voluntarily
Every gerrymander, purge, and press attack tightens the screw — until the system is locked and the tyrant holds the only key…
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
But my faith is hollow these days. Not because God left me but because those who claim to speak for Him have poisoned His name with their power-lust, their racism, their cowardly silence, their monstrous disguise. - Lucinda Lambert, 2025 www.facebook.com/share/p/16sJ...
facebook.com
Redirecting...
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🦋🇺🇸Maria G🇺🇸🦋 @mariag6829.bsky.social · 28/07/2025
Monday night Defenders of Democracy SP! I added a few folks I haven’t seen in my feed since n awhile!! Let’s go! Like comment RP!! Vetted! @oneveteransoath.substack.com @fireeyebooks.bsky.social @gigialexander123.bsky.social @free2beme.bsky.social @markymark757.bsky.social go.bsky.app/Eo8vudr
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
“There are only so many lies you can take, the President “should get his ass of the White House-today.” Senator Barry Goldwater, August 1974.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 19/07/2025
Come on man,
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
If you want to know what we are, read a political commentator. If you want to know who we are read a poet. Lucinda Lambert, a former English teacher, now writer uses words to describe “us.” You can find more of her beautiful lyrics here www.facebook.com/share/p/15T8...
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Robert (@byates2820)
Only a poet can describe who we are. This is a beautiful lyrical refection by Lucinda Lambert everyone can understand.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 16/07/2025
Eighty years ago, today at 5:29:45 a.m., the first atom bomb was successfully tested in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Every person alive that day and everyone born after that day has lived under the threat of that mushroom cloud. “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” - Robert Oppenheimer
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
Obituary-The Republican Party, 180, passed away without a whimper July 3, 2025. Predeceased by Abaraham Lincoln and John McCain and survived by Jeff Flake and Bob Corker who tried to mend the fractured family but eventually gave up and went home. Cause of death has been ruled a suicide.
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
For decades Clyde Butcher and his camera have captured the beautiful landscape of the fragile Florida Everglades. Today his words capture a fragile society where human dignity is in danger of being lost. www.facebook.com/share/p/1HK4...
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
On Sunday, during an interview Trump said that he loves farmers and taking away people that have been working our fields would destroy farmers. Yet the raids continue. Question, does Trump want to stop raiding and rounding up farm workers, and if so, has ICE gone rouge?
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Byates @byates.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
This will be the best three minutes of your day today.
facebook.com
Redirecting...
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