The Changing Face of America
Lightning Strikes Tomorrow! ⚡
I live in Indiana. It's a 'Red State.' 🤢🤮
When Trump was elected President in the abysmal year of 2016, his Vice President was Mike Pence. Pence was the former governor of Indiana. Mike was a typical conservative in most ways. He was a notorious homophobe.
There shouldn't even be any notion of a state being conservative or liberal. What currently determines if a state is 'red' or 'blue' is largely the electoral college, a concept that ranks just below legalized slavery and not allowing women to vote as the 'Worst American Idea Ever'. When devising this grand experiment, our forefathers clearly didn't get everything right! But that's a discussion for another day....
Right now, I want to tell you about what happened to me on Halloween 2024.
I went to Walmart to fax something. I was told they have that service. They don't. I could give you a long backstory about how this all happened, but I edited all that out. 🤷♂️
I found myself waiting in this long line where Walmart takes returns. The Walmart employee behind the counter was an old white woman. She was wearing a pink hat. Through the back of her hat was her long white ponytail. The hat said TRUMP.
It wasn't enough, apparently, for the convicted criminal's name to be written on her pink hat horizontally. She had used some kind of marker to use the T in 'TRUMP' to write TRUMP a second time, vertically.
Directly ahead of me was an old white man. Wrinkled. Perry Como style clothes. Totally white hair. I assume he was older than me. (I'm 63).
When the white man in front of me had his turn at the counter, his transaction went fast. As he was finishing up, he clearly thought he was being funny when he made an old white Republican's quip. He said to the lady in the pink TRUMP hat, "So who you voting for?"
She grinned like Trump did on the day the Supreme Court ruled that he was above the Law.
Then the old white man thought he was being absolutely hilarious when he added, "Or who are you not voting for!?!?"
She laughed so hard. She pointed at him and said, "That's it! That's it!"
Are these two typical of the people the pollsters talk to? For two+ months, all the headlines have been about how close this election is going to be. I have many reasons to believe otherwise.
I think it's going to be a landslide for (true) Change.
Two white people in a conservative state openly flaunting their support of a white conservative candidate isn't surprising. But....
There are so many black (and white!) women who haven't offered their opinions yet and won't until election day.
⚡_______________ ⚡
Only just recently, American conservatives have used their dirty tricks to successfully take away a woman's right to have an abortion. That shocked everyone, even them! And it emboldened them. Now, if given the chance, under the Right circumstances, they'll seek to abolish same sex marriage. And after that, it's a natural progression for them to somehow make black people (and Latinos!!!!) second-class citizens.
Don't think they can do it?
No one thought they could take away a woman's right to choose, either.... but they did!
Government of the White Men, by the White Men, for the White Men is the Republican way.
But tomorrow those quasi-white supremacists are in for a rude awakening.
⚡_______________ ⚡
I'm an old white Hoosier too. But I haven't had any discussions at Walmart, or any other public place about who I'll vote for tomorrow. However....
Behind the scenes, I have a young gay black friend who I'm currently really pissed off at. He doesn't think his vote matters. He's not getting off his ass tomorrow to push a button. 😡
We had a big fight about it a few weeks ago. I have to be very cautious and bottle up my anger, so as not to fight again with him today, or tomorrow! Thankfully, I'm certain Kamala will win, so I can just tease him for the next four years about how he did nothing to help make her Presidency happen.... as opposed to being furious at him for the next four years for allowing Trump to reign again.
But my kingdom for a time machine to send him back to the 1960s so he can explain to Martin Luther King Jr that his vote doesn't matter! 😡😡
⚡_______________ ⚡
I don't have any kids. Therefore, of course, I have no grandkids. I have no nieces or nephews. It breaks my heart that I have no children that are related to me.
But there is one little black girl that it is my honor and privilege to know. She's my ex-boyfriend's niece. She says she loves me. She and I connected one day on a trip to the zoo a couple years ago. Whether she'll be a part of my future or not is undetermined at the moment because I don't know where I stand with my ex. ☹️
Don't look at my wild-man beard in this pic; I show it to you so you can see Riley. ⚡ 🥰👇
Why am I so incredibly passionate about voting for Kamala Harris?
Because I want little black girls like Riley (and all kids in general) to have a better life than I do when they get to be my age! ❤️🌍❤️🌎❤️🌏❤️
America is allegedly a Representative Democracy, right?
Okay!
So Let's Represent!
Let's elect a black woman to lead us!
Why haven't we done that before?!?
It's not because we're misogynistic or racist, is it? ⚡🤔
I have many reasons to believe that not only will Kamala Harris win; she'll win BIG. I'll write more about Nostradamus later. 😂⚡
For now, let's take a look at the map that follows....
In 2008, Indiana went blue for the first time since LBJ!
I think it'll happen again tomorrow.
Not a single pollster has called Ohio a "swing state" this year. I think Ohio will also go blue tomorrow. The women of that state know what an ass Vance is (as if voting against the candidate who bribed a porn star wasn't motivation enough).
I think Florida will go blue tomorrow.
Plus all the true so-called 'swing states' like Pennsylvania.
It's going to be a landslide! ⚡😁👍
And that's exactly what we need to have happen. The bigger the victory, the more likely the old white Trumpers will begrudgingly (eventually) put on the right hat.
⚡_______________ ⚡
Do you know what radical change looks like???
It strikes light a bolt of ___lightning! ⚡
It looks like this......
Kamala Harris embodies Accomplishment, Vibrance, Self-Mastery, Inspiration, & Optimism!
___________________Bolt ⚡
EDIT--- I was oh so very very wrong.
May God Help Us All.
About the Creator
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More stories from Lightning Bolt ⚡ and writers in The Swamp and other communities.
Broooos Please Nooooo 🫂 We Meme You Both So Much!!!
Hello again! 👋😁⚡ It's me! I'm __Lightning Bolt⚡. I'm a lost satirist who has wandered far from usual home. I generally publish collections of crackpot memes over in the Humor Community. But all that real action right now belongs in the Swamp.
By Lightning Bolt ⚡7 months ago in The Swamp
Berlin in the Dark: How Climate Activists Left Thousands Without Power
Imagine waking up in the middle of winter in Berlin — the streets are quiet, the heaters are off, your lights don’t work, and your internet is down. That was the reality for tens of thousands of Berliners in early January 2026, after a deliberate attack on the city’s electrical infrastructure. What was meant to be a provocative protest turned into one of Berlin’s longest blackouts in decades, leaving residents and businesses struggling in the cold and prompting a nationwide discussion on climate activism, public safety, and the vulnerability of modern cities. The Day Berlin Went Dark It all started on January 3, 2026, when a fire broke out on a bridge carrying high-voltage cables over the Teltow Canal in southwest Berlin. The blaze severely damaged power lines connected to the Lichterfelde power plant, instantly cutting electricity to large parts of the city. Around 45,000 households and over 2,200 businesses were affected, leaving roughly 100,000 residents without power across neighborhoods like Nikolassee, Zehlendorf, Wannsee, and Lichterfelde. Schools, hospitals, care homes, and small businesses all faced significant disruption — and with temperatures below -10°C (14°F), the cold nights became a real hazard. Residents described gathering around candles or battery lamps just to stay warm, and one Berliner recalled that a room in her apartment registered only 4°C (39°F) during the blackout — a chilling reminder of how dependent modern life is on electricity. Who Was Behind the Attack? Almost immediately, suspicion fell on political sabotage. Investigators quickly traced the attack to a far-left extremist group known as Vulkangruppe, or the Volcano Group. The group later released a statement claiming responsibility, framing the arson as a protest against fossil fuel reliance and industrial systems harming the planet. In their own words, the group insisted that the blackout wasn’t their goal — it was meant as a symbolic strike against fossil fuel infrastructure. But for authorities and the public, the human cost was undeniable, and federal prosecutors opened a full investigation into charges ranging from arson to terrorism. Life Without Power A blackout in a modern city is more than just an inconvenience — it’s a test of resilience. Berliners faced immediate challenges: No heating in freezing temperatures, forcing residents to find alternative ways to stay warm. Transport disruptions, with overground trains halted in affected areas. Communication issues, as mobile networks and internet services were compromised. Hospitals relying on backup generators to keep critical systems running. Businesses losing perishable goods, and many operations coming to a standstill. For days, the city experienced a glimpse of life without electricity — a reminder that modern urban infrastructure, while efficient, can be surprisingly fragile when attacked. Restoring the Grid Repairing the damage was no small task. Cold weather and icy conditions slowed progress, and the high-voltage cables required careful handling to prevent further outages or accidents. Gradual restoration began after a few days, but it took until the fourth or fifth day for all affected neighborhoods to get power fully restored. Utility crews and emergency services worked tirelessly, highlighting both the complexity of modern infrastructure and the vulnerability it faces in the hands of politically motivated actors. Political and Social Fallout The blackout sparked outrage across Germany. Berlin’s mayor called it a “terrorist attack with massive consequences”, emphasizing the risk to public safety. National prosecutors noted that Vulkangruppe had a history of infrastructure attacks, raising questions about the effectiveness of preventive measures. The incident also triggered wider debates: How secure is modern infrastructure against ideologically motivated attacks? Where is the line between peaceful protest and criminal activity? How can cities ensure resiliency in increasingly complex and digitized systems? Many experts argue that while activism and environmental advocacy are important, actions that endanger lives or critical services cross a line that society cannot tolerate. Lessons for the Future Berlin’s blackout serves as a warning: in an age where cities are heavily dependent on electricity, even symbolic acts can have unintended, dangerous consequences. Some key takeaways include: Infrastructure Protection: High-voltage lines, bridges, and power plants must be monitored and secured against sabotage. Clear Legal Boundaries: Protest is a right, but illegal acts targeting essential services must face consequences. Emergency Preparedness: Cities need robust plans for extended outages — from backup generators to shelters for vulnerable populations. Public Awareness: Citizens should understand both how to stay safe and the broader social impact of infrastructure attacks. The blackout also highlights the tension between activism and responsibility. While climate concerns are urgent, actions that directly harm civilians risk alienating the public and undermining the very cause activists seek to promote. Berlin Reconnects — But the Debate Continues As power returned to all neighborhoods, Berliners reflected on a city temporarily thrown back a century, forced to navigate darkness, cold, and disruption. The investigation into the perpetrators continues, and debates over climate activism, civil disobedience, and public safety are more heated than ever. For urban planners, policymakers, and citizens alike, the blackout is a cautionary tale: in a world that relies on constant electricity, infrastructure is not just technical — it is social, political, and deeply vulnerable. Berlin’s days in the dark may be over, but the questions it raises about protest, responsibility, and urban resilience are far from resolved.
By Muhammad Hassan7 days ago in The Swamp
Comments (6)
Totally a great read
Very well written, friend! I have my voting shoes on and my fingers crossed!
The world watches...
I am a little shocked to think a workplace (regardless of the owners or managements political views) would allow an employee to wear a full on endorsement product while working.
A beautiful piece! A fan from Canada...
Excellent article and very convincing. What you should do is offer to take your friend, the black guy, to the polling place tomorrow so he can vote for Kamala. We need every vote we can get. Tell him you’ll buy him lunch if he goes. Anyway it’s good to see you writing again. I’ve missed your style.