Welcome to the inaugural issue of my newsletter, The Sanders Report!
I’ve been writing for a long time – articles, reports, emails, and presentations, mostly for work; letters to friends, especially back in the pen-and-paper days; and, for myself, journal entries and notes, off and on since my college days.
So why am I starting this newsletter now?
Here’s what I wrote (with a few edits) in a Facebook post a few months ago, on July 4th, America’s 250th birthday:
Happy Fourth! It’s not just the passing of these relatively short 50 years, but celebrating the 250th (or semiquincentennial, for short) feels so very different from the 1976 bicentennial that many of us remember. A bygone age, for sure.
So many thoughts about this country of ours... I’m going to start writing them down. And I can’t think of a better day to set up my own Substack. Which I’ll be flogging in the coming days, so watch for it!
While watching the parade of tall ships from a terrace perched on Castle Point in Hoboken overlooking the Hudson River, on the campus of my alma mater Stevens Tech, my gaze took in a familiar view – from the George Washington Bridge, across the entire Manhattan skyline, south to the Verrazano Bridge, and almost to the Statue of Liberty, which was once visible from my freshman dorm window and is now blocked by massive developments and towers built out from Jersey City.
I ducked inside for a minute and spotted this email from New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill, which I’m quoting below. I didn’t see a message from Governor Shapiro, but Pennsylvania definitely has a lot to be proud of, too.
Happy Independence Day, Tim!
July 4th has always been one of my favorite holidays — and today, on America’s 250th birthday, I’m especially proud to celebrate the founding ideals that shaped the country we love.
250 years ago, our founders signed an ingenious, daring document that gave life to the greatest democracy the world has ever seen.
And today, our Declaration of Independence is both a reminder of what we have achieved and a challenge to build a better future for the generations of Americans to come. It is a signpost for all who yearn for liberty.
We’re facing turbulent times, Tim. And it’s in times like these that the Declaration reminds us that our leaders are responsible for securing the rights of the people — rights endowed by their creator. Not by a king.
New Jersey is at the heart of our American story. We are at the crossroads of the revolution. The site of the Battle of Trenton, which marked our first major victory on the road to independence. We unanimously ratified the Constitution. And the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
So as we continue the hard work of restoring faith in government, protecting democracy, and maintaining a country dedicated to the well-being of its citizens, I am taking to heart the example set by New Jersey and the enduring ideals of the Declaration.
And as you celebrate the Fourth of July with your friends and family, I hope you do too.
Happy 250,
Gov. Mikie Sherrill
A brief, solid reflection from Governor Sherrill. And here we are, indeed, a few months later, in the aftermath of the November election, still at the crossroads of a revolution – not just in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but all across our nation.
This is something worth thinking about, writing about, and, I hope, reading about.
So I’ll be writing about that, and other things too – life, health, community, society, and taking care of each other.
So stay tuned! And thanks for reading.
Tim Sanders