Ian Russell
@ianrussell.bsky.social
Law student, writer, progressive Christian, Oxford comma enjoyer. he/him
Remember those old Emerald Nuts commercials where they would come up with increasingly tortured backronyms for EMERALD NUTS and act them out?
This is like that except instead of clever and entertaining, it’s just sad.
This is like that except instead of clever and entertaining, it’s just sad.
December 19, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Remember those old Emerald Nuts commercials where they would come up with increasingly tortured backronyms for EMERALD NUTS and act them out?
This is like that except instead of clever and entertaining, it’s just sad.
This is like that except instead of clever and entertaining, it’s just sad.
Reposted by Ian Russell
It almost goes without saying, but this is illegal. The name "John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" is established by law and the board doesn't have the power to change it. 20 USC 3 §§ 76h - 76s.
Kennedy Center to be renamed Trump-Kennedy Center —Karoline Leavitt x.com/PressSec/sta...
December 18, 2025 at 6:54 PM
It almost goes without saying, but this is illegal. The name "John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts" is established by law and the board doesn't have the power to change it. 20 USC 3 §§ 76h - 76s.
Reposted by Ian Russell
Jesus would like a word.
Hegseth just held his #Christmas Worship Service at the Pentagon. Here's my report featuring remarks by Franklin Graham, who praised a "God of War" & read a Bible passage often used to justify genocide: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/at-pentago...
At Pentagon Christmas Service, Franklin Graham Praises “God of War”
Speaking at a “Christmas Worship Service” at the Pentagon, evangelist Franklin Graham celebrated that God is not just a God of love but also of hate and war.
publicwitness.wordandway.org
December 18, 2025 at 12:17 AM
Jesus would like a word.
Reposted by Ian Russell
I am reminded of Lincoln's famous letter to Joshua Speed in 1855
quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/li...
quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/li...
![Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except negroes." When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty-to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy [sic].](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:kok4aqdr3qnsj6ktfkq76kqz/bafkreibv56orcjfhjc2czd5kkydlzapnuem3xkzbhna4fia27pyajprzvq@jpeg)
December 17, 2025 at 12:40 PM
I am reminded of Lincoln's famous letter to Joshua Speed in 1855
quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/li...
quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/li...
Reposted by Ian Russell
to quote myself on this
December 9, 2025 at 3:27 PM
to quote myself on this
Reposted by Ian Russell
This is genuinely revolting and might possibly qualify as the sin against the Holy Ghost.
She compares the boat strikes to Jesus breaking the sabbath to heal someone.
December 6, 2025 at 8:07 PM
This is genuinely revolting and might possibly qualify as the sin against the Holy Ghost.
Reposted by Ian Russell
what follows immediately after the birthright clause? the privileges and immunities and due process clauses? and what follows them? the equal protection clause. all of this is explicitly to say, "the declaration is the constitutional law of the land"
December 6, 2025 at 6:03 PM
what follows immediately after the birthright clause? the privileges and immunities and due process clauses? and what follows them? the equal protection clause. all of this is explicitly to say, "the declaration is the constitutional law of the land"
Reposted by Ian Russell
Look, even if these attacks were completely legitimate acts of national defense (they aren't), treating the killing of people like it's entertainment, rather than a terrible but perhaps necessary evil, is depraved and sickening.
December 5, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Look, even if these attacks were completely legitimate acts of national defense (they aren't), treating the killing of people like it's entertainment, rather than a terrible but perhaps necessary evil, is depraved and sickening.
Reposted by Ian Russell
While reading "Better Ways to Read the Bible" by @zachwlambert.bsky.social, I was reminded of this quote by Jordan Harrell. I am not a "little bible", I am a "little Christ"/Christian... I follow Jesus. Be wary of those who quote the Bible but do not follow Jesus' way.
December 3, 2025 at 7:59 PM
While reading "Better Ways to Read the Bible" by @zachwlambert.bsky.social, I was reminded of this quote by Jordan Harrell. I am not a "little bible", I am a "little Christ"/Christian... I follow Jesus. Be wary of those who quote the Bible but do not follow Jesus' way.
Reposted by Ian Russell
There is, of course, just so much wrong with everything going on in the Caribbean. But also, "narco-terrorist" does not just mean "drug cartel because drugs cause death and misery"
It's either "cartel that uses terrorism" or "terror groups that run drugs for funding"
It's either "cartel that uses terrorism" or "terror groups that run drugs for funding"
December 2, 2025 at 10:53 PM
There is, of course, just so much wrong with everything going on in the Caribbean. But also, "narco-terrorist" does not just mean "drug cartel because drugs cause death and misery"
It's either "cartel that uses terrorism" or "terror groups that run drugs for funding"
It's either "cartel that uses terrorism" or "terror groups that run drugs for funding"
Reposted by Ian Russell
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
November 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Reposted by Ian Russell
Ordering no quarter, as Hegseth effectively did, isn't a newfangled modern war crime. It was understood as a crime as far back as the Revolutionary War. Washington threatened to do reprisals over it. The bad guy in 'The Patriot' is (very loosely) based off a British officer who was notorious for it.
November 28, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Ordering no quarter, as Hegseth effectively did, isn't a newfangled modern war crime. It was understood as a crime as far back as the Revolutionary War. Washington threatened to do reprisals over it. The bad guy in 'The Patriot' is (very loosely) based off a British officer who was notorious for it.
Reposted by Ian Russell
“I’ll fight until hell freezes over and then I’ll cut the ice and fight on”
November 17, 2025 at 7:55 PM
“I’ll fight until hell freezes over and then I’ll cut the ice and fight on”
Reposted by Ian Russell
I think any story about Trump's autocracy should be mostly about the people and institutions who failed to stop it. This guy isn't a political genius, everything else just happens to be rotten. 'Toddler Consolidates Power In Household' is a story about incompetent parents, not shrewd maneuvering
October 28, 2025 at 2:07 PM
I think any story about Trump's autocracy should be mostly about the people and institutions who failed to stop it. This guy isn't a political genius, everything else just happens to be rotten. 'Toddler Consolidates Power In Household' is a story about incompetent parents, not shrewd maneuvering
Reposted by Ian Russell
Here's a key exchange. Rep Chip Roy smeared protesters for not believing we have "no king but Jesus," but @anamariecox.bsky.social reports seeing many protesters in his district on No Kings' side with signs bearing more pious religious messages than his.
Transcript:
newrepublic.com/article/2020...
Transcript:
newrepublic.com/article/2020...
October 21, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Here's a key exchange. Rep Chip Roy smeared protesters for not believing we have "no king but Jesus," but @anamariecox.bsky.social reports seeing many protesters in his district on No Kings' side with signs bearing more pious religious messages than his.
Transcript:
newrepublic.com/article/2020...
Transcript:
newrepublic.com/article/2020...
Reposted by Ian Russell
1)You may remember the articles criticizing liberal students for their hesitancy to make friends with conservative students—alleging that they were less open-minded than their conservative counterparts.
October 15, 2025 at 8:53 AM
1)You may remember the articles criticizing liberal students for their hesitancy to make friends with conservative students—alleging that they were less open-minded than their conservative counterparts.
Reposted by Ian Russell
The very first statute authorizing domestic use of the military during domestic emergencies, enacted in 1792 by a Congress full of the same folks who wrote and ratified the Constitution, expressly provided for judicial review in certain circumstances *before* the President could even send troops.
October 5, 2025 at 2:58 PM
The very first statute authorizing domestic use of the military during domestic emergencies, enacted in 1792 by a Congress full of the same folks who wrote and ratified the Constitution, expressly provided for judicial review in certain circumstances *before* the President could even send troops.
Reposted by Ian Russell
The story of 2024 is this: Trump had a plan to destroy American government called Project 2025, which had, literally, not a typo, a 4% approval rating. He lied constantly and said he wouldn't do it.
Then he entered office and immediately implemented AN EVEN MORE EXTREME VERSION OF IT.
Then he entered office and immediately implemented AN EVEN MORE EXTREME VERSION OF IT.
October 3, 2025 at 2:14 AM
The story of 2024 is this: Trump had a plan to destroy American government called Project 2025, which had, literally, not a typo, a 4% approval rating. He lied constantly and said he wouldn't do it.
Then he entered office and immediately implemented AN EVEN MORE EXTREME VERSION OF IT.
Then he entered office and immediately implemented AN EVEN MORE EXTREME VERSION OF IT.
Reposted by Ian Russell
Returning to a subject I was discussing this morning on X, I think a single video like this does more to radicalize people against ICE than any loaded rhetoric any politician has ever used, and DHS should think very hard about the consequences of supporting this kind of behavior from its agents.
I was back at 26 Federal Plaza today, where an ICE agent violently threw this bereft woman to the ground in front of her kids. She had not touched him. She did not pose any threat. She had to be taken to the hospital. (🎥: Elias Eliahu)
September 25, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Returning to a subject I was discussing this morning on X, I think a single video like this does more to radicalize people against ICE than any loaded rhetoric any politician has ever used, and DHS should think very hard about the consequences of supporting this kind of behavior from its agents.
The number of people who claim to follow the Prince of Peace and then cheer for stuff like this is… well, not that surprising, but still disturbing.
Hegseth: "Maximum lethality -- not tepid legality. Violent effect, not politically correct. We're gonna raise up warriors. Not just defenders."
September 5, 2025 at 10:56 PM
The number of people who claim to follow the Prince of Peace and then cheer for stuff like this is… well, not that surprising, but still disturbing.
Reposted by Ian Russell
A decade ago, the Heritage Foundation went full meltdown about how Obama was an imperial president when he had issued about the same number of executive orders -- though he had reached it after six years, not six months.
September 5, 2025 at 5:15 PM
A decade ago, the Heritage Foundation went full meltdown about how Obama was an imperial president when he had issued about the same number of executive orders -- though he had reached it after six years, not six months.
Reposted by Ian Russell
great work bill cassidy this would have been an excellent question to ask him at the confirmation hearings which you greased the wheels for
September 4, 2025 at 4:50 PM
great work bill cassidy this would have been an excellent question to ask him at the confirmation hearings which you greased the wheels for
Reposted by Ian Russell
The American experiment is based on the idea that citizenship is not based on ethnicity. We tried to conflate the two with slavery and the constitution failed as a result. The reconstruction amendments made this principle explicit. This shit is fundamentally anti American and anti patriotic.
man. if Eric Schmitt's speech to NatCon isn't a sign of the times, i don't know what is
!["America is not a 'universal nation.' ... [American] principles are not abstractions. They are living, breathing things — rooted in a people and embodied in a way of life."
Senator Eric Schmitt got a standing ovation at Nat Con DC for saying America as a nation is the property of a distinct ethnic people.
Americans are a mix of “the most adventurous, the most courageous, the most curious and innovative” of the English, Scotch-Irish, and continental Europeans, who came as settlers and have spent hundreds of years building, fighting, and dying for "a homeland for themselves and their descendants."
"We’re a nation of settlers, explorers, and pioneers — born on the ocean waters that carried the first ships to our shores and forged in the crucible of a wild frontier. Our people tamed a continent, built a civilization from the wilderness, and wrote our nation’s name in history.
"Our ancestors were driven here by destiny, possessed by urgent and fiery conviction, by burning belief, devoted to their cause and their God."
"The Continental Army soldiers dying of frostbite at Valley Forge, Pilgrims struggling to survive in the hard winter soil of Plymouth, pioneers striking out from Missouri for the wild and dangerous frontier, [and] outnumbered Kentucky settlers, repelling wave after wave of Indian war band attacks from behind their stockade walls, would be astonished to hear that they were only fighting for a 'proposition.'
"They believed they were forging a nation — a homeland for themselves and their descendants."
"America, in all its glory, is their gift to us, handed down across the generations.
"It belongs to us. It’s our birthright, our heritage, our destiny.
"If America is everything and everyone, then it is nothing and no one at all."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:hbpefio3f5csc44msmbgioxz/bafkreif3x7re3lubuj7kzurj3ayotcnq2l46kwb2p5hp2zid2dagzth5nu@jpeg)
September 3, 2025 at 12:58 AM
The American experiment is based on the idea that citizenship is not based on ethnicity. We tried to conflate the two with slavery and the constitution failed as a result. The reconstruction amendments made this principle explicit. This shit is fundamentally anti American and anti patriotic.
Reposted by Ian Russell
A pre-dog-walk 🧵 on the pandemic.
To me, the lesson of the pandemic is a very familiar one, although as far as I can tell, no one is talking about it or learning it (which is also familiar). It's about the contrast between America's two political parties.
To me, the lesson of the pandemic is a very familiar one, although as far as I can tell, no one is talking about it or learning it (which is also familiar). It's about the contrast between America's two political parties.
September 1, 2025 at 7:12 PM
A pre-dog-walk 🧵 on the pandemic.
To me, the lesson of the pandemic is a very familiar one, although as far as I can tell, no one is talking about it or learning it (which is also familiar). It's about the contrast between America's two political parties.
To me, the lesson of the pandemic is a very familiar one, although as far as I can tell, no one is talking about it or learning it (which is also familiar). It's about the contrast between America's two political parties.
Reposted by Ian Russell
It’s weird that we have an entire term called the “war on Christianity” but it’s only applied to the sexy green M&M and not something that both materially harms Christian churches and offends the theological background of them
NEW from @alejacorazonhm.bsky.social and me: As Trump seeks to flood DC’s streets with federal agents and troops, churches are seeing attendance drops, fear, and detentions.
Seven members of one church have been detained — including an usher on his way to worship. religionnews.com/2025/08/19/a...
Seven members of one church have been detained — including an usher on his way to worship. religionnews.com/2025/08/19/a...
Attendance drops, fear rises in immigrant churches as Trump takes over DC
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘I never thought I had one day to cancel Sunday worship because it is not safe for our Latino siblings to come to church. But here we are … ,’ wrote one pastor on Facebook.
religionnews.com
August 21, 2025 at 2:45 PM
It’s weird that we have an entire term called the “war on Christianity” but it’s only applied to the sexy green M&M and not something that both materially harms Christian churches and offends the theological background of them