The issues they've kept just blurry enough to keep you on the sidelines—and the one thing that's still crystal clear.
In this newsletter:
How I got involved and why you can, too
49/51 explained
Why so much now feels like a coin-flip — and why that fog is on purpose
The one thing in your life that isn't 49/51: showing up
How to start local when you don't even know where to start
Where every citizen — every party — has a place to plug in
Hi Friend,
I remember feeling grateful after being attacked online years ago. That sounds crazy, but hear me out.
First off, if you're new here, I don't normally write about myself. I keep these newsletters TTV and mission focused, always providing ways to get involved. But as the Volunteer Director here at TTV, it's important to know that I didn't just "happen" to get here and I feel it's my duty to share how I, too, started somewhere.
Wanting to fix things but feeling helpless was an understatement. I used to tell myself, "this is too big for me. This is too broken. Why even vote. I'm just one person." But I knew I needed to do something, so let's take it back to good ol' 2020.
I knew something was off about Covid, the elections, and the timing of it all. When I hopped onto a social media platform to see what others were saying, I was shocked at how many were in fear and denial, and even more so - how disgusting everyone was being towards one another.
Hoping to diffuse and talk sense into some of them, I entered the chat.
Big mistake...I wasn't ready for the attacks. It wasn't something I had ever witnessed to this degree. Still, I was naïve to think that maybe logical questions might spark a desire for some of them to think critically. The few of us who attempted this approach were called crazy, conspiracy theorists, extremists, and worse. All for trying to find common ground and unearth alternative explanations.
Even though I knew something was "off", there just wasn't enough for me to prove it. Not yet, anyway. Every internet search, media narrative, blog, poll, science study, podcast, and "expert" with some fancy title next to their name seemed to all solidify what most everyone on social media was regurgitating. This was my initial introduction to the early stages of 49/51s.
So I dug. Like many, I used the lockdown's silence to discover lesser-known sources before they were mostly taken down. (Screenshots and archived posts FTW.) I found buried studies, medical findings, excerpts from Encyclopedias that have now been removed, now-silenced medical professionals' explorations, "cold-case" investigations, and anything else that may have been regarded as "fringe" examinations.
Suddenly, that "inner knowing" locked into place and the pattern became clear: a truth was called a lie, publications that provided evidence were censored, individuals and bot attacks were deployed to amplify the narratives, and any professional who provided anything other than "The Machine's" parroting were de-platformed, stripped of any titles or licensing, arrested, prosecuted, or whatever flavor of punishment was deemed appropriate for daring to stand in the gap.
Still, I felt grateful for the attacks. The pushback I received seemed to catapult me into rabbit holes I'd never considered seeking out prior to this. My world of knowledge expanded, the fog broke, and while I was angry at just how much had been deliberately structured to keep up in the fog, the newfound sense of vindication was unlike anything I'd ever known.
So I started small. I posted "nuggets" I found in an effort to inspire others to look further or at least ask questions, shared alternative theories alongside publications and other findings, planted seeds with friends and family, encouraged others who felt alone and confused, and I prayed. I prayed a lot.
Being bombarded with lies when your spirit is screaming for the truth will push you to dig your heels in further. This is a feeling we all know, whether or not "grateful" is how we labeled it.
49/51s
On this week's TTVN Live, Catherine gave today's informational ambiguity a name - 49/51s: the things that land so close to the line you can't quite call them true or false, so you're left standing there, unsure what to think.
"It makes you feel like you're caught on a merry-go-round."
Here's the part worth sitting with: we believe the blur is on purpose.
The truth doesn't get buried anymore. It gets fogged. Blurred just enough that if you question it, you're called crazy or a conspiracy theorist, and blurred just enough that whoever's running the game gets away with it for another week. Ask your elections office a plain question and watch how fast the door slams. That reaction is the tell.
A citizen who can't tell up from down doesn't show up. And a citizen who doesn't show up is exactly the point. They want you so stuck in the fog that you decide, "I'm not going to vote" or "there's no point in trying to fix anything."
You don't have to solve the fog, but you do have to stand in it.
Standing in the fog sounds uncomfortable, but trust me...once you're in it and can see it for what it is, discernment kicks in. That fog starts to clear and before you know it, the light breaks through.
Those online arguments and one-sided opinions? 70% bots.
The slammed doors? Lessons learned (and honestly, a response in itself).
Another lost election? Exposure between the lines.
Biased AI? Look at who controls Big Tech, The Machine, and "open-source data". Of course AI spits back what the media and bot accounts are spewing.
You aren't crazy. You're in training! Every shut door and argument further sharpens your skills and allows you to expand your knowledge. And the beautiful part is that the more determined you are to discover the truth, the more you dig in. The more you dig in, the more you find. And in our experience, you uncover much more than you were even searching for to begin with.
Every citizen - and party - has a role.
We meet Republicans, Democrats, independents, and Green Party at True the Vote - people who agree on almost nothing except that our elections should be worthy of the public's confidence. Parties and power come and go in waves. What has to stay strong is the citizen thread that stays engaged no matter who's up. That's not a Republican job or a Democrat job. It's a citizen's job.
You don't have to do it alone, which is why we built the TTVN Community. Real people (no bots) from all over - figuring it out together. Whether you're a lone wolf or you lead a group back home, there's a door for you.
Start where you are.
The one thing that remains crystal clear is this: citizen engagement stops the lies in its tracks. The Machine never counted on you to wake up, but you did. And opened eyes are a threat to the darkness.
The beautiful thing is that we can all start where we are. Maybe this week it's one article, a volunteer training, or just learning - knowledge is never wasted. When you're ready, visit Engage at truethevote.org for state resources, initiatives, and toolkits. Five minutes a week or five hours a day, there's a place for you.
The 49/51s will grow with the more exposure we see, but they have an expiration date. Cling to what's true, work through the rest, and don't wait on the sidelines for someone else to sort it out.
The sorting out has always come down to citizens who decide to participate.
Ever Onward!
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much..." - Luke 16:10
