Progressive Activist Ted Glick to Begin 30-day Fast to Defeat Trump on October 3
Ted Glick, a 71 year old, long-time peace and justice, climate and progressive activist, organizer and writer, announced today that from October 3 to November 3, election day, he will consume only water and a few vitamins. The purpose is to encourage Americans who are still unsure about the importance of voting, or unsure about the importance of voting to remove Trump from office, to consider seriously how critical it is for the world that Trump be defeated.
The fast is also to encourage those who will be voting for Joe Biden to sign up with one of the many groups working to motivate and turn out voters, especially in the battleground states—Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Iowa, Georgia and Texas.
Glick explained his reasons for voting in this way: “I’m doing this because I think that Trump’s reelection represents a huge threat to the world’s already-disrupted ecosystems, people of color and low-income people, our struggling democracy and just about everything else that is important to decent people. I feel the need to do all I can to help generate the massive voter turnout essential to ensure that he and many of his Republican accomplices are defeated. Our situation is urgent, and I feel the need to respond accordingly.”
Glick has engaged in long water-only fasts before. The first was for 40 days in the summer of 1972 for an end to the war in Vietnam. The second was for 42 days in the fall of 1992 in opposition to the planned government celebrations of the 500th anniversary of Columbus arriving in what is now the Americas. The third was for 25 days in 2007 on the issue of the climate emergency.
Glick will stay in his house in Bloomfield, NJ for the duration of the fast with his wife Jane Califf.
Ted Glick’s biography and daily reflections on and experiences during this fast can be found at https://tedglick.com, and he can be reached at indpol@igc.org.
Keep up with Daily Updates from the Fast:
11:30 am November 6: TRUMP DEFEATED, but…
Biden is ahead and is going to likely end up 40-50,000 votes ahead in Pennsylvania when all remaining ballots are counted. Winning that state will put him over the 270 electoral votes he needs to win. He is slightly ahead in Georgia, that one is more up in the air because there are few outstanding…
Post-Fast, Day 1, 6 am
It’s https://protecttheresults.com time! I’m off the fast, began working my way back to normal eating last evening, but that’s a minor story. The big story is that, as of right now, there is still a possibility that Trump could lose the Presidency, by the narrowest of margins, literally. CNN just showed how if Biden wins…
Day 32 (6)
The last day! The big day! History in the making! Thank God! Of course I’m glad that I will begin chewing food for the first time in 32 days this evening, at 8 pm after the polls close in my home state of New Jersey. I will eat a steamed white potato, a carrot and…
Day 31 (5)
About three weeks ago I was interviewed by Josh Fox for his show on The Young Turks network. At one point he asked me what the difference was between a hunger strike and a fast, after I had used them pretty much interchangeably. I said that a hunger strike was more political, issue-oriented; a fast…
Day 30 (4)
I had a minor scare yesterday. As I was washing dishes in the early evening, I felt the need to relieve my bladder. As I went to the bathroom and began doing so I started to feel a strong pain in my lower back on the right side. It really hurt, and I started sweating.…
Day 29 (3)
Day 29 (3) This is the beginning of the fifth week of the fast, day three of the fruit and veggie liquids part of the fast, with three and a half days to go until I begin to chew food. I’m glad to report that I have gotten my energy back thanks to the nutrients…
Day 28 (2)
My energy is returning, after 26 days without it, because I’m consuming fruit juices and liquid veggie soups for the second day. It’s very noticeable, and very welcome. Yesterday I worked pretty much straight through from 8 am to 8 pm, and I felt OK afterwards and had a good night’s sleep. And when I…
Day 27 (1)
This is day 27 of what’s going to be 32 days without solid food, but it’s day one of six days of a liquids, not water-only, fast. Yesterday I decided, for several reasons, to go from water-only to fruit and veggie juices and all-liquid soups. Last evening I had three bowls of a really good…
Day 26
In national elections past, the key to Democrats defeating Republicans has been voter turnout. If there is a big one, Democrats are likely to win, overall, whether it be for President and Congressional seats or, in off year elections, just for Congress. Is there any reason to think it will be any different this year?…
Day 25
Twenty-five days consuming only water; I haven’t done this since 2007. Back then the focus was solely on the climate crisis. A stimulus for my doing it was the unexpected takeover by the Democrats of the House of Representatives in the November, 2006 elections. Soon afterwards Nancy Pelosi said she wanted legislation on global warming…
Day 24
It feels good to be beginning the last week of this hunger strike, and also the last week before the huuuuuge election. It is encouraging to see the massive early voting turnout in many parts of the country. It’s an historic fact that the larger the voter turnout, the better progressive and liberal candidates for…
Day 23
I’m feeling better today than I did at this time yesterday. One reason could be because I consciously took it easy yesterday, less time at the computer, more time reading and, yes, time cooking for Jane in the kitchen, something I’m doing on an almost daily basis. I really enjoy it. My mind is very…
Day 22
When I began my water-only Fast to Defeat Trump on October 3, I had some idea about how I was going to feel as it progressed. I have done long water-only fasts before, though the last time, on the issue of the climate crisis, was 13 years ago when I was 58 years old. On…
Day 21
Overall I felt relieved, good, hopeful after the big debate last evening. It doesn’t mean that I thought everything Biden said was positive, I didn’t, but most of the time he said the right things, sometimes very effectively and strongly, and I thought Trump performed poorly. A CNN instant poll reported that Biden won 53%…
Day Twenty
I’ve been weaker this morning. It could be because I did an hour and a half zoom interview yesterday that definitely drained me of energy. Although I took it easy afterwards and got a good night’s sleep, I may be feeling the effects. Or maybe it’s just because this is the 20th day without calories,…
Day Nineteen
My interview with Josh Fox on the Young Turks network came out yesterday, and they did a good job. A google search showed that there have also been stories about it on Yahoo News, Black Star News and Z Communications. In addition to the news outlets I listed in yesterday fasting report, I’m definitely encouraged…
Day Eighteen
I had to leave the house today to go get some blood drawn for a blood test. I don’t like to do that given my weakened condition, especially since I was going to an office where I’d be sitting inside and interacting with other people, but I did it. Fortunately, it was a very quick…
Day Seventeen
This is the week of the big, final debate, or will it be another temper tantrum by President Chaos? You would think that moderator Kristen Welker will have learned from both the negative Chris Wallace example and the positive Savannah Guthrie example and will come ready to interrupt Trump or turn off his microphone if…
Day Sixteen
This is the halfway point of the fast. Sixteen days and nights from now I’ll begin drinking vegetable and fruit juices and a day or two later start eating, slowly adding more digestible foods over roughly a two-week period. Election day evening, November 3, is when that will begin. It’s a definite positive to have…
Day Fifteen
I’m just about halfway there; 36 hours from when I’m writing, on Sunday evening, that’ll be it. I’m glad I’ve made it to this point. But it is getting harder. There’s still the persistent weakness and lack of energy to do much more than work on the computer and some cooking for Jane and a…
Day Fourteen
Two big deals from last evening: the many things exposed about Trump by Savannah Guthrie’s way-to-go-girl questioning of him on NBC, and Republican Senator Ben Sasse speaking the truth about who and what Trump really is. Both, together, could end up being additional nails in Trump and the Trumpublicans’ coffin on election day. So far,…
Day Thirteen
I’m glad to write that my daily blood pressure readings continue to be very good. My fourth one this morning was 122/75, with 120/80 being the desired reading. Definitely good news. My weight loss is slowing down, and that’s also good news. For the last two days I’ve lost about half a pound/day, which is…
Day Twelve
Day Twelve I was pleased to see a very good story in my county’s local Patch.com about the fast. I continue to work at outreach to various media outlets, with some developing interest. I’m hoping that as the days go by and the fast continues, there will be more stories that spread the word and,…
Day Eleven
Day Eleven I sent out a press release yesterday. In it I said, “Following the indictments of 13 far-right, Trump-supporting extremists for plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, instead of decrying the plot, Donald Trump criticized Whitmer, andnot the extremists. At the same time, while trailing in the polls, Trump refuses to say he’ll…
Day Ten
Day Ten Today is Indigenous Peoples Day. 28 years ago on this date was the 42nd and last day of a long, water-only fast in Washington, DC that I did with about 15 other people. It was initiated by Brian Willson, Karen Fogliatti and Scott Rutherford and was called the People’s Fast for Justice and…
Day Nine, Some History
Fasting every day on water only, as I’ve done since October 3, has led me to research other political fasts, or hunger strikes. There’ve actually been a lot of them. Mohandus Gandhi is the most well-known person to have fasted. He engaged in 17 of them, the longest for 21 days, between 1913 and 1948.…
Day Eight
Day Eight I decided this morning that I’m going to schedule an appointment with our family doctor for the end of the week, which will be about the halfway point of the fast. Friends have been urging me to do this since I announced the fast. I’m not doing so because there’s anything new happening…
Day Seven
It’s now about one week that I’ve been consuming only water, as well as potassium, salt and vitamin C. I’ve lost 13 pounds, 10 the first three days and three the next three. I expect that I’ll continue to lose ½ to 1 pound a day from here on out. The primary difference as compared…
Day Six
I thought that, overall, Kamala Harris did well in the debate last evening. She needed to at least tie, and she did that, possibly better than that. That’s a good thing. But the main problem with what she said for me was these two sentences: “I will repeat and the American people know that Joe…
Day Five
My weight loss has slowed down significantly. After losing nine and a half pounds the first three days, when I stepped on the scale this a.m. I was pleased to see that I lost just half a pound yesterday. It was good to lose that excess fat, but it’s also good to now see what…
Day Four
Following on yesterday’s NBC/Wall Street Journal poll which has Biden up by 14 points nationally, today a CNN poll had him up by 16 points. Very good news. But then there’s the October 1, Associated Press story, “In big states, tiny counties, Trump attacking voting rules,” which I saw today about the extensive efforts by…
Day Three
I’m keeping track every day of my weight on this Fast to Defeat Trump. This morning I stepped on the scale and it was 200 pounds exactly. The first morning I weighed myself it was 206.8. I lost almost five pounds the first day, about two pounds the second. Based on my past fasting experiences,…
Day Two
Yesterday afternoon I spoke at a Trump Must Go rally and march in downtown Newark organized by the People’s Organization for Progress. It felt good to do that on the first day of fasting and to be with others taking visible action. Lots and lots of cars passing us honked in support. Then this morning…
Day One
It’s now been 14 hours as I write since I had anything to eat, at a wonderful outdoor meal with Jane and close friends last evening, and I’m already feeling different. One thing I’m doing differently is yawning even though I had a good night’s sleep and have only been up for a few hours.…
Day of My Last Meal
This evening I’ll be gathering with several close friends and my wife Jane for an early birthday meal, a week early. This will be my last food for a month. 12 hours from when I’m writing this I’ll be on my water-only regimen. But the really big news is that Trump and his immigrant wife…
Two More Days To Go
Apprehensive, nervous, glad-it’s-almost-here: that’s how I’d describe how I’m feeling as I prepare myself mentally to stop eating about 36 hours from now, Friday evening the 2nd. I’ve done long fasts before, so that helps a lot. But I’m aware that I’m 71, not 57, my age at the time of my last water-only fast…
Just a few more days
It’s the morning after the first Presidential debate, and I’m really glad I decided to take this upcoming action, now just a few days away. I almost feel like starting it now, Trump was so, so bad, so dangerous, so kindergardnish, just a shameful display. I know there are going to be difficult days for…
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Ted Glick 