I have felt like hiding under the covers and tuning out of politics for the next four years. Exactly what Trump and his gang of hate mongers would love to see from Progressives.
It’s not gonna happen.
For those of us still reeling with dismay and disillusionment in the after-math of the election. For those of us who cringe at each appointment of officials with a documented history of racism, xenophobia, homophobia, sexism, and climate change denial to the highest positions in our government. For those of us who wonder, with justifiable fear and anxiety, “What will become of the American ideal of liberty and justice for all?” For those of us needing inspiration to stay actively involved in the work of creating and maintaining a “more perfect union,” I encourage you to read this:
I listened as they called my President a Muslim.
I listened as they called him and his family a pack of monkeys.
I listened as they said he wasn’t born here.
I watched as they blocked every single path to progress that they could.
I saw the pictures of him as Hitler.
I watched them shut down the government and hurt the entire nation twice.
I watched them turn their backs on every opportunity to open worthwhile dialog.
I watched them say that they would not even listen to any choice for Supreme Court no matter who the nominee was.
I listened as they openly said that they will oppose him at every turn.
I watched as they did just that.
I listened.
I watched.
I paid attention.
Now, I’m being called on to be tolerant.
To move forward.
To denounce protesters.
To “Get over it.”
To accept this…
I will not.
I will do my part to make sure this great American mistake becomes the embarrassing footnote of our history that it deserves to be.
I will do this as quickly as possible every chance I get.
I will do my part to limit the damage that this man can do to my country.
I will watch his every move and point out every single mistake and misdeed in a loud and proud voice.
I will let you know in a loud voice every time this man backs away from a promise he made to them.
Them. The people who voted for him.
The ones who sold their souls and prayed for him to win.
I will do this so that they never forget.
And they will hear me.
They will see it in my eyes when I look at them.
They will hear it in my voice when I talk to them.
They will know that I know who they are.
They will know that I know what they are.
Do not call for my tolerance. I’ve tolerated all I can.
Now it’s their turn to tolerate ridicule.
Be aware, make no mistake about it, every single thing that goes wrong in our country from this day
forward is now Trump’s fault just as much as they thought it was Obama’s.
I find it unreasonable for them to expect from me what they were entirely unwilling to give. – Author unknown.
We’re headed into an ugly storm. Those of us who care can’t afford to hide under the covers. We need to use our power to help America in these times.
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Here’s to much more than just resistance…
Thank you Annie as ever.
Comment by Jane Hall — December 5, 2016 @ 10:32 am
You’re welcome, Jane. We can not be discouraged by the election of Trump. Nor can we sit back and “hope” for anything from the incoming administration. Hope is not a strategy for change. I find myself encouraged by the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., who knew plenty about fighting for liberty and justice for all: “The long moral arm of history bends toward justice.” True enough, and we’ve got to work together, tirelessly, to help that long arm keep bending in the right direction.
Comment by Annie — December 5, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
This is perfect.
Comment by Diane Munoz — December 5, 2016 @ 7:30 pm
I appreciate the sentiments and encouragement.
I hope also that you realize exactly what we’re up against.
It’s not some nebulous “fight” or rousing spirit we need to face.
We’re under systematic attack from a nefarious and sinister machinery that threatens to undermine our every connection to reality and truth in order to manipulate racial and gender hatred to its own ends.
This is not nut-job conspiracy theory, unless you consider The Guardian an unreliable source of information.
We’re going to need to smarten up real fast and get willing to use the tools the far right has unleashed on us to push back, and push back hard.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/dec/04/google-democracy-truth-internet-search-facebook
Comment by Bea M — December 6, 2016 @ 12:10 pm
Hi Bea, I truly appreciate your comments and your dose of reality. We need this! Thank you also for the link to The Guardian article. i have read it with great interest. If we don’t understand the tactics of the “nefarious and sinister machinery that threatens to undermine our every connection to reality and truth in order to manipulate racial and gender hatred to its own ends” then we have no chance of defeating these forces.
Call to Action for a Small Act of Resistance for today (using Google for good): (1) Go to Breitbart.com (I know, ugh, but keep going).
(2) Find a Google AdSense ad. It will have a teal triangle and an x in the upper right corner.
(3) Click on the triangle.
(4) Click “Why this Ad?”
(5) On the Google page that loads, Click “learn more” in the text toward the bottom.
(6) A page loads called About Google Ads.
Scroll down and click to “Leave feedback on the website you just saw.”
(7) You are given a choice between “the website” and “the ads”. Choose “the website”.
(8) Check the box saying that the website (Breitbart) promotes racial intolerance. If you like, add a comment. I did.
(9) Click submit!
If Google kicks Breitbart out of its ad network it will make a big difference to the company’s bottom line. So tell Google to Dump Breitbart.
Comment by Annie — December 6, 2016 @ 12:27 pm