Donald Trump is President of the United States today. Tomorrow I will join fellow citizens in marching on our National Mall in Washington DC.
You may be joining me in DC. You may be rallying in a different city. You may be rooting along from your living room. OR...you may be saddened and confused that people would do something like this.
You could be thinking...
Get over it already! He won. Move on.
I can’t stand people who protest. You’re just lucky there are brave men and women who allow you the privilege.
We all need to come together and support the President. We are all Americans.
I respect that 63 million people voted for Donald Trump. He was certified as our next President by the electoral college. A rally will not change that. But please don’t misunderstand what is going on. The marches are not an attack on our country; they are a validation of what makes it great.
(1) The right to assemble was enshrined by the Founders ― a tool for those who do not have official power. It’s a demonstration of solidarity...We are still here and will not go away.
(2) Exercising that right is especially critical now ― at a time when a single party controls the Presidency, House of Representatives, and Senate. That same party controls 68% of state legislatures and 62% of Governor’s offices. This is the most power in the hands of a one group since the Civil War.
(3) But there is a disconnect. Because, the current President lost the popular vote by 2.8 million votes. That is a 5x bigger defeat than when George W. Bush lost it in 2000.
(4) One side’s ability to enact dramatic alterations to society has never been higher. Yet that power is completely out of proportion to the public’s indicated desire for it.
The election...this year...is not normal.
I have been thrown on my heels since November 9th―growing further aghast at the conduct and temperament demonstrated by the man holding our most treasured office...
- Defending a foreign despot over our own American intelligence officials
- Threats to punish journalists who challenge him
- Incoherent late night rants about TV shows and celebrities
- Refusal to eliminate or even reveal personal business conflicts
- Cabinet nominations that no reasonable person can claim represent the “best and brightest”
Millions disagree with me―you may be one of them. But I hope we can come together on at least one idea: We only sharpen our ideas when we are forced to defend them against those who disagree.
Tomorrow, your Facebook feed may be filled with tired, one-liners. Please think before following along....
No, if you see one picture of someone doing something stupid that does not represent everyone who is marching. Do KKK Trump supporters represent you?
No, we are not out of touch “liberal elites” from big cities. Some live in cities. Some don’t. Some are rich. Some are poor. Some aren’t even that liberal. We don’t agree on everything. But we do agree on many big things: like fairness, kindness, and competency.
No, we are not snowflakes who need participation trophies. We’re folks who refuse to stay silent when we think we can make a difference.
I am not joining this march in spite of being an American, but because I am. Democracy is not just the right to vote. It is an ongoing commitment to pay attention to your community, understand how issues align with your values, and put those values to action.
We are still here. We are paying attention. We will not go away.
(Originally published on PaulAlanRichardson.com)