Sunday, January 22, 2017

"That means the President doesn't like you, Mommy."

I want to get this down while I still remember it: At dinner in Baltimore on Friday night, we realized the table next to ours was also filled with marchers (the "Love Trumps Hate" buttons were the giveaway). They were family (adult sisters) and friends from Texas – Austin and San Antonio – who had flown in for the march. One woman said her young son had come from school saying "President Trump doesn't like Mexicans." She told him, "I'm Mexican," and he said, "That means the president doesn't like you," and started to cry. This is not acceptable, people. Just not. DJT has not made much policy yet, but he ran – and won – on a platform that encourages people to say things like this to young children. And that, right there, is enough. And then they shared photos of their daughters, who had made signs for the Austin/San Antonio marches! One protest, no matter how big, will not change things. But there are millions of us. Millions. If we can keep the pressure up, we will scare some legislators into doing the right thing. We will support the ones who are with us. And by god in two years and in four years and in all the little, local elections between, we will make our voices heard. I fear we were complacent this time. Never again.

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