Arthur and I set off to drive across the country from northcentral Pennsylvania to northeastern Washington on the day after the 2016 presidential election.
 |
| Salem Sue, the World's Largest Holstein Cow commanding the Interstate in New Salem, North Dakota |
That journey across Middle America began after a sleepless night, tossing and turning, haunted by the stunned blank faces of trusted news anchors - Judy Woodruff, Amy Walter, Mark Shields and CBS old timers Charlie Rose and Bob Schieffer. They were charged with telling the country that Donald Trump would be inaugurated as the 45th President come the new year.
So in the still-dark hours, we faced the daunting task of packing the car and closing things up for a four-month sojourn with an aching and sense of dread. How could it be that Donald Trump was going to be the 45th President of the United States of America?
Spotting Trump signs around nearly every corner acted like salt on a wound. All across the country, we read Make America Great Again on fading billboards; spotted Trump/Pence signs stuck cockeyed in the middle of fields; Drain The Swamp nailed to barns that had seen better days, and flaccid Trump flags.
Snowflakes? I suppose so. Crying liberals? Yes, guilty as charged.
It was in the sanctuary of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Colville where we listened to the stirring words of Martin Luther King preached from the pulpit that hope began to rise. And how could you not be moved by these words of the Black National Anthem:
Lift every voice and sing
Till earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the list'ning skies, let it resound loud as the rolling sea
Sing a song full of faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
We joined the Women's March, held across the country on the day after the Inauguration, joining thousands of marchers in downtown in Spokane Washington.
 |
| Pussy hats in all shades of pink |
 |
| Many were marching for the next generation |
 |
 |
| Crowd spilling out of the Convention Center ready to march |
 |
| Our Stevens County contingent |
The marches across the country sent millions into the streets to send a bold message to the new administration and the world that women's rights are human rights. These protests, judged to be the largest single-day demonstration in U.S. history, gave those of us marching some small measure of hope. After all, a majority of the electorate had voted against the man duly installed in office. Certainly our voices wouldn't be ignored. He couldn't possibly be as bad as we had imagined and he would likely choose good people to advise him.
But, we have endured as it became clear that he was every bit as bad as we had imagined and even worse. Still, we the people worked four years to elect a replacement for this failed president. And resoundingly, Trump was beaten in the 2020 election. He will be gone. Tomorrow.
But today the short leash I have been using to tether my emotions frayed and broke as I sat in my car and shouted "bullshit" into the phone to a person who was spouting political rhetoric to me.
At that moment, I realized just how sick and tired and fearful and anxious I have been since Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. And I realized at that moment that I am soon to be free. In the words of Donald Trump: No More Bullshit! In the words of Jane: Hallelujah!
1 comment:
Leaving this comment on January 22, 2021.
Before I turn completely away from raising my blood pressure reading his blasphemous diatribes, I want to share Charlatan Profit Sheets’ words from today. Though his intent was very different than my interpretation of his words, I kinda think he's changing his tune.
“Millions of Americans are now seeing the incredibly deep and broad level of corruption in our government... Most, especially in government, don’t believe they’ll ever be held accountable. After all, we’ve known for three to four years now of the corruption and lies by politicians, judges ...”
Then he relates the following dream: “On 1/20/2021, I woke up from a dream with such a sense of hope! In the dream, I was lifted over Washington, D.C. It was very cloudy; you could barely see the buildings below. Suddenly, lightning struck the top of the White House and winds began to blow. Along with the lightning, rain and hail began coming down from heaven...As the winds blew, a clarity came across the city... There was such joy and happiness on people’s faces; even the land itself seemed to rejoice.”
And so we do rejoice and indeed we've awakened from a long sleep.
Post a Comment