When I awoke this morning, having stayed in bed later than I usually do as it is a dreary day, I checked the news and weather as is my usual habit - well, after my usual morning ablutions and grabbing my first cup of coffee anyway. The first thing I noticed was that two Democratic lawmakers, and their spouses, were shot in an obvious politically motivated execution in Minneapolis, Minnesota overnight.
Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were both killed, and Senator John Hoffman and his wife were both shot multiple times but as of this writing are still alive.
I am not sure if others are participating, but I will be taking place in the NO KINGS protest in Saratoga Springs, NY today. If you are planning to join in a protest in your area (they are taking place in literally hundreds of cities across the country today), I thank you - and I implore you to be safe! If you have not committed to join us, please reconsider - but be safe wherever you may end up today.
As I have repeatedly stated, only by standing up and being counted can we bring sanity back to our land. As long as Trump and his ilk are allowed to perpetuate their lawless hatred throughout this country, as long as he continues to make violence and hatred acceptable within our society, none of us are safe. Donald Trump has spent the last decade legitimizing hatred, bigotry, and lawlessness in this country and it must be stopped.
What happened last night in Minnesota is just a symptom of the sickness he is spreading throughout this country.
Remember, all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
Comments
Shocking but not that surprising
We have had 6 British MP's murdered in the last 100 years (I checked). Mostly by the IRA, all certainly political but NOT due to party politics. I suspect that your dreadful news is very likely by a right wing nutjob, and it seems like a tragic yet inevitable development of US party politics. Now we wait for the perpetrator to be caught - and then pardoned by Trump.
Nope
Trump can only pardon Federal crimes. He can’t issue a pardon for a murder conviction under the laws of Minnesota. Only Tim Walz could do that — and I’m guessing he wouldn’t.
— Emma
NO KINGS protest are taking place in hundreds of cities
When I looked up the NO KING protests for my area I was heartened to see the number of places that the were taking place. I expected that there would be events in major cities only. Dallas said "hundreds," I didn't count, but it looked like thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, across the country. I had to zoom the map around my area to separate them enough to pick out just one. I ended up using the zip code search.
As I've mentioned before, I live in rural small town in the foot hills of the northern Coast Range in Oregon. The nearest big city is Portland, about an hour and a half from here. I was heartened to see there was a protest about 30 minutes away in a town only about 5 times the size of where I live. While Oregon is considered a "blue" state it's truly only the large metropolitan cites that are "blue." The rest of the state is quite "red," especially the county I live in and the nearest protest is in the county seat.
What heartens me most is the sheer numbers of protests means that we, the trans community, are not alone but that there must be tens of thousands who are also more than disturbed with the administration.
Hugs
Patricia
Happiness is being all dressed up and HAVING some place to go.
Semper in femineo gerunt
Ich bin ein femininer Mann
Just so people know...
My breathing and general health make it impossible to march, but I can carry a sign here:
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
FWIW
I've never been a protest person. Probably because I'm a raging introvert, and I've always been more of a behind-the-scenes type. But numbers mattered today, so today I marched. In part, I marched for you, knowing you couldn't. I marched for all of us.
— Emma
As so many have told me before……..
Thank you for your service today!
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
Home safe (?)
After being "on the streets" in downtown Chicago (IL, USA)
Good to hear.
Glad you made it.
D. Eden
“Hier stehe ich; ich kann nicht anders. Gott helfe mir.”
Dum Vivimus, Vivamus
In Spirit
I can only be with you in spirit, but my spirit is 100% with you in protest against the vicious regime that is unfolding in the USA. Trump and his spineless toadies are trampling on your values as well as your flag.
I would march not only as someone who is trans but as a firm believer in Truth and Justice (I pass on the American Way because that belongs to all civilised people). I would probably do more standing than marching but I would be present.
The French national anthem says it well:-
"Contre nous de la tyrannie, l'etandard senglant est levee..'
He is despised here in Australia and I wouldn't piss on his grave. I do fear that he has escalated his war with the suppression of the LA demonstrations and the targeted assassinations of the Minnesota Democrats. I firmly believe that those assassinations were orchestrated by the White House, if not by him then by his henchman, Steven Himmler.
Demonstrate in peace, and be safe.