protests

Right Guard

In that arid,

extra dry

city

of angels,

a legal

and  peaceful

demonstration

met recrimination

by  the criminal

White House.

Sure,

it’s no secret

that any rally

in blue Cali

makes Trump

go bat-bleep crazy.

He picks ICE
to make 

all immigrants

pay a price

which won’t

suffice.

Fake video

seems

to show

the protests

becoming

violent.

It’s the pretext

for

the pretend

savior

to call

the National

Guard.

The guy

who ignored

the pleas

for order

restored

at The Capitol

at the 1/6

insurrection,

has decided

that at 

his direction,

LA

needs

the National Guard

to prove

how right

he is.

But the right

guard

is not hard

to see

particularly

as the citizenry

is mobilized

to demonstrate

for democracy.

The whole 

immigration

situation

needs 

an overhaul.

But not at all

what we’ve 

seen thus far

by this 

White House

reality star.

What’s next?

Will the new

LA Law

be 

martial law

or some straw

man

argument

against

any immigrant

regardless

of how innocent?

There’s more

in store,

you can 

be sure.

It’s enough

to make

you sweat.

Our perspiration

is his

satiation,

and he’ll go

to the nth

degree

as he

disregards

constitutional 

rights,

much less, 

humanity.

Strong Ending on a Weekend

Sovereignty 

won again.

Then,

Good Night and Good Luck

had me watch CNN

and I sobbed

uncontrollably 

at the end.

I pretend

that this

National Guard 

bit

won’t hit

hard;

that Trump

expels verbal

gas,

lighting

the mass

appeal

of his zeal

to troll.

He stole

our sovereignty

and dignity.

No sense

of decency–

not just

McCarthy.

I know

there are more

of us

who stand

for progress

and for 

the good. 

The indecent

are not 

so recent;

but the exponential

potential

of social

media and 

incredible wealth

have threatened 

the health

of the republic

and the world.

It always seems

more dangerous

and ever

more outrageous,

but we’re

also able 

to see 

the most contentious

among us

as the weakest.

So,

though it

seems utterly

terrible,

if not practically

unbearable,

let’s not get

hysterical.

Sovereignty

won again.

So shall we

with integrity.

We see history

more clearly

and the need

for participatory

citizenry.

I will do

what I can

next Saturday

(and every day)

to stand

for democracy.

Will you?

The Best You Can. Do.

For those who doubt

the efficacy

of protests

weekly,

or 

at all,

I suspect

the doubt

is about

the immediacy

of actions

despite 

distractions

and detractions,

not to mention

legal infractions,

that this 

POTUS

has thrust

upon 

us.

How many

marches

and protests

and civil

unrests,

sit-ins

and be-ins

and legal

tests,

did it take

to make 

history?

To change

the trajectory

of this presidency

seems unlikely,

but 

no response

to immorality

and illegality

ensures fragility

and less ability

to ultimately

overcome.

Find your

courage

against 

this scourge

and your

commitment

to persistence.

The resistance

needs 

your assistance.

The images

of dogs

and hoses,

throngs of 

women,

The March

on Washington,

Pride,

pink pussy hats,

and Black Lives

Matter

demonstrations,

can be 

recalled

as they were

installed 

in our 

memory banks.

It’s thanks

to those

who showed

up

and stood up

to injustice

that moved us

forward,

even when 

there’s been

backlash.

The whiplash

can feel

incapacitating.

But activating

is celebrating

your ability

to meet

humanity

and build

a just 

community

whether 

or not

it’s

weekly.

Contribute

what 

you can;

however

you can;

the best 

you can.

DO. 

Uncle Sam

Needs

YOU.

Take a Message

When is protest

beyond

a request

to suggest

an alternative?

What do you

hear

and fear

and why?

Is memory

from history

your guide

or a side

to which

you decide

shall (not)

be

again?

The rants

and chants

feel scary

when

we know

mob

mentality

easily

becomes

destructive.

It is

perhaps

instructive

to consider

the real

terror

within

ourselves

and  potentially

each community

where disunity

is weaponized

such that

some

feel

terrorized.

We now

take

a message

as what

is not

stated—

but rather

interpreted

as meaning

something

else.

So whether

distortions

are heard

rather than 

said

by the herd,

however

absurd,

the message

left

or right,

may be

wrong

to some

who hear

what’s not

there.

The Pro

Palestinian

protests

on campuses

are not

called

anti-Israel

or anti-war

or pro

Hamas.

The silent

message

left out

is potentially

concerning

to the discerning

ones 

still learning

from history.

Likewise,

most recent

movements

have

messaging

intending

to claim

the same

rights

as others

have gained

with feigned

innocence

despite

incidents

to the contrary.

But being

contrary

is the message

that leaves

us in a constant

state of fear

of terror.

What do you

hear

from fear?

What message

do you take

when what’s

at stake

feels

existential?

The answering 

machine

is an automatic

response

to feeling

left out.

But what

about….?

Protests 

succeed

not merely

to dismantle-

try to

handle

lost

battles-

but to expose

and propose

solutions.

The struggle

for power

is now

or never

for those

who endeavor

to demonstrate

in the current

state

of leaving

a message

after 

the tone.