protests

Size Matters

Trump finally got

the biggest

crowds

ever

in US

history,

but will

it be 

enough?

The No Kings 3

demonstrations,

3000 

confirmations

of approximately

8 million

frustrations

with this administration

and demand

for democracy

to be

the rule,

not a cruel

fool,

infantile

and vile,

gauche,

louche,

driven

by money

and epic

fury,

proved 

that we

can unite

peacefully

for decency

and democracy.

A protest

alone

can’t dethrone

a would-be

king

or authoritarian

ring.

(See Tiananmen

Square, 1989).

But 

it’s a sign

nonetheless,

that 

in

nearly

every

municipality,

fearlessness

against

venality,

brutality,

criminality,

and more,

is growing.

Knowing

the size 

of the resistance

to the persistence

of this 

menace

should help 

us

flip the House

and Senate.

Let him

take credit

for ending

the war

soon.

It doesn’t

change

that he’s

still

a buffoon,

who will

soon

realize

that congress

must authorize

this “exercise”.

It’s the size 

that matters

most

to him,

whether

bright

or dim,

news

of multitudes

gets 

his attention.

Any mention 

of size

is a prize

to be had

or denied.

Regardless,

he’ll go on

attacking.

Your presence

is paramount

in order 

to dismount

this weak

yet pugnacious

anomaly.

Or is he?

Is he US?

Are we

just a  huge

country

that is obnoxious,

old,

fat,

ignorant,

and gluttonous?

Yesterday’s

No Kings Day

would suggest

otherwise,

based on

the size 

of the crowds

of those

who chose

to exercise

their

right to protest.

I hope

it’s a test

to show

that size 

matters.

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.

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. 

Whine Country

Those who whine that the ones seeking personal, racial, societal, economic, and governmental health are impeding individual liberty, are happy to emulate their loser leader. They feign strength while whining. They feign independence while following conspiracy theories and zombie policies, also while whining.  They feign patriotism, while whining, and insist that they are the true representatives of the country. They keep America grate (and sick). 

Those who protest actual injustice, not merely awful inconvenience and discomfort, are thoughtfully, peacefully, and creatively seeking accountability and new direction. What’s the difference between the seemingly aggrieved constituents? 

Protests (and whining) are designed to call attention to some issue. We have all been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, some obviously much more than others. The whiners just want to do what they want to do. Who doesn’t?  Everyone wants to get back to work, socializing,  commerce, entertainment, etc. The #BLM and associated movements’ protestors have taught most of the rest of the country (and the world) that the opportunity for health is upon us. We all want to be able to reengage in healthy ways, and we also can’t ignore the systemic injustices that have yielded so much more pain and suffering and death in black communities in this country.  This isn’t whining. This is growing. This is maturing. Even as a novel virus spreads.

The whino-in-chief can’t stop kvetching. He hasn’t started planning or learning anything. His schtick is a Borscht Belt cadence of whining. The best thing to do is tune him out. (Thanks, Mom!)  And vote him and his enablers out, despite all the obstacles!

And the whiners who expose their noses know that they have everyone’s attention. But that’s all. They offer nothing (but potential germs). They whine that everyone else has ruined it for them. They love upsetting their foes (i.e. fellow Americans, albeit not in whine country), as their loser leader does. They are happy to ruin it for others.

2020 Whines:

Flabby. Not very refined. Minerally—like the taste of concrete on the tongue. Dense.  NOT elegant. NOT complex. A hint of lead—like the taste of a pencil. Also like an eraser.

Unpalatable.