Resistance

Well meaning citizens had driven through the rain to attend a community gathering in a church hall in the valley. We stood at the entrance, shaking out our umbrellas and stomping our boots, then dutifully arranging chairs and plates of cheese, recognizing friends, greeting each other, all of us allies in a resistance. Who would have thought?There were artists and teachers here, parents and grandparents, so many decent and intelligent people, all feeling anger and dismay, unexpectedly thrust into activism. I would have liked to have seen more young people, or more diversity, but that wasn't likely on a rainy Thursday night in this little valley town. There was a great deal of fervor about immediate local actions we can take, such as protecting vulnerable immigrant farm workers, but less discussion of longer-range political solutions, which are also crucial. Several folks still seemed to be clinging to the fantasy that Electors would reverse their votes, but most of us understood that a horror had occurred and would not un-happen.

We are peaceable and fortunate people, still a bit stalled by shock, but we have been called to action now, and we will learn how to fight. We tried to be concrete and constructive at our community meeting and not dissipate our energy in emotion, even when those emotions were hard to contain.  I was happy to see my friend Genevieve, a beautiful and intelligent young mother with whom I used to teach, and then felt sad that what had brought us together is an unfolding nightmare.  But it's gratifying to know we are on the same team, and reassuring to see so many fine and decent people stepping up. We are the majority, and we will prevail. We just can't allow ourselves to succumb to weariness or despair, and I realize that won't be easy. We wanted to believe the best in people, but there are ugly facts to face.

It's hard to organize and strategize, to become an effective group, link to others, and grow into a movement--indivisible, relentless, and potent. We listed priorities in marker pen on flip chart easels, contributed comments and listened in earnest. Some recalled the lessons of the 1960s. "We need to make a lot of noise," said one participant. "We need to read Tom Hayden's SDS charter," said another. There was a reference to a 2003 essay by David Harris, which I looked up later, and this in particular seemed relevant: "Under ideal circumstances, those of us who disagreed could turn to the opposition party to champion our cause, but the opposition party has long since abandoned its duty to oppose, fearing political jeopardy."

So we'll march, and write letters, and make phone calls, and sign petitions, and attend meetings, and lobby and support and protect and protest and obstruct and pay attention and stay informed and vote and network and communicate and learn and teach and help each other...and never give up. (Am I leaving anything out?) The world has changed, and we'll need new tools and ideas, but our fundamental values are intact, and our commitment is unshakeable.

In this election, ethics, qualifications, and principles meant nothing, and the keys to great power were handed to a hate-mongering, mentally unstable, and dangerous narcissist whose flaunting of truth and democratic principles has already been unprecedented. He is entering office with numerous conflicts of interest, a history of corruption and despicable behavior, and an attitude of arrogance and belligerence in combination with appalling ignorance that should frighten all of us. We are seeing the clear beginnings of a kleptocracy, and we cannot let this happen.

George Orwell often comes to mind: "And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. 'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.' War is peace. Freedom is slavery."  Welcome to the Bizarro world, where everything you thought was right and reasonable is up-ended and brazenly replaced by its opposite.

Yes, it's scary and depressing, but I resolve to be involved and stay involved, and to do at least one thing daily for the cause. I will never, ever take for granted the bounty of my life, the wonders of our poor beleaguered planet, or the gifts of the democracy into which I was born.  We will not stand by in silence, and we will not get over it, ever, because we will never accept the unacceptable.