Winter                                                             Cold Moon

Of course, the irony of the women’s marches, successful though they were, is profound. With the same organizing effort and the same passionate devotion it would have been possible to defeat Trump. One interesting study I saw said Hillary lost due to Democrats who stayed home.

Now, this does not detract from the present moment and forward looking significance of these amazing gatherings not only in the U.S., but in other countries of the world, too. The power of the images alone is  wonderful. They make me feel hopeful.

But. This Guardian article does tell the truth: “Without a path from protest to power, the Women’s March will end up like Occupy.” Protest, per se, feels good, but does not move the balance of power on its own. It gives pause to enemies, succor to supporters and creates at least a temporary feeling of solidarity. These are not small things.

A pause in the Trump Whitehouse is a good thing. And, yes, I use the word enemy. What else would you call Donald the Trump? Enemy: “a person who is actively opposed or hostile to someone or something.”  Someone=women, persons of color, the disabled, immigrants, other nations, political opponents. Something=the planet.

So here is one conclusion from the wild embrace of public opposition by millions of women and their allies. We need to find the pressure points of this new regime and attack them relentlessly. For the next four years. This means organizing. Phone calls. Letters. Street protests. Letters to the editor. Interaction with state legislators and federal legislators. Often. We need, in other words, to take the momentum from yesterday and use it. Right now. Before it fades.

Winter                                                                          Cold Moon

Forwarded by friend Tom Crane:

“When the field is nationwide, and the fight must be waged chiefly at second and third hand, and the force of personality cannot so readily make itself felt, then all the odds are on the man who is, intrinsically, the most devious and mediocre — the man who can most easily adeptly disperse the notion that his mind is a virtual vacuum. The Presidency tends, year by year, to go to such men. As democracy is perfected, the office represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.”

 -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)