12 | November | 2016 | Life of Wry

Holding the Light

November 12, 2016

There are rallies, demonstrations, marches and vigils happening all over the country. Day four of them, in fact. Some are angry anti-Trump rallies, some are peaceful gatherings of people in pain. Some are violent, some are tear-filled. Some are a combo.

So people are showing up in solidarity to say not all of us feel the way our new president does.

Tonight, Davis held a candlelight vigil, “Holding the Light.” The crowd was estimated at over 700 people. It was 100% about love and support for people, groups and issues trashed by Trump and his supporters during his nasty, hate-filled campaign. Trump is now our president, which, in the eyes and hearts of those targeted, is a very scary reality. One thing is clear: Trump’s election has created a lot of unrest. His dangerous, careless campaign rhetoric has lead to a lot of fear and tension among numerous now-vulnerable communities. Thankful I live in a community that cares about all of its residents. So grateful for our city leaders for their courage and humanity.

People showed up to say not all of us feel the way our new president does. I was so glad to have a place to go to hang with others who are feeling the same way.

I don’t recall Trump’s name coming up more than a couple of times last night.. as in, this was not an anti-Trump rally. His hateful rhetoric was the subject. Davis’ response: we denounce the hateful rhetoric; we stand by all of our brothers and sisters; we offer, in Davis, a safe refuge for people; we will resist any move by the Trump administration that goes against our values as a community.

It was that last one that was particularly extraordinary. We will resist!

This resist movement (#resist), seems to be getting some legs. I’m wondering if it shows up as blatantly anywhere else in US presidential election history. Not to say there haven’t been unhappy campers following ANY presidential election in our 240-year history, but for high ranking officials across the land–some of the highest–to actively draw a line in the sand and threaten, you cross this line: we will resist your authority... has that happened?

It’s one thing to disagree politically with the party in power but yet accept and respect their authority. It is another altogether to say: If you, Mr. President, put our country, its people, our principles and our planet at risk.. we will not compromise. We will resist.

It helps to have the rest of the free and sane world on our side. Not to mention weird (weird that it’s come down to Humanity V. Trump (choke, gag, our new president).

Governor Brown’s statement:

Today we saw the beginning of the transfer of power to the President-elect.

While the prerogatives of victory are clear, so also are the responsibilities to ensure a strong and unified America. As President Lincoln said, ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ With the deep divisions in our country, it is incumbent on all of us – especially the new leadership in Washington – to take steps that heal those divisions, not deepen them. In California, we will do our part to find common ground whenever possible.

But as Californians, we will also stay true to our basic principles. We will protect the precious rights of our people and continue to confront the existential threat of our time – devastating climate change.

E PLURIBUS UNUM.

The California legislature’s statement:

Today, we woke up feeling like strangers in a foreign land, because yesterday Americans expressed their views on a pluralistic and democratic society that are clearly inconsistent with the values of the people of California.

We have never been more proud to be Californians.

By a margin in the millions, Californians overwhelmingly rejected politics fueled by resentment, bigotry, and misogyny.

The largest state of the union and the strongest driver of our nation’s economy has shown it has its surest conscience as well.

California is – and must always be – a refuge of justice and opportunity for people of all walks, talks, ages and aspirations – regardless of how you look, where you live, what language you speak, or who you love.

California has long set an example for other states to follow. And California will defend its people and our progress. We are not going to allow one election to reverse generations of progress at the height of our historic diversity, scientific advancement, economic output, and sense of global responsibility.

We will be reaching out to federal, state and local officials to evaluate how a Trump Presidency will potentially impact federal funding of ongoing state programs, job-creating investments reliant on foreign trade, and federal enforcement of laws affecting the rights of people living in our state. We will maximize the time during the presidential transition to defend our accomplishments using every tool at our disposal.

While Donald Trump may have won the presidency, he hasn’t changed our values. America is greater than any one man or party. We will not be dragged back into the past. We will lead the resistance to any effort that would shred our social fabric or our Constitution.

California was not a part of this nation when its history began, but we are clearly now the keeper of its future.

Sigh. So we stand up and fight for justice in an uncertain time. We wear our safety pins in solidarity, reach out to those who are members of now-vulnerable groups; support and join organizations that are already fighting the good fight; stay vigilant, educated and engaged; call out injustice when we see it… and, when time, vote to turn things around.

A couple of photos:

This was taken at Farmer’s Market this morning…