There was a time — only three weeks ago — when it might have felt less imperative to regularly take to the streets in protest:
One of the great achievements of free society in a stable democracy is that many people, for much of the time, need not think about politics at all. The president of a free country may dominate the news cycle many days — but he is not omnipresent — and because we live under the rule of law, we can afford to turn the news off at times. A free society means being free of those who rule over you — to do the things you care about, your passions, your pastimes, your loves — to exult in that blessed space where politics doesn’t intervene. In that sense, it seems to me, we already live in a country with markedly less freedom than we did a month ago. It’s less like living in a democracy than being a child trapped in a house where there is an abusive and unpredictable father, who will brook no reason, respect no counter-argument, admit no error, and always, always up the ante until catastrophe inevitably strikes. This is what I mean by the idea that we are living through an emergency.
For anyone on Capitol Hill feeling resistance fatigue, here is the good news. Around 400 marchers rallied Saturday in Cal Anderson to show solidarity for LGBTQ people amid threats from the Trump administration before traveling and blocking Broadway to protest in front of the neighborhood’s Wells Fargo branch to challenge the bank’s financing of the Dakota Access pipeline. If you weren’t there, those people had your back for the weekend. Others will hopefully be there until you are ready to march or protest or write letters again.
Marching in Capitol Hill. ?️?#LGBTQally #Solidarity #Seattle #BeAnAlly #LoveIsLove #Respect #MoreLoveLessHate pic.twitter.com/AYRnOP3Cgr
— Kearsten Holmdale (@vinylcoffeefood) February 11, 2017
“Friends, we cannot trust this new White House,” Seattle Pride president Kevin Toovey said.
“We will not sit back and let our rights be stripped away.”
Saturday’s protest double-header featured a strong presence from members of Socialist Alternative. The party has been calling for a general strike against President Trump — next Friday, many will rally around the “2-17-17” walkout call. In Cal Anderson, Socialist Alternative leader and Seattle City Council member representing Capitol Hill and the Central District Kshama Sawant spoke to the crowd about joining in solidarity with a movement across the country. “What we are noticing now nationwide, is that Trump isn’t going after one section of our community, he is going after all our of us,” she said. “He is going after LGBTQ, women, black people, and he is definitely going after immigrants and muslims and he’s going after the working class.”
“What are we going to do?,” she asked. “We are absolutely going to fight back! And our message to Trump is that we will fight, divide and conquer with solidarity.”
I was on the streetcar and we were stopped while the protesters marched by us. Thumbs up from me. Thank you all who marched.
And thanks to the organizers of the Capitol Hill “huddle” held last tuesday night–I went to it, not knowing anybody there, and it was wonderful to see how many showed up and conducted themselves with seriousness and civility.
What’s the point of protesting in one of the most left-wing, liberal neighborhoods in the country? Why not take some mass transit over to Bellevue or somewhere else? These aren’t protests. This is just preaching to the choir.
“In that sense, it seems to me, we already live in a country with markedly less freedom than we did a month ago.”
Beautifully reported, wonderful sentiment, and I agree.
There is another way to look at the loss of our freedom to sometimes ignore politics, though. It is simply that the bill for the freedoms we enjoy has come due, and it’s time to pay up.
I feel that it is my privilege to protest, to scrutinize our government, and to register my objections freely in a variety of ways, and that, at least for the time being, I can do that without fear for my life, or for the safety of my family. That is not true in much of the world, and we should not take it for granted.
I am grateful for the strength our democracy is showing in the face of what seems like not just an emergency, but an existential crisis. If our democracy weathers this, it would behoove every one of use to include in those passions which we pursue in our free time, a passion for politics. It’s a pastime that’s well worth enjoying even in the best of times–and possibly a way for us, collectively, to pre-emptively ward of crises like this.
Love your writing, and your blog!
Megan McArdle says it better:
“Americans have a sort of privilege, a blindness to how wrong things can go in a country, because we live in one of the oldest constitutional republics in the world. Two centuries of largely peaceful proceduralism have enabled us to forget just how precious our civic norms are. They are precious, and they need to be maintained by active work.”
From here:
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-02-10/we-are-already-struggling-to-keep-outrage-alive-in-the-age-of-trump
Thanks again for your consistently excellent commentary and reportage.
Thank you to all who marched. It’s liberal here because we choose to show solidarity. Thank you for writing this..served me as a very necessary reminder
There are plenty of things to protest about in these early days of the Trump Presidency, but I don’t think that LGBTQ rights is one of them. This is one area where, as far as I know, Trump has not spoken about. If anyone can provide some specific examples otherwise, I am open to hearing about them….but I think this protest is more based on a nebulous fear that he MIGHT do something anti-gay.
Bob, the LGBTQ community is absolutely being impacted by current politics. Anti-trans bills are in progress in many states (including our own), and LGBTQ people are well-represented among people who have been the first targets of this administration: refugees, immigrants, and people dependent for insurance coverage on the ACA, just to start the list. In addition, the march was a “solidarity march” to show the LGBTQ community’s allyship with progressive causes – for example by demonstrating in front of Wells Fargo. I’m proud that my Seattle community is not just concerned with a narrow band of rights related to sexual orientation or gender identity exclusively, but wants to be out there on the front lines for other causes as well, trying to be intersectional in their approach to protest.
My only hesitation is in regards to the targeting of the Wells Fargo Broadway branch. It’s such a low level unit of the corporation, and the people who work there seem really nice (I see them at the upstairs gym regularly) and are probably just scraping by like most of us (mentally and financially). Bringing the pitchforks to a more corporate downtown location that’s filled with suits would seem more appropriate.
the prostests aren’t meant to rattle those employees, but to raise awareness about Wells Fargo’s practices. People who bank with Wells Fargo may not know or care about their investments, and thus continue to support them. If we stand outside and yell, they’re employees still get paid, but their customers might think about taking their business elsewhere – and that hits them where it hurts.
Kshama at the DNC – never forget:
http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2016/07/25/24388750/kshama-sawant-shows-up-at-the-dnc-to-tell-bernie-sanders-supporters-to-vote-for-jill-stein