Resist

On the way home from the swim meet when we were on the first of two trains getting home I realized that the Berlin Women's March was taking place right at that very time.  I had written off being able to go because Josie's swim meets normally go until 2PM.  But because she was sick and we left early it was only 11AM and just the right time for me to catch it.  The train we were on was going right past the meeting spot for the march so I called a very uncharacteristic and spontaneous audible and told Marty I'd see him at home in a couple of hours and jumped off the train at the Brandenburg Tor stop.  He and the kids continued on and he put Josie to bed while I joined thousands of other people who care about Women's Rights  - or at least that is how the whole idea started last year with an estimated 3.2-5.5 MILLION people taking to the streets to peacefully protest. 

The 2018 Women's March, which took place in hundreds of cities all over the world, was for people who care about Women's rights, sure but this march has turned into a place for people to raise their voices because they care about, in addition to Women's Rights, Rights for people of color, Rights for those in the LGBT community, Rights for immigrants, Rights for all.  And because it happened right after the presidential inauguration last year and over half of the US was pretty upset about who the new president was (Complete understatement!) It also turned into a protest against Trump.

I was moved by the speakers at the Berlin March who spoke in English with a variety of accents.  They talked about freedom for all, rights for all and how we need to rise up and use our voices against the injustices that are happening in our communities and around the world.  It was not lost on me that I was standing in a city and country that has known what it was like to be run over by a man and his government that was clearly carrying out atrocious injustices everyday and those that spoke out at the time were not heralded as heroes until long after. 

I realize that while atrocities are happening it is not always easy to speak up and speak out but I have come to a place in my life where I cannot remain silent about what is happening in this world at the hand of the president who was elected in my country.  I cannot sit idly by and just say that we can agree to disagree. It seems way too light of a statement for things that are going on today that are anything but light.
The march was a good step.  But I really want to do more, speak up more and find a way to make a change.  Two of my favorite quotes by one of my favorite men Martin Luther King Jr. are quotes I want to live by:
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter"
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"

I truly and honestly cannot understand how it is possible that 38% of the US population can approve of what is going on, of how Trump is acting and the changes he is making.  I actually had to look this figure up and in looking this up I read something interesting.  The majority of people who approve of him approve of him BECAUSE of his behavior and not despite it? 

All of the things that I would think people would want in a president I find lacking in Trump:
1) Intelligent - nope
2) Compassionate - nope
3) Diplomatic - not even close
4) Honest -what a joke
5) Humble - Ha!
I could go on and on and on.
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I can break it down into the people I think support him and I have to chalk it up to a very limited new source or sources and being surrounded by like minded people (which, yes, I am guilty of as well.)  I cannot believe that 38% of the US is that mean and selfish spirited.
The list of supporters must start with the true blue Republicans who will support anyone who runs under this party.  People who have money and would like to keep a president in office who will help them keep their money. Somehow, they must turn a blind eye with his stance on everything else are able to justify his behavior towards immigrants and people of color and women and our environment, and, and...  Likely there are large pockets of Christians who also support him and I'm guessing this is mostly because he is a Republican.  I don't know when the Republicans highjacked the Christians and claimed their party the "Christian Party"  I do not get this at all.  Most Christian Republicans I know talk about the "liberal" Democrats as if "liberal" were a dirty word.  I don't get this! I cannot think of a more liberal man or liberal example than Jesus Christ.  He was liberal with his love, with his acceptance of all, with his fight against injustices and fierce about protecting the "least of these."  None of these characteristics do I see in the current Republican party.
I think of the "talking points" that people who support Trump use and a lot of it, I'm assuming, voted for Trump because of his stance on abortion.  I do not understand those who are passionately Pro Life and who are not equally furious that thousands of mothers and their children will lose healthcare under Trump.  You cannot claim to be Pro Life just when it pertains to the life of a fetus, it HAS to carry over and you MUST continue to be Pro Life once the baby is born. 
So, I don't know where this will take me and I realize I probably have a lot more to say on this topic but I will leave it for now because I have to go get dinner ready.
But again, I would love to understand where the other side is coming from.
I am not looking for a public debate but I really honestly would like to understand how one can approve of anything that has gone on since Trump was elected.  If you are reading this and want to enlighten me my email address is: karriemg@hotmail.com
I truly want to know!  And for the time being I will use my voice and my actions to speak out against the wrongs that are happening to the "least of these" around the US and around the world.