I DISSENT

Yes, karma always has its day and hate burns itself to ashes in the end. We can hope to wait out this situation, we can hope we make it to the next election in two years without too many being harmed.

But, until then we must be karma’s ally. We must resist and insist on a standard of values of human decency and the protection of democracy and freedom for all.

We should make it known nationwide and around the world that over 70 million of us are not okay with the deep cuts and abuses of our rights and human dignity! NOT okay!

America has a proud history of civic dissent and protest stemming back to the very creation of this nation. Whenever it becomes necessary it is nearly always dangerous and unpopular. But in the face of injustice, tyranny, and the destruction of our civil constitutionally protected rights, and those of people who don’t look like us, standing up becomes a duty.

We must be visible, united, decentralized, peaceful, non-violent, and where necessary disobedient and uncontrollable by fascist rulers. We should not accept the unacceptable or remain silent in the face of it. Though the daily outrages and assaults on our rights and theft of our public commons will find their way to late-night comedy shows and it will feel good temporarily to laugh at the horrors, we should resist the temptation to downplay the seriousness of our situation and think this will be no different than the first Trump presidency. It’s already different.

There really is a plan called Project 2025. It really is a radical rewriting of the rules of law and structure of our government. And the people are fanatically loyal to Trump more than ever before and will not question his word.

And remember the Supreme Court he installed gave him legal immunity for any “official act” performed while President. That covers a lot.

Just look how our justice system acquiesced to his demands and threats and failed to prosecute him and then sentence him in the one case he was tried and convicted of felony crimes. He appears to be above the law for all intents and purposes.

It is not okay to accept deep cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid! NOT Okay! We must stand up and make this clear.

These cuts will result in massive suffering and totally unnecessary deaths of the most vulnerable members of our nation.

It is not okay to repeal the ACA! NOT Okay! We should stand up and make this clear as well. They will come after the ACA and its repeal too will result in countless horrible and unnecessary preventable deaths of Americans who will lose healthcare coverage and access.

Everyone must decide for themselves what they are comfortable and willing to do to speak out against the attacks on the vulnerable among us, to protest in public, to create new media and art that stirs people’s conscience to action, to do book readings and public events, to run for office, to file lawsuits to create ballot initiatives, to volunteer for social groups, community hospitals, local libraries, and I’m sure there are many other similar types of resistance to tyrannical fascist rule.

We cannot count on the corporate media. They failed us miserably so far. The media might give in to pressures of political government retribution or simply loss of revenues and access to the President and his people on their shows. They will soften their headlines and stories as our benefits are slashed rights taken from us and even busloads of human beings are dragged into detention camps and deported. The media will cower cravenly because they are corporations. They will disappoint us again and again.

But we will be the media. We will find and support local and other courageous media who report on the truth and hold powerful people who abuse our civil rights accountable to us and the world.

The one thing we should not do is preemptively capitulate to hate Ever or become hateful ourselves.

There are millions and millions of kind, caring good people out there. You are proof of that. Hold on to that knowledge. Spread love kindness and solidarity around you like its confetti.

To quote Nelson Mandela, live life in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.