Some good news
This is really good news. Anyone feel like reaching out to Twitter and saying thank you, and urging them to keep up the work of making their platform a safer place to be online?
Author: vinenfigtree
Keep going.
Day 7. Some resignations within the transition team. But not Bannon. Bannon is a white supremacist. Former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke has publicly praised his appointment as Trump’s chief White House Strategist and counsel.
Please keep calling your elected representatives, and party leaders, to ask them to oppose this appointment and to call for Bannon’s removal. This script is very helpful.
If you are a Republican, or you have Republican elected officials, or you voted for Trump, it’s especially important that you add your voice.
If you would like to call the reps who have already spoken out against Bannon to thank them, they’re listed in the script too.
Last night I listened to an interview of Van Jones. He spoke about his family, and growing up in rural Tennessee, as the first member of his family to be “born with all my rights”. He talked about his father, who was both brilliant and tough. When he would complain to his dad about how hard something was, Mr. Jones would say, “Did anybody sic dogs on you today?”
Not today. Let’s keep going.
Day six
Day six.
Yesterday two things happened.
1. In his interview with Leslie Stahl, Trump seemed surprised to hear of the rise of hate crimes committed in his name. Seeming not to believe he could help, he looked into the camera and told the perpetrators, “Stop it.” That took about 30 seconds.
2. But also: Trump appointed white supremacist Stephen Bannon as his chief strategist in the White House. Neo-Nazis and white supremacists celebrated this move, with white nationalist Richard Spencer calling this “the best possible position” for Bannon.
What can you do?
1. Call your representatives in Congress – don’t email or use a Web form. If you don’t know who they are, you can find out at whoismyrepresentative.com. Call their hometown office. Tell them you want to oppose Bannon appointment because he is a white supremacist, and that you want him out of the White House.
2. Call Congressional Leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell at their Washington offices and tell them the same thing. Ryan is at (202) 225-3031. McConnell is at (202) 224-2541. Same as 1.
Your voice matters. History has its eyes on you.
Hate is Marching Too
This link is very frightening for some of us; proceed with caution.
Five days since the election. Three days since the KKK announced their plans to rally for a Trump victory parade. If you don’t trust this link you can seek out their own website to verify their plans.
This is real. This domestic terrorist organization is celebrating. And millions of Americans are terrified.
Will the President Elect speak up, condemning violence and threats committed in his name?
We’re waiting. We’re watching. We’re listening. And so is the KKK.
Day 4.
This article contains and aggregation of all reported hate-related incidents since the election. There are at least 200 so far.
Will the President Elect, who has promised to be a President for all Americans, speak up, condemning threats and violence against fellow Americans being committed in his name?
It’s Quiet Uptown
Because it was a day off of school, and because Chris hasn’t had a chance to go the first time we saw it, the four of us headed uptown to the New-York Historical Society, to check out the Battle of Brooklyn exhibit (again). It’s still wonderful.
In the gift shop I came across a facsimile of George Washington’s letter to the Hebrew Congregation in Newport, Rhode Island (August, 1790, during the window between writing and ratification of the Bill of Rights).
If you know me a bit, you probably know I am pretty into Hamilton: An American Musical, and that my favorite character most of the time is George Washington. This letter shows why. He knew History had its eyes on him. He knew we would be reading this hundreds of years into the future. He knew we might need these words someday.
[T]he Government of the United States… gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance…. May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.
Those in our government must remember this promise. All of us, and all of our children, of every color; of every national origin; of all genders; of any god, gods, or no god, have been promised no less. We expect no less. And we will not stop speaking up until we get it.
Day 3
Will the president elect denounce hateful acts done in his name?
Let’s Talk About This.
This article only scratches the surface of what your fellow humans are going through.
Everyone needs to denounce this hateful behavior, all the way up to the President-Elect.
It’s day 2. We’re watching. We’re listening.
Your Silence Will Not Protect You
I heard this quote today and I felt in my body that it was what I needed to hear. I’m putting it here in case you need to hear it today too.
I’m hurting. But I know if we fight for the truth, and for each other, we will not lose.
I made a donation to the ACLU, to support their promise to launch legal challenges against any unconstitutional action by the new administration.
We are watching, and we are speaking up for ourselves and for each other. And we are America too.
Vine & Figtree 