23 Comments
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Al Bellenchia's avatar

We have awakened a slumbering force. Let’s finish the task; there’s more to do!

Ramona Grigg's avatar

You bet! We're ready!

Malcolm J McKinney's avatar

Big strides toward regaining our freedoms.

One In The Struggle

I posted this song on 9/2/24.

Lisa Whitacre's avatar

Yes, yes, yes, oh hell yes!

Finally, some hope.

Let's keep it growing and move this forward.

Sally French Wessely's avatar

Your summation of the way Trump came to power is as concise and clear as any I’ve read. We have momentum and power does belong to the people, so I too feel so encouraged.

Francesca Bossert's avatar

This is so encouraging, and wonderful to hear and see. I was quite worried there would be violent pushback. Was there any coverage on the "official" news channels, or is still North Korea-style-all-hail-dear-leader?

Ramona Grigg's avatar

From what I’ve seen reported, there was more coverage of the NO KINGS rallies than we might have expected, and less about Trump’s birthday parade. Was there enough? There’s never enough! We’ll need to keep the momentum going ourselves. Day by day. We’re energized now.

Francesca Bossert's avatar

Such brilliant news. Do you think he could be impeached? That the government be overturned? What could happen?

Ramona Grigg's avatar

No, he won’t be impeached. No, the government won’t be overturned. What we can hope for is that those powerful people backing him will now back off. They’ll have to see their role in it all and finally understand that there’s punishment ahead for anyone who caused harm in the name of the government.

I see a slow change in priorities, and Trump will be left behind. He may still be president, but he’ll be a president with no power. Not the best situation, since he SHOULD be impeached and thrown out, but better than giving a known madman any kind of authority.

As for the Republican congress and Trump’s cabinet, I see them losing power, as well. The goal is to stop them from doing harm. And we’re going to do that.

JMA's avatar

This Ramona, this! Thank you for putting into words what my heart and mind know to be true. ❤️🇺🇸💙

Lorraine Devon Wilke's avatar

I like the way you think, Ramona! YES, a message was certainly conveyed by the reportedly 11 million people who protested around the country (and even overseas!). We have had ENOUGH. Midterms are essential, as, once we have the House and Senate again, we can get this criminal pretender out of our White House. ONWARD!!

Ramona Grigg's avatar

I don't think we'll be waiting for the midterms. They're a long way off and we have to stop the damage already being done. Now it's on congress and the courts to put an end to the madness. And the press, if they can bring themselves to stifle the corporates and get on with the job of responsible journalism. We'll keep at them, too.

Misty Hook's avatar

No Kings was a balm for my bruised soul. In Dallas, the 10,000 who showed up dwarfed the 400 who were there for Hands Off. There were so "few" then that the Dallas Morning News claimed they didn't know it was happening....a few blocks from their building. Uh huh. They couldn't ignore the 10,000 and had to report on it. In Fort Worth, 100 women dressed as Handmaidens marched before the official NK rally. In my former hometown of McKinney TX, over 1,000 people showed up to protest. Trust me when I tell you that it's a HUGE deal!!

As for me, I protested in Charlestown, NH, not far from where I live. Charlestown is very red and organizers were thrilled that 40 people said they were coming. 125 showed up and it was so fun. We sang, talked, and waved signs and flags at the cars driving by. The honks of support far outnumbered the few negative responses. We're gaining strength and momentum.

I also was proud of the people of Los Angeles and Minnesota who refused to let tragedy and injustice keep them from showing up. It also was delightful to see the boring, poorly attended, and utterly embarrassing Ego Parade in DC. The Faux King wanted something fun like he saw on Bastille Day in France. Not being an educated man, he didn't understand the meaning behind that celebration nor that true parade fun comes from the enthusiasm of the attendees. But we know and we will keep building.

Ramona Grigg's avatar

I saw video of the women in Ft. Worth. How very clever of them. Stunning! I'm so proud of everyone out there yesterday. Now if we could only energize enough to get out and vote!

Cali Bird's avatar

On the BBC website there was more coverage of the protests than the parade.

Ramona Grigg's avatar

I'm so glad! I think that might finally have been true here in the US, as well. I mean, they could only avoid it for so long. The cameras are rolling!

Annie's avatar

Ramona, thank you for a wonderful summation of what led to where we are and where we proved yesterday we, the people, plan to go from here. Like you, I woke up in the middle of the night last night as usual, but instead of fretting about all the bad things happening, I lay there happily and sleepily replaying the events of the day. Felt truly at peace for the first time in many months.

My partner and I attended a No Kings Day protest in Sandusky, Ohio yesterday afternoon. A very rainy morning gave way to cloudy skies and cool temperatures just in time for the start of our protest. Over 800 people showed up, not counting the hundreds of cars that drove by waving signs and flags out their windows, honking horns and cheering in solidarity with us. The local police were great at keeping the peace in an unobtrusive way. Whenever someone showed up to make "bad trouble" they were quietly escorted away from the crowd. It was an energized group of like-minded people of all ages exercising our First Amendment rights. We will not stop.

Kirie Pedersen's avatar

Thanks for this "morning after" meditation, Ramona. Jay Kuo said five million demonstrated across the country, but I've also read eleven million. Looking for that tipping point that 3.5 of the population is all it takes to turn the tide. Interesting too today to read again how Stephen Miller was a hater and racist beginning in adolescence. He's behind much of the draconian moves such as the first Muslim ban, children in cages torn from their parents, and now the massive kidnappings to meet ugly quotas. Kristi Noem states how they will hunt down elected officials, and a week or so later, elected officials in Tim Walz's state are murdered and gravely injured in their homes. Like you and many, I will never stand down. Thank you for your voice.

Elizabeth Beggins's avatar

It was a very good day! Though my state has a Democratic governor, my community is far from on board. Standing on the street with so many aligned others-- in a county where our elected officials are consistently conservative, where many want(ed) to believe the Trump administration would save them from all they perceive to be wrong with the country, where we struggled for years to get the county council to vote against the racist statue in front of the courthouse-- was the right thing to do. I'm so glad you're feeling recharged, Mona!

Susan Baker's avatar

I have been joining the protests in my home state Ohio but was in Hawaii for No Kings Day and joined 10,000 in song, chants, and unity in Honolulu! Ohana...family!

Edward Feather's avatar

Ramona,

I am so glad you were able to wake up and feel a sense of success.

I was at the protest in Philadelphia with my daughter and it was really uplifting to be there and to see how many people were there with us. Amazing. The people are fed up.

I wrote about my experience in Philadelphia and shared some of my photos. If you are interested in seeing what I wrote here is a link.

https://edwardfeather256873.substack.com/p/march-to-independence-hall-philadelphia?r=1uvpjr

Ellen Lord's avatar

Turnout was great in Charlevoix. Not much negativity.