Tag: #Protest

  • When I Heard the Verdict

    Yesterday, I took the kid to the park, which is a very normal thing for us to do. We were there for about a half hour when I got the news alert on my phone that the jury would return their verdict in the Chauvin trial in an hour. Well, I just stopped what I was doing, which was keeping an eye on the kid and writing in my journal, and started the watching the clock till 4:30. I kept scrolling through Twitter, which wasn’t the best idea, but I was sure that would be the place where I would get the news the fastest. I say that it wasn’t the best idea because every tenth post or so, there would be a really awfully racist comment about George Floyd. Then, after 5pm, the first tweet came through;

    Guilty

    Or my favorite;

    Guilty Guilty Guilty All Counts

    Nothing could be more simple or powerful to express exactly what the verdict meant.

    I did feel a huge release of the anxiety from the trial. We all know the history of this country, and we all know that justice and accountability haven’t always been present when the police are on trial. I really wanted to believe that we’d get it right this time, and I was nervous that we’d just repeat past mistakes.

    But we didn’t. And that is a step forward.

    And as me and the kid walked back from the park, the new reality started to sink in; we’re not done, this isn’t over. There is still much work ahead. We still need to march. We still need to demand reform and accountability from the police, but also the DA offices, and our elected officials. Reform isn’t easy, and it takes time, but that arc just bent a little closer to justice.

  • Marching

    Today marks one year since Trump was sworn in. Tomorrow will be one year since the Women’s March, which we took part in. We never made it to 5th Ave, as the crowd was so large, but it was good time protesting the president. With the wife and the kid, and 400,000 other people, it did feel like we all were contributing, and resisting what we all knew could be a huge roll back of all of our freedoms.

    At the conclusion of this first year of the Trump presidency, I do feel completely justified in our protest. I also see the need for today’s Women’s March as well. If we don’t stand up now, then we will continue to see more and more of our freedoms attacked.

    But after the marches, the real work lays before us. It’s the next day that is more important, for that is the day when we have to start the process of getting ready for the midterm elections. I am encouraged by all the candidates that are stepping up to run. I see all the work my friends are doing to turn out the vote. And the constant talking about these issues, which continues to get people engaged.

    Will there be a huge blue tide that will rise in November? Maybe… Maybe state houses and Congress will flip… Maybe. What I hope happens is that more people turn out to vote than ever before. And that tide, the tide of voting, keeps building and swelling election after election.