This morning a I read a tweet by a Trumpette making the case that at least our marches were peaceful because they were mostly women. I responded that she couldn’t count on non-violence if/when they come for our rights or those of our children, our sisters and let me add, our brothers.

Yes, I was a raised a Quaker and still honor what I learned from that faith even though I don’t claim any religion or even a firm belief in God at this moment. Could I physically harm someone in my care, by that I mean someone who asked for my forgiveness or demonstrated their vulnerability to me at a specific point in time, I doubt that I could. But, don’t expect me to let you come for someone else who is vulnerable or who has unmet needs, no, I will defend them from marauders, from bullies, and those who casually abuse them.

A Resolution:  

So, if you put in a place of power an Attorney General, who is a proud son of the Confederacy and who wants to dispose of the right to vote for Black people, old people, poor people, or the formerly incarcerated; and believe that people who moved here to actually make America greater should be treated as criminals, and be refused the protections of our Constitution, or take away the rights of people who do not define gender in the way that you do, or-take a breath-has asserted the rights of police as judge and jury, to deny sanctuary to any and all of the above,

Or if you put in charge of our Public Education system someone who seeks to remove the one institution that has traditionally offered opportunity-at another time we can discuss how that has devolved-to all who seek one from us as a country,

Or, if you name as the head of the EPA a person who seeks to overturn the basic American assurances that they can drink clean water-though we have been set up for that with Flint, the Love Canal, etc-and have the unalienable right to breath clean air,

Or, if you position a director of Public Lands (Secretary of the Interior) a man who would sell them off to his billionaire accomplices,

Or give our Treasury, in all its power over average Americans to a man-of course-who spent his previous days foreclosing on orphans and widows and joyfully stealing the homes, dreams and security of struggling families all over this country,

Or, any judges who elevate the 2nd Amendment over the 4th or pledge to return women to the days of coat hangers by criminalizing abortions AND birth control,

Or, if you appoint a Secretary of State whose job is to plunder the known universe for men who believe they own the earth and can kill off every living thing that might reduce their profits, who think that no one on this
planet has the right to share in the wonders of it–if they are not members of the their klan,

Then, we will have to prevent that with lobbying, with lawsuits but also with disruption and civil disobedience and yeah, some of it might not be too civil. But that is up to you, dear leaders, by how uncivil your push to rollback the American Dream becomes. 

If and when you come for our friends, our families, and our communities, we will repel your attacks, even at great cost to ourselves [you will not know who among you will make the greatest sacrifice until the time comes, see http://www.annefrank.org/en/Anne-Frank/Anne-Franks-history-in-brief/.] We will begin by arming ourselves with the energy of our creativity, love and compassion-but we will not take one step back.

{A small aside, if you claim to support our goals and have a position of power in any legislature and don’t back up your words a la, “I’m looking for someone else to carry the bill,” you are complicit.}