The Resistance begins NOW.
This is the year of the resistance.
In the last 6 months, shit, the last year, I have observed a breaking down of the American society I had come to idealize. Political stand-offs have broken our community and driven us to the trenches of battle over our core values and ideals. So be it. I am ready to wear my tin hat and dive in for the battle, but not until I have exhausted my resources as a guerrilla. I will not give up the freedoms my forefathers, grandparents, and parents fought for, and the freedoms my children, brothers, sisters, and colleagues deserve. America wasn’t built on that.
The resistance begins now. Trump is an obvious danger to the rights I believe in and that this business is built around. Why fight? Because we are fucking Americans. That’s what we do, fight. Fight for values we hold dear. Just because I lie on the liberal view of the issues doesn’t mean I don’t have the will to fight. Just because we live in Massachusetts and are protected from the madness that will be unleashed on our other states does that give us a reason not to speak up and act? I will fight for the other states and in this state. I will fight for the ones that can’t. Right now that’s my daughters and all the girls growing up today in this confusing time where the end of male dominance in the Oval Office was ripped from their dreams and a whole other peril to their rights entered it. Olive and Viola cannot fight. But I can. Cecilia, who I tutor in the 2nd grade, cannot fight. Her family is laying low as their future as immigrant Americans lies in jeopardy. I can fight for them. I can stand up when they cannot.
The French resistance of World War II was a people fighting the only way they could to uphold their society and values. It stretched from war time extremes of smuggling Jews and assassinations to building fake walls in wine cellars to preserve the French culture that they held dear. My resistance is not a true traditional call to arms. The cowards in the current terrorism groups who target innocent civilians to send a “message” to the world are fools and ignorant. My voice and body will be my gun. My mind will be my saber.
I travelled down south for Christmas and saw more confederate flags then I have ever seen. I drove through Appomattox Virginia, the town where the surrender of the Confederate army happened 170 years ago. This town has always epitomized the end of that terrible war and all it stood for in the South. The fight against slavery and racism started long before then and continues today, but those fields and the national park that protects them represent peace, unity, and victory for a just cause. What was there? Hundreds of little confederate flags. Why raise a silly antiquated flag? Why? Ignorance. Only stupidity can see that symbol as anything but a piece of history kept around to prevent the same mistakes. We all must learn from the examples and opinions of our educated forefathers, North and South, like Lincoln, Grant, Lee, Douglass, Tubman, Jefferson, Madison, Adams, on and on. That flag, and all it currently represents, is what I have fought against my entire adult life and must renew my efforts.
The fight is in front of us as well as far beyond our home. Massachusetts is probably more protected from the reaches of changes to come than any other state. Do not forget the rest of the country. Focus and time will be needed to grow this movement around the country. The seeds of dissent must be planted and nurtured where they can grow and prosper. Here, we must not let the roots establish for the changes to come. We must fight alongside causes in much more desperate places. You think Planned Parenthood needs some help now? You’re fucking right they do. Especially in NC, SC, VA, WV, GA, AL, MS, TN….all beautiful places with incredible people and a lot of young girls coming of age like my daughters and Cecilia. The struggle is very real there. They deserve the power and rights to believe they can be president some day.
MY resistance begins today. I will fight, argue, struggle, resist,…..until I have nothing left. I’m done with Hate. Bigotry. Racism. Sexism. Fear. Oppression. Prevention of innocent hard working Americans from opportunities. I will fight whole heartedly against these injustices. I will work with those open to discussion and debate. I will stand up to all those opposed and close minded. That’s my resolution.
Goodbye 2016. I will NOT miss you. I look forward to 2017. To the resistance. I see no other way until 2018.