What has happened to us as a people that we tolerate cruelty and corruption on such a massive scale? How is this possible? In America.

I saw the people take to the streets in the 1960’s to protest injustice and cruelty. I thought they would be out with pitchforks following the 2008 financial crisis brought on by naked greed but alas, crickets.

I thought “….grab them by the pussy….” would be a death knell and surely January 6th would be the last straw. Yet, here we are.

I have been in the street near me every Sunday since August 2025 with signs encouraging resistance and while occasionally I am joined by others we have never been more than 10. Plenty of waves, thumbs up and honks. Easily 20 to 1 over those that flip us the finger but not enough are motivated to actually be out there with us. Where are my fellow patriots? Will the Louisiana v. Callais decision finally bring the people out? Massive civil disobedience is called for. It is past time.

I’m almost 70 years old so it isn’t my future at stake. But my conscience is.

Enough wallowing. “Into action”. I’ll be back on the corner Sunday with new signs.

This old white guy will march. Let’s do this.

The images haunted me as I remember watching these scenes on the nightly news in the late sixties.

Look closely at the marchers. Suits and ties for the men and Sunday best for the women.

I regularly watch the video to draw courage and inspiration as I head to protests and realize that the Selma to Montgomery marchers were knowingly putting themselves in harm’s way. I did a little research and learned why the march took place. How the state had denied basic voting rights to black citizens. I learned that Bloody Sunday was my 8th birthday. March 7, 1965. And, I was compelled to go to Montgomery and Selma for my 69th birthday. The Civil Rights Museum in Montgomery took my breath away. Standing on the Edmund Pettus Bridge was my way of honoring those brave men and women who stood up and stood for all of us

I now believe that every American should experience the D Day landing beaches in Normandy and the Museum in Montgomery to fully appreciate the sacrifices that others made for us. All of us. Us, We The People.

We all must have courage in the face of injustice. We must have courage in the face of tyranny.

I do not yet think I am putting myself in harm’s way when I attend protests or join a few neighbors every Sunday to wave signs on a local street corner but I am constantly asking myself if I am willing to do so. I hope so. I hope you will join me and your neighbors. I hope. I hope for America.

It is up to each and every one of us to take action to the maximum extent of our ability. 

I feel compelled to honor the sacrifices of all those who came before us. Gettysburg, Normandy, Iwo, Selma, Stonewall to name just a few. 

For me, this means that I attend local party meetings, local city council meetings, every organized event I can and I go to the street every Sunday for a couple of hours (sometimes alone but slowly I’m getting some company) with signs encouraging Résistance. I am pleasantly surprised and encouraged by the preponderance of supportive honks and thumbs up. 

Do whatever you can and encourage others. 

I graduated high school in 1974 and have lived through “Bloody Sunday”, Kent State, JFK, MLK, RFK assassinations. Earth Day, George Wallace, Stonewall.

Sometime in the late 80’s while I was in the men’s locker room of a certain golf club I came across a sheet of paper with the following:

“Moses said, pick up your shovels, pack up your asses, mount your camels and I will lead you to the Promised Land.

FDR said, lean on your shovels, sit on your asses, light up a Camel this is the Promised Land “

This stuck with me all these years. The New Deal, the GI Bill, fueled a the growth of the American middle class. The inexorable march to the 88th and 89th Congress. All this was seen as a threat to be abolished.

Our literary, film, popular culture heroes were Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, Jimmy Stewart as George Bailey, Spencer Tracy as Henry Drummond. Men who stood up and spoke out. Doing right mattered.

Then Nixon. “If the president does it, it’s not illegal” until men of his own party spoke the truth and he resigned.

Enter Ronald Reagan. A slower rejection of the New Deal but clearly paved the way for further destruction of the contract that government should take a proactive approach to improving the lives of all Americans. His “welfare queen” rhetoric was clearly racist made it safe to be a racist.

We rejected this with Obama but the damage had been done.

Making millions, then hundreds of millions and then billions became the sole measure of success, competence, intelligence. (I am going to paraphrase Scott Galloway and Heather Cox Richardson ….a lot). We fetishized money, we allowed numerous wealthy people to be protected by the law but not bound by it while the rest (who were not so smart) are bound by the law but not protected by it.

Tom Wolfe wrote in Bonfire of the Vanities that SEC fines and penalties became the equivalent of a 5 yard penalty in sports to these financial leaders.

And then Donald Trump (and his enablers) called his heinous remarks about his freedom to grab women by their genitalia ‘locker room talk’ as if this somehow made it acceptable.

Then when challenged by Secretary Clinton on the matter that he paid virtually no taxes Trump proclaimed that “that makes me smart”

So here we are. Pardoning convicted insurrectionists. Firing scientists, judges, generals who have proven themselves through years of dedication and peer review. We destroy USAID, CDC, Bureau of Statistics etc. We send two rich real estate developers with business ties to the Saudis and No Chance Vance to meet with the top people of a country of 90 million that we bombed relentlessly for 38 days. And we are surprised by the outcome?

We must establish that speaking the truth and behaving in a dignified manner, treating every citizen as someone worthy is the way to true success.

We need a Project 2027 and 2029 to clearly articulate our policy goals of making government work for all citizens. I suggest we focus on FDR’s Four Freedoms

Freedom of Speech — the right to express oneself freely, everywhere in the world.

Freedom of Worship — the right to practice any religion, or none, without government interference.

Freedom from Want — economic security and healthy peacetime lives for all people worldwide.

Freedom from Fear — a worldwide reduction in armaments so that no nation could commit aggression against another.

We must investigate all alleged misconduct and if the evidence is there we must indict and try those responsible. If Federal Pardons are issued the State AGs must act.

I’m ready for this.