We’re witnessing an unprecedented surge in political activism.
The day after President Donald Trump’s inauguration, there were more than 650 protest marches nationwide with an estimated 4.1 million participants.
The weekend of Trump’s ill-conceived immigration ban, thousands rushed to America’s airports to protest the ban and to show solidarity with those most likely to be harmed by it. That same weekend, the American Civil Liberties Union received $24 million in donations, six times their normal annual amount.
Constituents are flooding U.S. Senate offices’ telephone systems, Facebook pages and Twitter feeds to express their outrage over the administration’s unqualified Cabinet appointees, and the clear and present danger to the environment, our educational system, women’s rights and civil liberties.
Trump supporters would have you believe that we are sore losers, whiners and un-American for not respecting the office of the president. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
The anger and activism we are witnessing is in reaction to a seriously unhinged, narcissistic, unqualified man who jeopardizes all that is American – including checks and balances for the three branches of government.
Republicans in Congress have chosen not to speak out about Trump’s blatant lies, his erratic behavior, appalling tweets, disrespect for our allies around the world and his history of bigotry and misogyny.
What they fail to understand is that during the mid-terms and next general election, there will be a tsunami-sized backlash against Trump and those Republicans who have chosen to follow along blindly.
Unfathomable amounts of money and people-power will fuel this backlash.
And those who rarely vote will turn out in droves.
U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner is already under fire. Within minutes of his vote to confirm Betsy DeVos as Education secretary, thousands took to Facebook and Twitter to express their anger as well as to warn that he’ll be a one-term senator. My guess is he is only one of many who will be out of jobs in two and four years’ time.
Shame on them for ignoring their constituents, and for lacking the foresight to be on the right side of history.
Mandy Mikulencak
Durango
