Women's March and what it means

So the day after Donald Trump was sworn in, multiple protests appeared around the United States and even in other countries in a Women's March, and the numbers were impressive, no matter how frustrating that might be to the Administration.

I always have and always will celebrate any expression of the Freedom to Peaceably Assemble, and this was a massive event. It was a broad-ranging protest with a wide spectrum of people and perspectives being represented. There were many things to celebrate, and other things that were encouraging to see. There are also some issues. I'd like to take a moment to talk about a few points.

To begin with, again, I was very happy to see so many people take to the streets and raise their voice and make themselves heard. And there are a number issues that were raised that I agree with. There were others that I may not be totally on board with, and even some things I am diametrically opposed to. But this is how an educated citizenry works. It is how a Representative Democracy works. It was fantastic.

I was disappointed, on the other hand, to see the response from the Administration. You are going to quibble with the media about the size of the protests when it is clear to anyone paying attention that the protests dwarfed the inauguration event yesterday? Even Ari Fleischer found this preposterous. Especially after all of Trump's talk of the people in his speech yesterday. This is a very clear example of his interpretation of "the people" is clearly not all Americans, but rather people like him and people who like him.

As to the massive numbers from today, it raises a question - what does this mean? What do all these people in the streets mean for the Administration and for the United States? 

Bottom line - it could mean everything, or it could mean nothing. The difference lies in what is done next. Because, to quote our favorite General Leia, "It isn't over yet." Far from it. In fact, now the real work begins. And I have some thoughts about what that work entails, so at the risk of mansplaining, here goes.

First, watch everything. I think this goes without saying and the vast majority of people who took the time to protest today will do this. But not all, and there were obviously a lot of others who didn't actively protest who also need to watch. Vigilance is so desperately needed at this time.

Second, don't sit idly by if you see something wrong. This is a clear case of Benjamin Franklin's famous line of hanging together. Yes, its that serious. What encourages me is seeing numerous examples of people doing this already, and I very much believe in the goodness of Americans in general that I feel like this will also happen organically in a lot of ways and in most places. But it is always good to verbalize the need and to remind ourselves of its importance.

Third, contact your representatives. Find whatever works best for you, whether that is email, by phone or physical letters. It is probably worth investigating what is most effective for your individual representatives, although as I understand it, generally phone calls are taken more seriously than letters, and letters more seriously than emails. But every representative is different. Ask and hopefully their staff will tell you. I must say I was incredibly encouraged by the House ethics kerfuffle a few weeks back where the House of Representatives were planning on limiting certain ethics watchdog efforts and it was shot down almost immediately because of calls from constituents. It works. Do it.

Fourth, find other ways to be active. This includes signing petitions, helping political parties (whichever you are a part of - just please, do not do so blindly.) Today I signed the first two White House petitions regarding the President's tax returns and his business efforts.

Fifth, and this is probably the most important even though it doesn't seem as directly connected, but get involved at a local level. One of the major worries about the Trump campaign is the subtext of individual rights and safety, so get to know your local representatives and let them know you care enough to make sure you know who they are and that they are doing their job. Follow your local police chief on Twitter, write your mayor, call your state representatives. In the process, educate yourself about what is going on and what can be done to address the issues your community faces. Sure, we will have differences of opinion about what the issues are and what solutions would work best, but that is where compromise happens to figure out the right solution. THAT is how a Representative Democracy works. Engagement, dialogue. Do it.

However you do it, do something. Do something more than what you did before November of 2016. Do not leave it up to chance. Remember Martin Luther King Jr.'s line about evil only succeeding when good people do nothing? Don't do nothing. Do something.

Matthew Dowd made a comment on Twitter the other day about how the Watergate scandal pushed him to be more engaged, and now we have one of the most professional, reasoned voices in media today because of it. Certainly, we need more analysis who really look at details rather than people kicking up dust for ratings... The opportunity we have now is similar - use this energy to be more involved. Be inspired by true American Patriots like Barbara Jordan. Do not take any president, any government official for granted. Hold them all accountable.

Again, I applaud those who marched today. For those who weren't already, I hope their experience inspires them to stay engaged - yes, even those who have political opinions I disagree with. Why? Because that is how a Representative Government works - a political Marketplace of Ideas, pushing and pulling and responding to what works and what doesn't. I think the Republicans have done a terrible job holding up their end of that bargain for years - decades? - and truly hope that the Democrats do not follow suit. And how does that happen? Only if an Educated Citizenry stays engaged and let's their voices be heard.

As for my list of issues, of which I think some those who marched today would agree with:

• Ensure that all government officials know that we expect the Constitution to be upheld and enforced, especially the rights enumerated in the Constitution itself and key Amendments such as the First, Fourth, Fifth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth.
• The President must disclose his potential conflicts of interests and resolve them.
• Investigate the Russia-Trump Campaign issue - America deserves to know one way or the other.
• Handle the Health Care issue in a prudent, professional manner - come up with a solution that actually addresses the real issues that industry faces rather than just cutting and running.
• Engage in dialogue with all citizens, whether there is agreement or disagreement on the issue in question. This, frankly, has been too absent from political discourse (over 20 years?)
• Take the issues relating to protecting police departments and all unarmed citizens seriously - get above the rhetoric of either side in the issue and realize that systemic issues can be addressed through dialogue(*).
• The United States must regain her strength and confidence in foreign policy, and not through kowtowing to Russia or China.
• The United States must address the economic issues facing the country, but absolutely not through a policy of protectionist drivel such as we have seen from Trump to date.
• The United States must find a way to address the legitimate concerns of its citizens about border security, but (a) without giving in to the illegitimate fearmongering crap about how "all Muslims are evil", and (b) without compromising our tradition of being a place where the weak can find shelter. Frankly, I can't think of a better way for the terrorists to win than to fundamentally change that America is an open, welcoming society...
• On all issues, find a way to re-learn how to compromise and work out solutions that we best for most Americans. And here is the catch, folks - its on us. We are the ones who have to demand that what is best for America is as important as our own individual needs.
• Long term, I believe very strongly that the issue of gerrymandering needs to be addressed. This is such a huge discussion that now is probably not the time for it, but the extreme gerrymandering in different areas of the country has fed into the extremes of both parties and completely undermined moderate positions.

(*) How can I say this with such certainty? Take a closer look at the efforts of former Dallas Police Chief David Brown to bring what was a troubled police department and make it more responsive to its citizens, but in ways that empowered the police force at the same time. The fact that they suffered one of the worst attacked on a police force last year was terribly ironic, and frankly, I was surprised to see how little came of that.

So That Happened... My Next Letter

So the Inauguration of President Donald Trump happened today. As such, I felt it was a good time to write my representatives again, and I share it below. Once again, I sent this to both Senators, my Representative and my State Representative, as well as Rubio, Kasich and

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RE:  The Trump Presidency, the direction of the Republican Party

Dear Representatives:

            On November 2, 2016, I wrote to you and a few others about my concerns about the candidacy of Donald Trump and a number of things as that campaign influenced the direction of the Republican Party. In it, I explained my decision to continue to vote for Republicans with certain exceptions – namely, Donald Trump and any who were forcefully supporting him.

            I stand by that decision, despite the surprising result and the benefit it gives the Republican Party, not because I did not vote for the current President, but because I believe, as I believe most of you believe, that there remain real concerns about his Presidency, even while it should allow for opportunities for Republicans to pass legislation and accomplish goals that a divided government does not.

            I write to you today to give you my current concerns, in light of what has happened since the election and what actions President Trump took in the interim, not only about his Administration, but how the Republicans governs over the following two years.

President Trump

I must admit, I was disappointed to only receive a response from Senator X in relation to my November communication. Especially as it relates to Senator Y, Representative Z and State Representative U, is it unreasonable to expect a response from our representatives, especially on such an important issue?

In Senator X’s response, he made it clear that understands the importance of Congress’ responsibilities to “alleviate the dangers inherent in centralizer power. … Congress has the duty to provide critical oversight of the executive branch.” It is exactly this that I expect of my Federal Representatives. I was especially encouraged to see the efforts of Senator Marco Rubio of Florida in recent hearings to this effect.

            On the other hand, listening to President Trump’s speech today has me very concerned. That did not sound like a President who intends to continue the successful foreign policy of Ronald Reagan. In fact, it sounds very much like a President who intends on taking isolationist positions, something that I strongly oppose. While I understand a different direction is needed from the clear failures of the Obama Administration, this is not the response I expected from a Republican.

            He also spoke about economic policies that are more fitting in the 1930s than today, and certainly not befitting America’s place in the world economy.

            I reiterate my concerns relating to the release of his taxes. All of the apparent and implied conflicts of interests remain troubling – especially considering his lack of action to address. Would we have been comfortable with President Clinton doing these things while he was in office? What would your reaction have been if Senator Clinton would have won and she wanted to approach her conflicts of interests this way? The concern you would have had in those situations absolutely applies here.

            Since the election, he has made numerous statements about the press. While I think we can all acknowledge that the media is a unique animal with its own issues, this, along with other statements attacking First Amendment rights continues to shock and concern me.

            The issue, though, that concerns me the most is the potential compromise of his Administration by Russia, and the potential interaction between his campaign and Russian agents. Even the idea of a US politician interacting with a foreign power, but especially to win an election, is something that should turn every Patriot’s stomach. At this point, we do not know exactly what happened, so I am not in a position to make any demands other than this issue is so serious that it needs to be fully investigated. If for no other reason than to know for a fact that nothing happened, this needs to be completely vetted. I will say, though, that the concerns raised to date are incredibly distressing.

            The other concerns I raised in my November 2, 2016 letter remain, but these are the concerns that we now have a record of, and these are the most clear issues.

The Republican Party In Power

            Beyond the Presidency, there is another Big Picture issue that needs to be discussed. Please, I beg of you, think beyond simple victories relating to a platform. Take the time to look at what will work best for most Americans. I am sure it is tempting to take a unified government out for a spin and see how fast the car can go, but we have often seen how that plays out – not well. But you well know that there are some things in the Republican platform that are not supported by most Americans, and an attempt to ram that through will either end in direct failure if there are those who do not vote the party line, or it will end in Republicans losing office.

You stand for Republican ideals, and to the extent that you can advocate for them and push them, do so. But when it comes to issues that may not have the majority support of American voters, remember that you represent ALL of your constituents, not just those who are registered Republicans. A good example of this is the recent decisions regarding anti-abortion efforts in Ohio and Governor Kasich. An extreme option was available, but he chose a more moderate way on an incredibly difficult and important issue. This is the kind of leadership we need going forward.

            The biggest issue, clearly, is health care. It is absolutely true that “Obamacare” has been disastrous. While not as bad as Hillary Clinton’s plan in the 1990s would have been, it has clearly not solved many of the issues it attempted to address, and has made other aspects considerably worse, all the while adding loads of uncertainty into the electorate. Absolutely and totally, something must be done. The massive question that is in front of you is what.

            I implore you, resist the temptation to simply trash the current law. I recognize that it certainly would appease many upset voters, and would probably feel very rewarding to finally have “done something” about it. But this is one of those key moments where real leadership – no, real REPRESENTATION – is needed. Take the time to understand the various issues, and do what you have to do to come up with a solution that works best for most Americans.

            This is a massive opportunity to show that Republicans can do what is in the best interest of the country, not just what satisfies the wants of the rabid extremes of the party. Historically, Democrats have come up with Big Picture socialist-leaning solutions. Please be more than just the party that says, “No.” Be the leaders that look beyond their next primary. Be the leaders that find what is actually in the best interest of their constituency, and work through whatever means necessary to make it happen.

            I leave you with one other example of the kind of things I am looking for from you. The decision to invade Iraq was one where the emotion of the country and the Administration overwhelmed those who needed to be better in the moment. Was invasion the right decision? Ultimately, probably. But the WAY it happened was rushed, and so we went in at the wrong time, with the wrong preparation, and we ended up starting a war that still costs lives over a decade later, and more importantly, we did not make sure to win the peace. I believe very strongly that if we would have made sure to do in Iraq what we did in Germany and Japan after World War II, we would have that strong, capable ally in the Middle East that President Bush envisioned.

            But at that time, to Senator X’s point in his December 1, 2016 letter to me, Congress did not fulfill its responsibility to provide that critical oversight, especially as it related to issues of coalition building and, most especially, making sure that we would not just win the war, but that we would leave a stable country once the war was over. Clearly, President Obama made matters worse in the way he pulled troops out of Iraq prematurely, but I certainly hope no one is going to try to argue that ISIS and the current issues involving Iraq are solely his responsibility.

Specifically, I ask you to provide that critical oversight. It is especially important for a President who has no experience in government or military service, and who has questioned openly the value of NATO and our other allies in the world. We did not endeavor for fifty years, and through the leadership of President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush win the Cold War, only to throw it away now.

            I wish you the best in your endeavors this term. I pray for you and hope you can continue to keep America great.