The woman standing next to me was in tears. She held her hands to her face and wept into them. I was protesting at Bradley International Airport where between 500 and 1000 people were protesting Trump’s Muslim ban. Everyone was chanting:
No hate, no fear!
Muslims are welcome here!
A closer look showed me that this woman was a Muslim attending the rally with her family . These words seemed to move her to tears. It appeared to me that for the first time she realized that she was not alone. I myself was choked up a little. I unexpectedly felt this strong sense of compassion for this woman. Who knows what terrors she felt? What midnight fears came to her?
No hate! No fear!
Muslims are welcome here!
Something caused her to look over at me. I smiled and gave her a thumbs up. Through her tear stained face, she smiled back and said, “Thank you”
I smiled again and turned attention to the rally. It was only a small moment, but I felt something shift in me.
I have been participating in marches and protests for years. After all the miles marched and all the hours protesting I had been feeling that it was all futile. Nothing changed. In fact things were even worse now.
Yet I feel that this time it’s different. Seeing this frightened woman made me realize that people’s lives depended on this. No longer was this an abstract idea or policy or political issue; this was about people.
I stared at the immense number of people with new eyes. There was anger yes, how could there not be? But there was also determination and most importantly hope.
Someday we will tell our grandchildren about these days. Maybe the chant will be:
No hate! No fear!
All are welcomed here!
I haven't protested as much as I should. But, when the Texas budget back in 2004 was being cut and the meager benefits of the disabled were threatened, I was asked to participate because my representative, a friend, was the powerful head of the budget committee. One Saturday we descended upon his office in my neighborhood in wheelchairs, walkers and with guides and caregivers, en masse, chanting, "Our homes, not nursing homes." It was very emotional and uplifting. No cuts were made in these vital, but very limited monies for the poor.
Did you see Donald Trump singling out the wife of the recent SEAL who died in the Yemen raid in his address last night? She sure was emotional. I'm not sure she was happy or sad with her tears. As with the disabled young woman, I felt a bit uneasy about his using of these people to promote his agenda. When the President of the United States calls, most people, out of respect, come. My Congressman, Al Green, out of disrespect for Trump's actions that are contrary to what he said last night, dismissed himself from the proceedings as his own form of protest.
Ron