This is What Democracy Looks Like

Damn it.

I have funny stories to tell about my kids – with five kids, there’s always something to cry laugh about. I have a ton of cute animals killed by my cat photos, and news to share about what ‘s been going on over here in the Circus.

But it’s gonna have to wait.

Because last night I got a message from a friend. She said while she was protesting the new executive order banning people from seven majority Muslim countries from entering the country, a car intentionally hit fellow protesters walking across the street, with the light, in a crosswalk.

I’m leery of accepting first reports. I read/watched every report I could find about the incident. The coverage itself was a little vague. After all, there wasn’t much to report other than the fact that a car hit pedestrians. What got me were the comments.

 

Here’s a sample:

And another:

And finally, this doozy:

Wow.

If there’s ever been an argument for improving our education system, I think Mr. Wayne Crawford is the one.

Seems somebody’s pissed off.

He isn’t alone.

There are also all these people:

 

 

And all these people:

 

 

And all these people:

 

 

And yes, even all these people.

 

 

It’s easy to say we’ve never seen anything like this before.

But we have.

Because there’s this:

 

 

And this:

 

And this:

 

 

And even this:

 

 

We, the People, have a long history of getting things done. Even when it’s hard. Maybe especially when it’s hard. After all, our country was founded by ragtag patriots who took on the largest military in the world, a well-trained group that outnumbered them 2:1. And they won.

So get out there. Make your voice heard. Don’t be cowed by water hoses, or tear gas, or Mr. Wayne Crawford and his car. But especially, don’t be cowed by people who call you “cry babies” or say you can accomplish nothing. They’re wrong. They were wrong in 1776. They were wrong in 1869. They were wrong in 1920. They were wrong in 1965. They were wrong in 1973.  We have photographic evidence.

To those still shouting things like, “If you don’t love America… leave,” here’s what I have to say to you:

We DO love America.

We love the values that it was founded upon – life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We love the Constitution that protects it, the Constitution that provides for equal rights for all, the right to freedom of religion, the right to free speech, the right to peacefully assemble.

THAT is America.

If you don’t like it, YOU leave.

This is what democracy looks like.