Survive. Organize. Resist. A few words that must be said, about what happened, where our city and country are going and what we have to do.
Above: Protesters and police outside the Civic Center entrance during the Sept. 12 Trump rally. Photo by Max Cooper.
I’m not in despair because I passed that point late last night and because, to be honest, I don’t feel like I have the luxury.
In focusing on one man, too many lost sight of the fact that a politician is nothing without their supporters, that they are shaped by them as much as they shape them.
The country didn’t go mad, the mask just came off.
In living memory, people have been killed for wanting equal rights, for forming a union, for crossing a border, for a free press. For existing.
Sometimes, they still are. It happens around the world and it happens here, a lot more than we like to admit.
But they didn’t — don’t — stop fighting, not just because it’s right but because there’s no other option.
Honestly, growing up there were times I thought I would never live this long. I swore then not to give up, not on life or anything else within my power. That has not changed.
Survive. Organize. Resist. Do every damn thing you can every second you can, every second you’re alive.
If you’re sitting on the sidelines: stop. None of us have that option anymore. There is no cavalry coming and our only strength is each other.
Start at home. Think about what you can do right where you live, right now, to keep people around you alive, supported and protected. Move out from there. Rights are nothing without power, and power begins with us.
David Forbes,
Editor
Readers, I’m taking the next few days off from work. After that I’ll return with our post-election analysis and coverage, beyond what I said above. Last night’s events have reaffirmed for me the importance of a free, local press that doesn’t hesitate to stand up for justice and face the truth. I intend to keep playing a role in that as long as I can. Thank you all for your support, it’s more necessary than ever.
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