A Clear Day in Mississippi

Your comments over the last two days have been supportive, wise, understanding, and encouraging. Sue and I have read them, moaned a little, nodded our heads, wept over a few, and smiled with gratitude. You say we are together on this. You see how dangerous this man--and those who support him--is, to the entire world. You say that bigotry is a global problem, that global warming, hunger, income inequality, racism, xenophobia, and prejudice are problems in all our countries.

Huge demonstrations against Trump and his white supremacist values have been held in many US cities, including Portland. We spent a day grieving and coping with our shock and horror. Now we are on vacation, and we need to recharge our spirits, because we have work to do. We will not assent, we will not be silent, we will not allow the media to normalize Trump's misogyny, his racism, his greed for power and privilege. We may hope for miracles, but we must work to do anything we can to stop the harm he wants to do to women and to the poor, the sick, the vulnerable.

Today, on a brilliant sunny blue-sky day, we arrived in Mississippi, we walked on the sand of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, we strolled out to the end of a fishing pier, and we breathed deeply, came back into our bodies out of the depression that had gripped us, and girded our loins for what lies ahead. Samantha Francois, one of my friends in New Orleans, sent me the following text:

"I'm ready to fight. I'm not running. I'm not feeling down (anymore). I'm ready to continue the fighting already begun and prepare for new battles ahead."

Amen. We are going to see Leif tomorrow, and we are going to enjoy being on vacation for a few more days. Then we will fly back to Portland and do everything we can to stop white supremacy and all that Trump stands for.