Timothy Stoen has been practicing law for more than 60 years and will take to the streets not to defend a client but to defend America.
“I am demonstrating tomorrow with our local chapter of Indivisible. My poster reads: “Stop the Cruelty – Impeach the Maniac.” It is a ‘big tent’ protest under the arching rubric of “Hands Off”,” which includes handsoff Medicaid, Veterans Administration, Social Security, Department of Education, healthcare science, etc,” Stoen said. (Arching rubic describes the whirling flurry of thought and motion that goes into solving a Rubik’s Cube).
If the protests live up to the scale predicted, they will mark a new way of playing politics in America.
Americans this time are not being organized by any political party or any traditional protest organization like NOW or the ACLU, but by people without any leader who somehow manage only with networking on social media.
There is no leadership to explain the movement.
“There are, at last count, 1300 separate demonstrations occurring throughout the United States tomorrow, some in every state. This country is on the brink of fascism. My immediate motive is to help shame all those pitiful, cowardly Republicans in Congress to grow some spine and stop the ultra-cruel ‘vital services’ carnage of Musk, who is the heat shield for the maniac Trump,” Stoen said.
Some fear the protests will become violent, or will be infiltrated or attacked by violent racists or those simply out to defend the president.
Dr Jennifer Kreger will also be at the protest. She wants people to remember that their friends and neighbors with different political views are needed allies, not enemies. She is protesting to protect Medicaid and Medicare, remembering that a Republican, Richard Nixon was instrumental in the creation of these programs. She is worried about public schools and the assault of the U.S Constitution
“People who voted “red” and people who voted “blue” can stand together to protect the things that we rely on. We like each other! We work together all the time!”
Kreger wants to remind us all that unity belongs to We the People, not any presidential administration.
“A second goal is to remind us that we commoners in Fort Bragg and the coast, real people going about our daily lives, really do rely on and value them. A lot of us had uncles or cousins or other relatives risk or lay down their lives fighting for these things—and some of us personally fought for these things. We do not need to let politicians far away convince us to stop respecting each other.”
She and other health care workers will be protesting in a line with signs that make a jingle when taken together.
All week, the questions on the Coast have been; Are you going to the protest? Can we make a difference? Might there be a personal price to be paid for resisting the power of a government that is publicly arresting people who criticize it?
Some are worried. Some wouldn’t give their names. Others who have never protested before say they were planning on coming to the event. More than 30 people gathered last Sunday in the community room at the library to make signs and talk about why they are inspired to raise their voices.
Longtime resident Jackie Jones doesn’t usually attend these events and will have to miss this one due to work. She is very worried about the fear and hate being directed at fellow trans people.
“Coming out into the light being a person of trans experience, is a more frightening thing during this administration. Reprisals are being felt in red states now. Even in our blue state there is a shadow of future fear depending on how far our Constitutional rights are rolled back,” said Jones.
“Standing up for justice and freedom Is more important now than ever. It’s more important to be brave than afraid. LGBTQIA+ members in our community have a great allyship and the Mendocino Coast Safe Space Project and that is a great comfort, knowing we have support here.“
What distinguishes this from the Black LIves Matter Protests?
“The spirit of this protest is different from BLM etc protests because It is a National event. This rally represents issues every single person will feel and understand Coast to coast. There is truly great power in numbers.The protest is called Hands OFF! A National Day of Action, Saturday April 5th at Noon on the corner of Main Street and Laurel Street in Fort Bragg.
Discussions on social media and in offices and schools shows there are many who don’t like the protests but none responded to pleas for comments but John Redding, a local conservative;
“I am not at all sure what of substance is being protested. Seems to me it’s just a way to release emotions, such as anxiety. I will not be counter protesting. I don’t have NGO funding. lol”
From the Hands Off website: Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They’re taking everything they can get their hands on, and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we’re taking to the streets nationwide to fight back with a clear message: Hands off!
“A core principle behind HandsOff! Is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values, and to act lawfully at these events.”
In days when newspapers played a critical role in the community,any group planning a protest would have been challenged to identify who they were, who their leadership is and where their funding comes from. None of those questions were asked in a dozen articles about Saturday’s protests. All the articles from the protest in Bozeman, Montana to those in New York City are reported solely from the perspective of the people putting it on.
“This shameless attack on the Constitution, our human rights, the law, the economy, history, the arts, truth, the environment, public health, our allies, our morale, whatever unity we might have as a nation,” said protester Harolde Searles.
And indecency itself cannot be tolerated and allowed to become the norm.
Like Senator Cory Booker pointed out; it’s not a matter of right or left, It’s a matter of
right or wrong.
When the people who swore an oath to preserve and protect the Constitution against all enemies foreign or domestic and then immediately proceed to ignore and abuse it; it is up to the rest of us to take a stand. Please come and join us. Our very freedom depends on it.”
.”
