Reaching for Hope

“This is peaceful civil disobedience” One participant stressed at a pro-gun rally in Richmond. Yet image after image show “Men”

decked out in military clothing with semi-automatic guns slung over their shoulder. Men strut armbands with the abbreviation “RWDS” — shorthand for “Right-Wing Death Squad” that is often used in reference to a fascist Chilean dictator who murdered, tortured or detained some 40,000 of his own people.

My fear is that these participants could be called by President Trump and the republican party to keep liberals in line. After writing the previous sentence I realize this sounds like I believe in conspiracy theories just like these participants. The difference, my arsenal contains, my blog, letter writing, phone calls, working for social change and talking to people about what’s going on.

In 1995 my hope for change soared when George Wallace, former Governor of Alabama, marched with men and women, he once damned retracing the steps of the Selma-to-Montgomery civil rights march in 1965. If someone like George Wallace, an icon of the worst of white supremacy during the civil rights movement, can not only turn his position around but also apologize, maybe just maybe all these pro-gun protestors, Republican elected officials and President Trump who spout white supremacy today will someday, and I hope soon, take a turn and speak up in support of social justice.

All of this going on in the shadow of the impeachment process happening in Washington, DC. An impeachment process broadening this climate of hate. Continuing to undo everything in the past that worked towards giving every American a fair chance. I have to remind myself that we still have free speech, to write a blog, post on facebook, read news in the free press. I’m glued to the New York Times, Democracy Now, NPR.

The truth spoken in Wallace’s apology stands out in our current climate of lying, and covering up truths. This apology is the good part of our history and a part of my hope that someday soon this political climate will end soon. I just have a hard time thinking beyond today, where day in and day out, Trump crushes this hope with lies.  He crashes an illusion that America is still on the protectory of equal rights for all. He crashed what I thought was our ethnic standards of caring and with his foreign policies he is changing those ethical standards worldwide.

The pro-gun rally in Richmond, where the state legislator is considering, that’s right just considering, regulating gun control is a symptom of this erosion of caring, of seeking the truth, respecting our neighbors. I surround myself with people who reach their hands out to the neighbors to make their community a better place. Not only is this an act of caring it is also a survival tactic to keep some kind of hope in my life. I often wonder what others are doing to get through this. And I hope we get through this soon.

When all my outreach tools fail me and things get to be too much, I get relief by walking in the woods or going out and gardening. Some how getting in contact with the ground calms me. Then I can I write again. I hope all of you find activities that give you hope, give you some relief to get through some of these darkest times in America.