With Liberty And Justice For All

I got up early on Saturday. It was No Kings protest day and I was feeling a bit anxious but determined to attend with my husband and grandson. I had been to an earlier event in April and it had been quite calm. There was a preponderance of older people on that day who were friendly and determined to voice their concerns about Trump’s return to the presidency. The one scheduled for June 14, felt different given the rhetoric about protestors voiced by the president and even our Texas governor in light of the tension in Los Angeles. Friends were urging me to be careful and suggesting what I should do if things turned violent.

I calmed myself by playing my early morning word games in the New York Times. Then I donned my protest t-shirt and put water, American flags, and portable stools in our truck. Keeping busy always seems to clam me and soon I felt confident that it was going to be fine. My only worry at that point was about the weather which seemed to be threatening to rain with dark clouds spreading over the city.

First we picked up our grandson and were delighted to see that another grandson and his girlfriend were coming as well. We stopped at a nearby coffee shop for breakfast tacos and a bit of caffeine. We laughed about the irony of choosing tacos and then, fueled with good conversation and yummy food, we headed for downtown under skies that had almost miraculously turned sunny and blue.

As we approached Houston city hall we saw people of every age walking in groups waving American flags and carrying posters. The atmosphere was exciting and positively joyful as we realized that thousands of citizens had shown up for the occasion. Then I learned that Mayor Whitmire and Harris County Judge Len Hidalgo had turned down the governor’s offer to send National Guard troops to the city. That’s when I knew without a doubt that everything was going to be okay. Houston folks are always friendly. We help each other and stay calm even in terrible situations.

The crowd was beautiful in every sense of that word. People had come in the spirit of our ancestors and founding fathers from two hundred fifty years ago. They were asserting their rights to freedom of speech and freedom to voice their concerns which varied from person to person. What united us all was a love of our country and democracy and concern that our president and his Republican party were chipping away at our Constitution. In particular most of us were appalled by the cruel and dangerous rhetoric that was pitting Americans against each other in hateful and vindictive ways. We were gravely unhappy about the damage done to our precious institutions and the despicable treatment of immigrants and their families. Nonetheless, there was no inappropriate behavior from anyone. It was a festival of love, peace, joy and a determination to save the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Somehow we were there for all Americans and all who live among us even if they are not yet citizens.

After an hour of speeches from political figures, veterans and everyday citizens we formed lines to march through downtown Houston. Nobody pushed or shoved or got irritated with one another. The police were kind and helpful. It had been silly for me to be worried that there might be trouble. The only sign of trouble was the good kind that leads to positive change.

The parade of people stretched from one side of the street to another and was many blocks long. We walked calmly along chanting and smiling at one another. Some people brought flowers for the police officers. Some simply thanked those who were watching to make sure that we would be safe. We smiled because we knew that we were part of something positive and important. We hoped that our message would be understood.

We left feeling as though we had done something very important. We reveled in a sense of joy in being part of an historical event. As we ate lunch we checked our phones and learned that there had been protests all across the United States in one town and city after another. All of them had been peaceful. Everyone had understood the assignment. We all hoped that the world would understand the purpose of our message.

We want a return to our three separate branches of government. We want a president who works for all Americans, not just those who voted for him. We want a separation of church and state. We don’t want the military to be placed in a position of hurting Americans. We want the deportation of illegal immigrants to be done in a fair and legal way. We want our universities to be allowed to do their work without threats. We want a presidential cabinet filled with experts, not loyalists who will do whatever the president asks even when it is wrong. We want the cruelty toward any groups to stop. We want our scientists and medical experts to be in charge of agencies that work to help us. We don’t want a president who acts as though he is a king, or even worse, a dictator.

If we have to do this again and again we will. The people who came out on Saturday are loyal Americans, people of good will. They came from every kind of backgrounds that may be described and walked together in harmony. I was with them in memory of my ancestors who fought in the American Revolution and in the union Army during the Civil War. I came for the young people in our nation who deserve a good future. I want to insure that the ideals of who we are as people in the world will be honored. Along with fifteen thousand other citizens of Houston I recited the Pledge of Allegiance, hoping that we will always insure that liberty and justice will be for all.