A few days ago, on Presidents’ Day, I joined a protest to express my disgust and disappointment with what is happening under this new regime. And honestly? I feel better and many people still rock!
I’ve always paid attention to politics. I’ve voted in every single election, local, state, and national since I was 18 years old. Someone once told me, “If you don’t vote, then you have no right to complain,” and for some reason, that always stuck with me. So, I’ve always stayed engaged.
I’ve also never shied away from sharing my political views online or in person. Growing up in the reddest of red states, now living in the bluest of blue states, and having spent many years abroad, I feel like I have a unique perspective on the United States. I’ve had the opportunity to be on the inside looking out and the outside looking in. My wife is an immigrant to the U.S., and my children were born abroad.
Needless to say, I’ve struggled with how to process this presidential election and supporters of the current regime. When the results first came in, I was done. I thought, “If that’s what the country wants, then good luck to you!” I was ready to check out. I deleted Facebook, Threads, and Twitter (I left Twitter when it was sold tbh), and removed most of the news apps from my phone (this has made a big difference). I had been fairly vocal during the election, but after the results, I was shocked by the direction the people had chosen for this country. It’s still disturbing.
Then the real madness began. Pardoning of J6 traitors, government firings, deportations, questionable appointments, and the BS executive orders and senseless cuts. I could no longer let myself ignore it.
The night before Presidents’ Day, I came across a post on Bluesky about the #50501movement. It was calling for protests the next day at noon across the nation. 50 protests, 50 states, 1 movement.
I found a protest near my home, and something in my mind kept telling me I needed to be there. I have never really taken to the streets to peacefully protest before, but that entire afternoon and evening, I had this undeniable feeling that I just had to do it.
So the next day at noon, I did.
I showed up. I yelled. I clapped. I held up signs. I took pictures. I talked to people. I listened to the local congressperson. I listened to people. Then I yelled and clapped some more. And you know what?
I felt less despair, less sadness, and less dread for this country than I have in quite some time. I realized there are so many amazing people out there who share my concerns, people who are also at their wits’ end with the chaos and who believe, as I do, that we must stand up against the attacks on our institutions and the people being wrongfully targeted by these weak people who call themselves leaders.
Now that a few days have passed, I still feel that energy even with everything still going on. It renewed my faith in people and some of my fellow Americans. Most people do not support what is happening right now. We have to remember this! It’s not always apparent in the daily news cycle or the endless scroll of social media sewers, but there is a movement. And I could not feel better about being a small part of it and will continue to exercise my right in the very near future.
If you find yourself feeling the same way, I encourage you to maybe exercise your right to protest and stand up for what you believe in and what’s right. It might just help you too. Peacefully, of course.
#wethepeople #resist