I will be the first to tell you that when I see Evil
winning over Good, it's time to do something about it before it's too late. It
may be in the form of a bully, a person getting away with murder, hurting
another through lies and innuendo, or blatantly cheating others in order to get their way. When all of these aspects are combined in one group or individual and
they are getting away with it, the ramifications are staggering and
hurtful.
When the Trump/Pence ticket succeeded in our
Presidential election in November, I was mortified to the point that it was
difficult to perform the basic functions of breathing, eating, and sleeping. My
faith in the meaning of all that is good was shattered. Fear for the future
consumed me. The disappointment in my fellow man was unpalatable. Something
quite evil was taking place and hiding under the covers like a small child could save me from it.
Well, of course, as a functioning adult this was simply
nonsense. Even so, the dark shadow shrouding me from the light increased in size
every day and I felt helpless and alone. The day I discovered that I was not
alone saved my life. I understood that women from all walks of life were planning
to march together in large, strong numbers in Washington D.C. on January 21 and
that my own daughter would be marching among them. I heard that a
strong-spoken, action taking Congressman had enough guts to tell the truth to
the American people. I heard of a 'working guide' that created countermeasures
to thwart the evil brewing within this new administration.
No, I am not alone, but for a very long time I felt like
it and, it's a miserable feeling. Things are happening and footsteps are falling
heavy along the path of Hope. We must work together to make our voices heard. We
must stay strong and vigilant as we pull back on the evil shadow that attempts
to blind us from all of the good that we know truly exists. If we try hard
enough, we will win!
~~~J. Hughes
A series of essays.....
 |
| WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON ~ 2017 graphic by Liza Donovan |
.....as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes
You might remember cracking open the large,
multi-faceted shell of a golden walnut with a silver instrument that resembled a
crude dental device that might have been used to extract a tooth in the wild,
wild west of the 1800's. I certainly do.
It was always during Christmastime when my Mother would
place a wooden bowl of mixed nuts out for family and guests to crack open
and excavate. This excavation, by the way, was achieved by inserting a
lethal-looking metal pick into the particular fruit/légume and relieving the
tasty meat from its stubborn shell. Any sibling retaliation was always observed
and noted while these archaic instruments existed in our living
room.
Occasionally, after all that hard work and anticipation,
the reward was a bite of luscious seed that sometimes tasted as metallic
as the pick being used to work it free. It was a hit-or-miss, messy, kind of
an operation that had its benefits more often than not.
Life's philosophy of hard work, hoping for the best, and
receiving occasional benefits from it all has always been one of my sound
reasons for waking up in the morning. Since early November of last year,
somehow, the pure joy of hard work and accomplishment has diminished for me.
Oh, I still go through the motions of the day and dirty clothes don't wash themselves,
that's for sure. And, having Family stay for the holidays helped to occupy my
mind and heart in a good way.
My very approach to life has been changed, altered,
rearranged, reconfigured.....call it what you will, since November 8, 2016. And,
I will be brutally honest with myself when I say that it has not been for the
best. Coping techniques have become the norm. Now, toss in a pinch of
disappointment in my fellow man; a smidgen of embarrassment for the embracement
of pure greed and narcissism; a dollop of confusion about future chaos that's as
plain as the nose on my face......and, you have a frightening recipe for
disaster that will haunt (not nourish) us for many years to come. It will change
our lives completely and set the stage for vulnerability, the likes of which we
have not witnessed for many years.
When that 'future chaos' includes the praising of ideas
and blatant collaboration with a madman from Russia, appointing the super-rich
to some of the highest offices within our government, ignoring the health and
welfare of millions of American citizens, depriving women of their right to
monitor their bodies and protect themselves through Planned Parenthood, and,
now...working diligently to swiftly weaken the programs set-up to assist all of
us as we age, Medicare and Social Security, you and I both realize that there is
a premeditated plan behind all of this!!
That is, of course, if we, truly, care about ourselves,
as we should about every other living soul around us.
You do realize that pure greed is the sounding board by
which those now in power (especially Congress) wish to conduct life and, the
November 2016 elections have assured them of that power for a period of time
that could break apart the backbone of this country, spewing it out in a million
shattered pieces. Pure greed and their, seemingly, total disgust for our
middle-class, our poor, our disabled, the homeless, women in general,
minorities, education, health, and anyone or anything that serves to eliminate
the chances of lining their own pockets with gold. You do realize this by now,
right?
Maybe you thought that being able to hold-on to your
precious weapons (guns) was the most important thing you had to fight for. Now,
many of you are beginning to realize that it might be your health insurance that
takes priority. The ridiculous notion that your precious guns would be taken
away from you was only the fear driven into you over and over again by the NRA
and anyone who wanted you to believe it for their own political advancement. You
know that now, don't you?
Let me be the first to tell you that this new regime
that is infiltrating Washington D.C. and beyond will be a very tough nut to
crack. Unlike the walnut that might be crushed under pressure but its seed
relinquishes its hold, exposing the trickery and disparagement of human rights
brought on by the so-called 'entitled in government' will be likened to the
Brazil nut. These seeds will be much more difficult to extract from their shell
and we will have to 'pick' our way through to the meat of our problems with
intelligence, precision, and honest determination.
I hear it. I feel it. There's something bubbling out
there and it is definitely not the sound of complacency!
The wisdom of Doctor Martin Luther King is ringing loud
and clear through the windswept hillsides, metropolitan landscapes, golden
meadows, and 'small town' America alike: "Our lives begin to end the day we
become silent about things that matter."
I, ashamedly, admit to becoming silent when it came to
the one instrument that I knew I could utilize to its greatest advantage, my
writing. I sat back and cowered in my own small world of 'doom and gloom'
without realizing that I had, overnight, become silent about things that really mattered to me. Guilty as charged.
What had changed all of us who, deep down, knew better?
Again, it was the bubbling sound of solidarity; the wisdom of realizing that we
were not alone in this and that we could do something about what we knew was
wrong and paralyzing to our well being.....if we did it together. As Congressman and
Civil Rights leader, John Lewis, preaches from his heart and past experiences:
"If you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have a moral
obligation to do something about it. Get out there and push, and stand up, and
speak out, and get in the way the same that my generation got in the way. Get in
trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble."
Saturday, January 21, 2017, thousands of women and men will be marching in protest of the new administration and their agenda of
stripping the American people of their rights to, and hopes for, a brighter,
healthier future. The day after the inauguration, thousands of women have
organized to march on Washington D.C. in support of women's rights and
affordable health care. 'Sister' marches are planned for all 50 states and in 32
countries around the world. That's pretty powerful and should prove to all of us
that we are not alone in this movement to stop something that is not right. Our
voices will be heard. Our presence will be seen. Our numbers will be
noted.
According to USA TODAY NETWORK, "It means the rally is a
starting point. For the women coming as far away as California and Hawaii,
there’s concern that women’s rights could be rolled back by Congress and the new
Republican White House. These include some of the causes women fought for dating
to the suffragette convention in 1848 in Seneca Falls, N.Y. — such as affordable
health care.
It's unclear how much impact the rally will have on the
agenda of the incoming administration. Organizers hope the significance of the
march, bringing together more than 100 different interest groups including
Planned Parenthood, Sierra Club, NAACP and MoveOn.org, will be a web of activism spun in its
aftermath."
Something is bubbling out there and its intensity is
astounding!
Another anti-Republican White House movement made up of
regular citizens resisting the new administration's greedy agenda is called
"Indivisible."
Co-authored by many ex-Congressional pages, such as Mr. Ezra Levin, high school
students who applied for the opportunity to provide supplemental support to
House operations in a variety of capacities, "Indivisible" is a free guide that can be used however any person or group sees
fit.
So far, hundreds of groups have been formed all over the
United States utilizing the knowledge written within this guide and website.
Every single person who worked on it is a volunteer who is doing this in
his/her free time without coordination or support from their employers. Their
only goal is to help the real leaders on the ground who are resisting the
Republican White House agenda on their home turf.
Mr. Levin explains that this guide recognizes the
'stages of grief' millions of us have gone through after this election. How many
of us live in despair over the potential harm this administration has over so
many of this country's good citizens. He and his fellow volunteers have
firsthand knowledge of how Congress works and expertise in being able to dissect
the Tea Party's tactical success. Their hope is to help you say, as a citizen:
"This behavior is not acceptable!"
Go to indivisibleguide.com to acquire your copy
of this helpful guide and learn for yourself how these former congressional
staffers reveal their best practises for making Congress listen. And please,
please spread the word! Only folks who know this exists will use it. Good luck. We will win.
Times are changing. We are feeling the power of
solidarity and the desire to be a part of that sisterhood/brotherhood of change.
I have often mentioned that being a product of the '60's has illustrated to me
and my generation that coming together for a good cause does matter. It does
work.
Being a writer, I recognize the scenario of "good vs.
evil" and how these opposite forces create a power struggle that is woven
throughout every fiber of our history. Good is
a thing which will not hurt anyone but evil does do damage. For example,
ignorance, by definition is evil, while being educated in all current matters is
just and good.
Why would anyone consciously promote the downfall or
decline of a group or groups of people? What benefit would that serve anyone? Is
history, sadly, repeating itself? These questions I hope to tackle in the near
future. But, until then please remember that it's okay to....
"Get in trouble. Good trouble. Necessary trouble." And,
make your voice be heard!
Copyright © 2017 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved
