It was a cold day in Washington
When the Proud Boys came to town
And the rioters were pardoned
And executive orders fell like rain (or snow).
It was a cold day
When the Capitol rotunda filled with applause
For the man who would be king
And who promised the rebirth of a nation
And to reboot Manifest Destiny
And to conquer exotic places,
Like Mars, Panama (again), and Greenland.
Liberation day for the Patriots of America.
And beside him cheered the rich and powerful
The barons of Silicon Valley
The owners of the new technocracy
The Great Gatsbys of TikTok and Twitter
Who would salute their commander in chief
Arm stretched in a terrifying reflection
Of a buried past
Threatening to break free
It was a cold day in Washington
When Trump promised to turn his back on research and science
And the World Health Organization
And ignore the environment
And “drill baby drill”
When he vowed to restore order
And reorder gender
And close the border
And deport millions
And separate families
Even if he had to call out the military
And his supporters cheered.
And in homes across the country, people shivered
It was a cold day in Washington
But the people would not stay silent.
Despite the cold, thousands marched not far from the Oval Office
Despite the cold, they rallied in New York, Vermont, and Boston
Ohio, Missouri, Phoenix, and Los Angeles
Even abroad… they protested in Panama and Mexico City.
And though you won’t hear about this in the inaugural address or on the nightly news…
In neighborhoods across the United States, people are organizing.
They have been for weeks and months.
They’ve been meeting… from Baltimore to New York.
From California to Colorado.
Sometimes with food or music.
Around kitchen tables or in living rooms.
Neighbors are uniting, preparing to stand up for one another, and the most vulnerable.
To respond, if/when Trump’s troops come knocking.
In the dark days of Brazil
When the military ruled and the people spoke in whispers
There was a phrase used to describe this resistance:
‘Ninguém solta a mão de ninguém’
“No one let go of each other.”
And that feeling is growing.
Even right now,
As you read these words,
These networks are growing
Hand in hand. Arms linked. Standing side by side.
Neighbors, friends, and allies are embracing
And readying to respond
Regardless of what may come
Regardless of the cold in Washington
People across the country
Are putting on their coats and preparing to step outside
And stand up, again.
This is the second episode of Stories of Resistance.
Stories of Resistance is a new project, co-produced by The Real News and Global Exchange. Each week, we’ll bring you stories of resistance like this. Inspiration for dark times.
If you like what you hear, please subscribe, like, share, comment, or leave a review.
We’ve recently launched a Kickstarter to help get the series off the ground. You can support it by clicking here: Stories of Resistance: Inspiration for Dark Times Kickstarter
Written and produced by Michael Fox.