I don't actually celebrate Easter anymore as it's a religious holiday and I'm more spiritual than a proponent of organization (the sign in the background that reads: "Keep State & Religion Separate" is a great protest sign erected to contrast with the gigantic Jesus on the other side of Daley Plaza in Downtown Chicago.)
Anyway, I was still surprised and delighted when I ran into this Easter Bunny a the tax march yesterday. For people who are thinking well geez, it's a problem but is it the biggest reason to protest, I wanted to actually have a conversation about this. Certainly, no...what is happening internationally with our involvement in Russia and Syria especially is, to understate it, alarming. And, of course, there are the hate crimes and the ICE Raids. What about the destruction of the environment that is going to impact everyone in the world?
But, what is happening in America right now is that public education, the arts, libraries, and services for veterans and people with disabilities are being stifled so that Trump can wine and dine and golf and his wife can also steal from the public every day she insists on not living in the White House. In fact, her stay outside of the White House for one year SURPASSES the ENTIRE National Foundation Budget for the Arts (Melania Trump staying at Trump Tower instead of the White House:$182,500,000/year
Budget National Endowment for the Arts:$149,849,000/year)
In fact, there's even a super helpful website that shows how much Trump is stealing from America's tax dollars (while he still refuses to release his own): Is Trump at Mar-a-Lago? :
istrumpatmaralago.org/
If this is starting to remind you of what started happening with Marie Antoinette, you wouldn't be the only one.
But again, yes, there's all kinds of corruptions but isn't the fact that people are dying in Syria worse? Yes, yes, yes, and yes some more. We can protest those things too and we should. These things should not be happening in our names. We must resist these atrocities.
But, I will also point you to the very reasons why the colonists decided they were fed up with their British rule in America...remember that old saying No Taxation Without Representation? Well, that's exactly what is happening...the 98% are paying their taxes while the public good gets nothing of it and the 2% continue to get political policies that reward only them and do NOT pay their taxes. And, let me point you to the historical document that really points to where America sees herself returning to at this time. It's called The Declaration of Independence and I'm sure some of you may have even heard of it.
This document states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Read that over. Now, read it again. Now, read it out loud. Read it a third time. My guess is it may have been awhile since you read it. Now, read it again.
Now, go ahead and skip to this line: "In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. "
www.ushistory.org/DECLARATION/document/
Does this sound familiar? It should....
Now, my mother's ancestors came from France to fight in the American Revolution. I'm pretty sure they didn't fight for Trump to go golfing every weekend. It is OK to protest multiple things and protesting Taxation Without Representation is one of the major principles America was founded on.
Happy Easter (if you celebrate). I prefer to celebrate the freedom to protest and the patriotism I find in that.
Tags: Easter Happy Easter Daley Plaza Easter Bunny Chicago downtown taxmarch protest signs Resist fascism resist fascism The Declaration of Independence Emoluments Clause Impeach Trump Trump Must Go Conflicts of Interest This is what Democracy looks like protesting is patriotic America Illinois USA No taxation without representation mar-a-lago Separation of church and state tax tax fraud
© All Rights Reserved
And you should too...
**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**
Tags: cinematic lens flare I Am No Longer Accepting the Things I Cannot Change. I Am Changing the Things I Cannot Accept. Chicago Canon Women's March feminism women girls daughter sister mothers street march lens flare cinematic crowd protest signs activism politics liberal Impeach Trump Trump Must Go flare
© All Rights Reserved
Who Will Survive in America? Not you...Well, unless you're white, male, heterosexual, able bodied and rich. Today is a day to wear pink to support Planned Parenthood if you live in America so that is one reason to post another photo from the Women's March.
I really thought I could relax from protest photos for a bit but then Republicans, the less big government sort of folks, decided to take away all of our citizen internet protections...we pay for a service and our privacy is still sold to the highest bidder...not very freedom oriented, is it? So, next time you are talking to a big GOP Trump supporter, remind him/her how the Republicans took away all our Internet Privacy rights...and next time you get nervous and search Web MD to see if you are seriously sick and what you have, you might be denied insurance based on a pre-existing condition.
Let's turn Congress and get these horrible laws repealed. Our very freedoms as Americans depend on it. All voting citizens are negatively effected by such legislations, even the people who voted for Trump and thought somehow that he would "drain the swamp" and represent them...boy, were they ever duped!
money.cnn.com/2017/03/28/technology/house-internet-privac...
Also, VPN's won't save you:
www.wired.com/2017/03/vpns-wont-save-congress-internet-pr...
Trump is also against the environment even though an average of 67% of Americans oppose things like coal mining. He robbed us of our presidency with a stolen election and now he'll rob all our future generations of our livelihood. Resist!
**All photographs are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**
Tags: Internet Privacy Freedom Democracy Whose streets? Our Streets Chicago urban city This is what Democracy Looks Like Feminism Women's March Canon street downtown protest political liberal signs Resist Resistance Resist Fascism Donald Trump Must Go Impeach Trump Love Trumps Hate march rally Future is intersectional Respecta mi existencia o espera resistencia Black Lives Matter Nasty Woman Hate Has no Home Here Immigrant rights Immigrant rights Michigan Avenue voters citizens America Chicagoans Illinois USA environment Environmental Protection Agency Coal mining feminism Planned Parenthood
© All Rights Reserved
On one side, we have a criminal who gladly takes away body autonomy. He is so arrogant and so small minded, clinging to his father's legacy and wealth he hasn't actually had to relate to humans outside of himself or learn any new skills. He is quick to judge and considers himself a king. Do not grant unlimited power to a bully.
On the other side, we have a qualified politician who hasn't been convicted of felonies and has many skills and is pledging to reverse some of the damage done by Trump. She is a careful person and a diplomatic one.
The choice is pretty clear who to vote for. The fact that people in America are acting as if there is any choice besides Kamala is alarming to me. This is again not about us but about the future of this country and the children who are growing up in it.
If these girls were 11 at the time of this photo, they could now vote in this election.
***************************************************************
Previously written on the original post 3.20/2017:
We're winning this thing...a new Gallop poll says Trump has an approval rating of only 37%. Even Trump's best (American) friends Fox News is reporting 51% disapprove of him.
And, in the meantime, we're making sure to raise generations of children that will make sure this atrocity of Donald Trump never happens again.
**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**
Tags: It's Easier to Build Strong Children Than Repair Broken Men Teach Your Children Well This is what Democracy Looks Like feminism Women's March crowd Black Lives Matter family parents children daughters sisters girls women Our Streets Chicago street life monochrome Monochrome Monday black and white eyes flare parenting Human rights liberal political signs America Canon Illinois US United States Progressive Resist Resist Fascism Democracy Freedom The Right to Assemble protest Gallop Polls Impeach Impeach Trump Approval Rating
© All Rights Reserved
I could relate to this woman obviously.
**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**
Tags: protest signs photographer Chicago streets Canon Whose Streets? Our streets! Dump Trump Impeach Trump Resist Resist Fascism politics Impeach liberal feminism Women's March This is what Democracy Looks Like flare cinematic lens flare Nasty women femmes solidarity LGBTQ
© All Rights Reserved