are you the 1%? --womens' march, local groups and activities, indivisible? --food for thought
Dave
Researchers compiled an impressive spreadsheet (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xa0iLqYKz8x9Yc_rfhtmSOJQ2EGgeUVjvV4A8LsIaxY/htmlview?sle=true#gid=0) that shows an estimated 3.2 to 4.6 million people protested/marched/participated this weekend.
That’s at least 1 out of every 100 Americans (including 30 at the Arctic Circle, sheriff reporting 1000 of his 5000 residents of small snow covered Alaskan city that didn’t make the spreadsheet yet, 250K+ in Chicago, 6-10K in KC…) that made it the largest (and the largest peaceful) protests in human history.
In addition to that US 1%, there was also the largest international expression (8 in one Iraqi city, 60K in Toronto, 100K in London, 10s of thousands in Australia, 10K initial estimate now reported in the spreadsheet to be 7K in Paris…).
Could a galvanizing figure subsequently be a gift to history (if we respect one another’s many groups and causes, notice one another better, pay attention, respond…)?
========================================================================
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/the-significance-of-millions-in-the-streets/514091/
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/01/womens-march-protest-count/514166/
Are your feet tired?
Did some of the signs make you smile (or blush)?
Did you hear the speakers (locally and nationally) advising and inviting that there are many miles of shoe leather still needed (at planning meetings, forums, rallies, calls and visits to elected officials…)?
Did you hear comments/questions/criticisms about where were these people before the election?
Would we have a different nation and world if that energy/support/activism had turned out before (or again)?
Will we now (or continue to) act, or grudgingly just settle into a new normal?
Will we permit ourselves to be upset/distracted with officials, or will we acknowledge that politicians will never be pure and perfect (and are just as flawed as all of us –and maybe make room for some good people who don’t want to submit themselves to our current political processes)?
What’s next?
Day after the marches/rallies, Moveon.org had 25K calling in.
There, of course, are speculations of whether or not this is sustainable (hence this hopeful communiqué).
Tea Party proved they could organize (within 2 weeks of Obama’s Inauguration, immediately made themselves known to their legislators, big wins in midterms…).
One author and activist speaker over a week ago in KC (maybe off the cuff) commented that it’s hubris and an act of “intellectual masturbation” if you think social media posts are enough or if you think you’re going to reform/change someone on facebook.
They are tools, but as some groups (http://www.more2.org/ local affiliate of Gamaliel Foundation –Obama’s first community organizing gig, https://www.indivisibleguide.com/, Tea Party…) have known, slow-steady and in it for the long-haul behaviors are what it will take to protect one another (including those that may not know the machinery behind the protections they need or could/will lose –and may never understand or appreciate the work/support/funding/activism you may be doing on their behalf).
One facebook group shot up to 15,500 members since November.
Just as easily as it is to join/like/follow, people can click away.
Clicks vs shoe leather? It’s not either/or. It’s inseparably both.
In last 13+ years in KC, I’ve seen candidates, elected officials, organizers, volunteers… come and go. All are priceless. Some faces are consistently present. I look for them, try to get to know them, and whenever possible humbly try to help (especially, if possible, to try to encourage not letting titles/squabbles corrupt their minds or groups).
It seems too easy to slip into disagreements, distractions, impatience…
I think we are in it together.
I think there is dignity and worth in all people.
I hope I’m not in the minority.
Do you think we are in it together?
Or are we a football game, tv show, project or task at home… from forgetting to notice one another?
Are we a click or clicks away from being easily distracted and divided?
Are we indivisible?
========================================================================
Near the start of the KC Women’s March-on-Washington Rally (appropriately at KC’s Washington Park), Rabbi Alpert shared the story of recently being in the Czech Republic and visiting the site of one of the atrocities that occurred when people ignore or don’t pay attention to the warning signs and lessons of history. He commented that if anyone wants to do a Muslim registry like was done to the Jews in America, “Meet this rabbi.”
He got enthusiastic applause.
When he rolls up his sleeves for next steps (as he and others have with several projects in KC), will you/your support be there?
Will we stand with him?
Will we give brave people like that the numbers/support/encouragement they need to carry on?
Or will we look the other way (if standing with one another turned out to be inconvenient at times, or if there was a game on tv, or if it wasn’t an issue immediately or directly impacting your life personally, or if it tested what a friend/colleague/neighbor thought of you)?
The people in the photo below
(from babies to seniors -- inspiring to see excited teens, faith-based to secular, first timers stepping out of their comfort zone, some not out since Vietnam protests…)
stood with a over a dozen speakers
(addressing: violence deeply impacting 1 out of 4 women and their families in America, disrespect and discrimination, unequal pay –from 77 down to 54 cents depending on your race/disability/sexuality, healthcare denied, last resort healthcare maligned/misunderstood/defunded, grandparents not against guns but against shocking gun violence that seems to have anesthetized people/politicians from sane reforms…). 
https://twitter.com/hashtag/StrongerTogetherKC?src=hash #StrongerTogetherKC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfJDI-g-S10 rally in KC
https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/5528361/washington-square-park/
https://pleasantlyeccentric.wordpress.com/2017/01/22/kansas-city-womens-march-strongertogether/
http://www.womens-foundation.org/mission/
https://www.facebook.com/IndivisibleKC
http://www.cco.org/resources/organizing
http://www.more2.org/ Metro Organization for Racial and Economic Equity
http://sclckc.org/SiteResources/Data/Templates/t2.asp?docid=645&DocName=Welcome KC affiliate of the organization MLK founded (and where Congressmen Cleaver and Cummings had insightful and inspirational things to share when they spoke to a KC audience last week –but had a lesser indoors turnout because the outside weather was gloomy vs the sunny, Saturday of this weekend’s rally in KC’s Washington Park)
>>> Do you recall news footage of Tea Partiers filling rooms and standing together even in frigid conditions?
http://gkcwpc.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/GKCWPC/ The Women’s Political Caucus operates in about a dozen states. The Greater Kansas City chapter is an active group with incredible inroads and relationships for locals to tap into. They are a great opportunity to invest hours and dollars.
They have a Resisting the Trump Agenda meeting Thursday 1-26-17.
========================================================================
Forum: “The Presidency–What It Was, and What It’s Become” with Max Skidmore
January 29 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am http://allsoulskc.org/
Max Skidmore, U.S. Presidents expert and UMKC's Thomas Jefferson Fellow, Distinguished & Sr. Fulbright Lecturer and Scholar, will discuss the phenomenon of the new U.S. President. The title says it all.
The Forum has been KC’s longest ongoing conversation (70+ years?, many years ago was printed on cover of KC Star before media got fragmented into a bajillion silos, always an honest space for free expression…).
Maybe check it out for yourself?
Archives are at http://www.kkfi.org/program/all-souls-forum/.
Maybe come and meet the organizers to submit ideas, yourself, your groups, your advocacy… for a future forum?
Presenter speaks 20-40 minutes Sundays @10 am, followed by audience Q & A, and usually followed by continued discussion down the hall in the library @noon. And sometimes followed by further noticing one another with chats/networking/coffee down the hall by the coffee machine. :)
=====================================================
If you wish, sign up at uuf...@allsoulskc.org for email notifications (can always unsubscribe later).
Please note, that though it is hosted at the church across from the Kemper Art Museum, this is not a religious forum.
Check out KKFI’s archives link, and you’ll read/hear/see it for yourself.
It is and always will be an issues of the day forum.
This past weekend, was the annual Mayor’s State of the City address. It started 25 years ago (preceded and nurtured with decades of “issues of the day” free space) when most cities weren’t even doing State of the City addresses from their own City Halls.
Mayor James had valuable points that locals maybe should maybe invest a moment to hear. If you are organizing an existing or new group, consider getting together or on your own listening to his State of the City address. You may find wisdom in what he had to share (as you consider leadership, infrastructure, collaboration, long-haul… for your groups).
http://www.kkfi.org/program-episodes/forums-state-city-address-mayor-sly-james/
The week before that was
There's Nothing Fake About Real Journalism with Yael Abouhalkah
If you weren’t among the crowd who came to hear him in person, play the archive and you may come to see why he’s one of KC’s notables.
http://www.kkfi.org/program-episodes/theres-nothing-fake-real-journalism-yael-aboulhalkah/
| |||||||||
|
If the people in the groups and bcc would like to share, forward as you think may be appropriate,
Dave