Many years ago, I had a conversation with a friend about the genocide in Rwanda. We were wondering why, instead of following a propaganda-fueled directive to kill their Tutsi friends and neighbors, the Hutus didn’t stop and say, “Hey, wait a minute. That’s not right.”
That’s why, during this fascist period of American history, the words of the late U.S. representative John Lewis resonate. He said, “When you see something that is not the way it should be, don’t be afraid. Speak up, speak out, be courageous.”
It’s easy to be afraid to speak out in a time when ICE is deporting innocent people to El Salvador prisons, arriving travelers are being thrown into detention centers for having negative comments about POTUS on their phones, and international graduate students are having their student visas revoked over speeding tickets. And that’s just a short list of the outrageous and often illegal tactics being implemented.
But last week, just as my fear was my skyrocketing and my faith in the survival of our American democracy plummeting to an all-time low, I was heartened to see the courage of Senator Cory Booker as he “spoke up and spoke out” for an impressive 25 hours – breaking the record of the racist Senator Strom Thurmond in the process.
Even more impressive, Booker didn’t waste one second of that time reading from a phonebook like Thurmond did; he spoke about the issues at hand and warned that the country is facing a looming constitutional crisis. “This is a moral moment,” he said. “It’s not left or right; it’s right or wrong.”
In other words, he was one of the brave ones saying, “Hey, wait a minute.” Thank you, Senator Booker.
Another heartening sign of hope was the Hands-Off Peaceful Protest that took place last Saturday, April 5th. It was called “Hands Off” as a message to the government to keep its hands off of social security, healthcare, education, science research, environmental protections, consumer protections, support for veterans, aid to help starving people in other countries, and so many more programs critical to our wellbeing as individuals, as a nation, and as a global partner – all things that DOGE and the GOP seem set on destroying at a record pace. Seriously, WTF?
That GOP should take note that their policies are not only hugely unpopular, they’re making people angry, because estimates show that more than five million people turned out to express their disapproval. Adding to that anger is the introduction of sweeping tariffs that have tanked the stock market and wiped out people’s retirement plans along with it.
It’s time for everyone to say, Hey, wait a minute. That’s not right.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to Saturday’s Hands-Off protest. But my partner Doug and I did go to a weekly Sunday protest in Keokuk, Iowa. Adhering to John Lewis’s insistence that “we have an obligation to condemn speech that is racist, bigoted, anti-Semitic, or hateful,” I took time to make protest signs with his message. With my poster board, pre-cut letters, and seven rolls of duct tape – one of each color of the rainbow – my slogans included:
Liberty and justice for ALL – emphasizing the word “all” in all caps,
Diversity is what makes America great,
Stop the cruelty,
and my favorite, ‘Woke’ means you care about people.
For the past two Sundays, about fifty of us southeast Iowa residents gathered peacefully along Main Street at 7th Avenue. Was I afraid? Well, yes, I was. Because in this MAGA era, you never know when some unhinged person will fire a gun or mow us down with their truck. But I think of the courage and tenacity of John Lewis and Cory Booker, and the many others like them, who have made sacrifices and spoken out for what’s right. That fuels my determination to do my part, even if it’s just standing on a public street in a tiny town holding up a sign with my plea for peace and justice.
Some naysayers say protesting – along with Booker’s filibuster – doesn’t make a difference, but they’re wrong. According to another of John Lewis’s nuggets of wisdom, “Nothing can stop the power of a committed and determined people to make a difference in our society.” Just by showing up we are building a community of people who are all saying, Hey, wait a minute. What’s happening in our country isn’t right. In our solidarity, we are establishing power and restoring hope.
There’s another nationwide Hands-Off protest scheduled for April 19. I’ll be there. And I’ll keep going to the weekly Keokuk protests, held Sundays from noon to 1:30 PM, “getting in good trouble,” as Lewis suggested, to “help redeem the soul of America.” Because I don’t ever want to be one of those people who didn’t speak up when things were clearly not right. And things are clearly not right.
Beth Howard is an author and filmmaker in Donnellson, Iowa. Her website is www.theworldneedsmorepie.com.
The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of TSPR or its license holder, Western Illinois University.
Diverse viewpoints are welcomed and encouraged.