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Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late. Jonathan Swift, 1710

We Americans are to keep calm despite the declaration of “carnage” by the 45^th president of the United States as he took office January 20 – the man who won the Electoral College in a “sweep” of about 100,000 votes and who lost the people’s vote by nearly three million.

We’re told to ignore the aerial photos of his sparsely attended inauguration and absorb the “alternative facts” his spokeswoman insists prove the press is unfair to her man. Ignoring what our eyes see is no easy task for a sentient human being.

What is easy is to be immensely proud of the 20,000 women, men and children who marched peacefully in St. Petersburg, Florida, on January 21; all of us in solidarity with the nearly half a million attending the Women’s March in D.C. and millions in crowded events around the world. 

As we gathered in a St. Pete park by a marina, we spotted a rare pink flamingo flying overhead. To this Audubon chick, it was as fortuitous an omen as I could imagine. And, as a lifelong, tree-hugging environmentalist who believes “Give a hoot; Don’t pollute!” I attest those 20,000 marchers left the park lawn spotless.

Like people around the world, we rejected the new president’s history of mean-spirited speech, sexual harassment and uncommon belligerence and insisted his party be held accountable as it tries to dissolve everything from environmental protections to equal rights to health insurance to social safety nets. But, his own spokeswoman said she didn’t see the point of our marches. Where do we begin with a woman who ushered this unprepared and intemperate ruler to his throne and with others who refuse to acknowledge his threat to our freedoms?

In march photo after photo, we see women and men wearing “pussy” caps as a sign of universal distain for the sexual-predator-in-chief. Hard for me to accept I am talking about political life in the United States of America in 2017.  And to learn women supporters of the new president merely complained about how disgusting the pussy caps were; they voted for the man whose repulsive statement prompted the cap craze. Even Miss Manners of the 1950s would have paled at his nonchalant brutishness.   

We know basic respect for women now depends on this president’s desirability scale of 1-to-10. And, as his intolerant messages spread, reported hate crimes top 1,000. Never mind condemning pussy caps, ladies! This is not a normal time in our civilization. As the handmade protest signs attest, people didn’t think they would have to defend rights won over the last 200 years. Be offended by that.

If you check the January 21 aerial views of DC and St. Pete, you will see substantial march crowds. The same is true around the country and in locations around the world. But, I’m not sure how long those pesky photos will be accessible for our viewing, given their failure to support alternative facts.

Do you see a pattern here? You may not be allowed to see it in the bizarre reality barreling toward us. Time to find the next action to take to preserve life as we know it. 

Reggie Morrisey