Love this! We must keep fighting. Cory Booker said he was inspired to undertake his amazing recent 25-hour marathon speech by so many people contacting his office. His action will make a difference, and so can we — though it often doesn't feel like it. I will be at the protest this Saturday in Oakland, CA!
Yes! Alt National Parks is saying over 5 million people showed up. I read that it takes 3.5% of the population showing up to reach the tipping point for change. So, maybe there's hope?
Your beautiful post brings to mind the Gettysburg Address: "we here highly resolve that ... this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Go Summer!! So inspiring. “They are happiest in the villages” reminds me of City of Joy. In India it is those small communities caring for each other, holding each others babies, growing food together and laughing!! Of course there is suffering that accompanies poverty but there is also a kind of calm day to day present moment joy. See you at the rally!
The birdsong revelation is the most inspiring thing I've heard in ages. And I will be holding hands with you and the rest of us tomorrow, from Portland. We can do this. Love, Skipp
If one reads you deeply, and one should, one might find you brave, conflicted, wild (feral), naïve as all get out, stunningly insightful, smart, and clever. 🤓
The birds will be singing LOUD tomorrow! Seeds will be (already are) rising up everywhere! I, too, will be out there tomorrow holding my sign in Fort Bragg, California.
Thank you, Summer, for standing up for ALL peoples— right now beautiful brown skinned souls in an ultra-sick world of white supremacy. Let’s all be brave right now!
oh, bird songs awakening seeds. may we be the birds. may we sing along with what this earth is asking us to do to rise up against these oligarchs and authoritarians. and the illustrations you chose for this post... just wow.
may tomorrows protests create an unstoppable wave that overwhelms the spineless congress.
This is so beautiful…. Your life is a testament to so much of what we all seek. Money & Power beget only the thirst for more. Because money & power do not mean happiness.
The respect we show to others and the kindness we reap is what we sow.
If I could send you five hearts for this piece, Summer, I surely would. It poured grief yet hope into my starving heart. ...Although, I have good things to report today from Aotearoa New Zealand. 19 November last year, the hikoi [protest march] which began in the very north and south of the country converged on Parliament in Wellington to protest against a proposed 'bill' effectively designed to reduce the equity of the Government's 1840 treaty with Māori. The Treaty of Waitangi is our founding document. I was there, outside Parliament, for my first protest ever, at 74. It was a great event and totally peaceful. Police were there, mostly helping those who felt unwell in the crowd.
The bill received approximately 300,000 submissions, including mine! Written submissions were 90% opposed, 8% supportive and 2% unstated. Oral submissions were 85% opposed, 10% supportive and 5% unstated. The Select Committee [Parliamentary review panel with cross-party membership] has recommended that the bill NOT proceed. It's dead, dead dead!!! Yay! The little [literally] libertarian twerp who proposed it won't let it go, I'm sure. But the power of the people - ordinary people of all races and ages - has spoken.
People do have power and a voice. We, the people... I wish you all the best for your day of protest. I hope your police will be as supportive as ours were. ...THIS is your 'liberation day,' not some destructive nonsense about imposing tariffs that will hurt America more than the rest of us. (Sorry for your loss.) Lots of love and wishing you better times. ...We used a saying after our terrible mosque massacre, 'THIS IS NOT US'. It might apply to you. xx
AMAZING!!!! We had the most wonderful protest ever! 1,500 people came out, 5% of the pop. of our town! My girls and I closed out the protest by singing "What's Going On" by 4 Non-Blondes at the top of our lungs, the whole crowd joined it, it was incredible! And the police were great! I'm always happy when they're there. Lots of guns in this town... the cops keep us safe!
Love this! We must keep fighting. Cory Booker said he was inspired to undertake his amazing recent 25-hour marathon speech by so many people contacting his office. His action will make a difference, and so can we — though it often doesn't feel like it. I will be at the protest this Saturday in Oakland, CA!
It's amazing how little things can build into big things. Just one phonecall, one email, they added up, then Cory Booker, then BOOM, then TODAY!!!!!!
Yes! Alt National Parks is saying over 5 million people showed up. I read that it takes 3.5% of the population showing up to reach the tipping point for change. So, maybe there's hope?
I like to hope so yessssss!!!
Your beautiful post brings to mind the Gettysburg Address: "we here highly resolve that ... this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."
Amen!!!
Go Summer!! So inspiring. “They are happiest in the villages” reminds me of City of Joy. In India it is those small communities caring for each other, holding each others babies, growing food together and laughing!! Of course there is suffering that accompanies poverty but there is also a kind of calm day to day present moment joy. See you at the rally!
I saw you!!!!! Also break a leg next week! If I'm not in rehearsal, I'll watch!
The birdsong revelation is the most inspiring thing I've heard in ages. And I will be holding hands with you and the rest of us tomorrow, from Portland. We can do this. Love, Skipp
Yes!!! I saw those crowds in Portland, WOW!!!! Thank you, Skipp!
We had 1,500 turn out today in Juneau! 5% of the population!
That is fucking SUPERB!!!
If one reads you deeply, and one should, one might find you brave, conflicted, wild (feral), naïve as all get out, stunningly insightful, smart, and clever. 🤓
The power of the people is greater than the people in power ✊🏻❤️🔥
And the power of the people won’t stop ❤️🔥
Thank you for speaking out- always!
Thank YOU for speaking out, always!
To refusing to give up. Absolutely agree that we must keep fighting.
It's cathartic, too!
The birds will be singing LOUD tomorrow! Seeds will be (already are) rising up everywhere! I, too, will be out there tomorrow holding my sign in Fort Bragg, California.
Thank you, Summer, for standing up for ALL peoples— right now beautiful brown skinned souls in an ultra-sick world of white supremacy. Let’s all be brave right now!
How did the protest go? We had 1,500 turn out today in Juneau! 5% of the population!
Yes!!! Btw, Love Fort Bragg!!!
Damn, that felt good, didn't it?
Felt GREAT! Haven’t heard a count yet, but appears we had 6 to 800 show up in a town of 7,000. Utterly amazing energy!
Amazing!!!!!
oh, bird songs awakening seeds. may we be the birds. may we sing along with what this earth is asking us to do to rise up against these oligarchs and authoritarians. and the illustrations you chose for this post... just wow.
may tomorrows protests create an unstoppable wave that overwhelms the spineless congress.
It was an amazing turnout, everywhere. 1,500 people in Juneau alone! That's 5% the population! I hope Congress is paying attention!!!
AMEN.
A-WOMYN.
A-EVERYTHING!
This is so beautiful…. Your life is a testament to so much of what we all seek. Money & Power beget only the thirst for more. Because money & power do not mean happiness.
The respect we show to others and the kindness we reap is what we sow.
Thank you
Yes! and the connections! The real connections, seeing each other's humanity. And thank you so much, Pamela!
❤️🙏🏼
If I could send you five hearts for this piece, Summer, I surely would. It poured grief yet hope into my starving heart. ...Although, I have good things to report today from Aotearoa New Zealand. 19 November last year, the hikoi [protest march] which began in the very north and south of the country converged on Parliament in Wellington to protest against a proposed 'bill' effectively designed to reduce the equity of the Government's 1840 treaty with Māori. The Treaty of Waitangi is our founding document. I was there, outside Parliament, for my first protest ever, at 74. It was a great event and totally peaceful. Police were there, mostly helping those who felt unwell in the crowd.
The bill received approximately 300,000 submissions, including mine! Written submissions were 90% opposed, 8% supportive and 2% unstated. Oral submissions were 85% opposed, 10% supportive and 5% unstated. The Select Committee [Parliamentary review panel with cross-party membership] has recommended that the bill NOT proceed. It's dead, dead dead!!! Yay! The little [literally] libertarian twerp who proposed it won't let it go, I'm sure. But the power of the people - ordinary people of all races and ages - has spoken.
People do have power and a voice. We, the people... I wish you all the best for your day of protest. I hope your police will be as supportive as ours were. ...THIS is your 'liberation day,' not some destructive nonsense about imposing tariffs that will hurt America more than the rest of us. (Sorry for your loss.) Lots of love and wishing you better times. ...We used a saying after our terrible mosque massacre, 'THIS IS NOT US'. It might apply to you. xx
AMAZING!!!! We had the most wonderful protest ever! 1,500 people came out, 5% of the pop. of our town! My girls and I closed out the protest by singing "What's Going On" by 4 Non-Blondes at the top of our lungs, the whole crowd joined it, it was incredible! And the police were great! I'm always happy when they're there. Lots of guns in this town... the cops keep us safe!
Thank you for the power and beauty in this essay.
Thank you, Nancy!!!
Very powerful post Summer.
Thanks so much, Marjie!!
I’ll be at our local protest here in Salida, Colorado on Saturday.
We had 1,500 turn out today in Juneau! 5% of the population!
Yes!!! How'd it go?