Post-election now, and there are a multitude of emotions still swimming about, threatening to drown me. Good thing I have training as a lifeguard and know how to keep my head above water. My buzz-word has been ‘compartmentalization’ which means attending to personal and professional responsibilities, as a therapist and journalist and one of the family members on the team who takes care of my grandchildren. My two favorite people on the planet as I tell them often, are the primary reason their grandmother is a social justice activist.
I offer good self care to keep myself sane and vertical in the aftermath of an election that I was sure would be a major Blue wave on which Kamala and Tim would ride all the way to the White House. I was certain that love and joy would prevail. Alas, it was not meant to be.
Whether you believe the tally was accurate or some hanky panky went on, courtesy of DT’s bosom buddies Putin and Musk, as it stands, his election brings with it monumental changes. The next few months feel as if they are both a rest from the intensity of the campaign and a clarion call to plan for resistance. A local event took place that pulled me out of self-imposed seclusion and back into action.
A few days ago, I heard about a horrific display of a Nazi flag flying over a house on a suburban street. Whitpain Township is considered a peaceful community, until this show of hatred on the anniversary of Kristallnacht – Night of Broken Glass that brought with it the beginning of the Holocaust. The owner of the house was not willing to speak with the media, but traded the offensive flag for the Stars and Stripes, which corrupts and weaponizes the American flag as well.
Ohio governor condemns reports of Nazis marching in Columbus as masked, swastika flag-bearing, Nazis terrorized the community with their presence.
In both cases, they were exercising their first amendment rights, even though the intent was to visually assault and test the waters to see how people would react.
The response to the flag was a rally held in the parking lot of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library. People of all ages and faith traditions gathered to proclaim that love is stronger than hate. There were likely hundreds of people filling the parking lot with more coming in as the program began. Clergy from all faiths were present. I met and hugged priests, ministers, and rabbis, as well as other willing recipients. I saw several friends in the crowd. The speakers were public officials and clergy from various churches and synagogues. A minister who spoke, shouted to the heavens, “When they come after one of us, they come after all of us!” At one point a rabbi inquired how many non-Jews were there. Many hands were raised. Such a reassuring presence, these neighbors and friends. One speaker declared that the Nazi flag was not only anti-Semitic, but anti-American.
The perimeter and the area within the parking lot were protected by police and security guards, including one German Shepherd K9 officer. Her human partner said she had been such a good girl that there would be treats when they got back to the station. IÂ thanked them as IÂ walked back to my car afterward.
Never again means never again.
One of the songs playing at the beginning of the event was One Day by Matisyahu. May the peace he sings about come to be.
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Internal images courtesy of author
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Photo credit: iStock
