by Jim Dimock
Another day, another demonstration. Welcome to the Trump era.
My family and I moved to Mankato 18 years ago. This community has been good to us. We have really thrived here. We've tried to be civically engaged, to strengthen our community.
I have been to a lot of demonstrations and a lot of protests. There is popular chant we like to do - "Show 'em what democracy looks like." It's popular because it is easy to say and because it's true. A protest, a demo IS what democracy looks like. It's tense, maybe even a little scary, messy bottom up grass roots democracy. It is the unfiltered expression of the people's will.
Veteran's bridge is free and open to all. Any person can stand on it. The Trumpers could have stood there. Set up and shown the world what kind of place they think Mankato is. And in a way, when they circled around in their makeshift parade, they did.
Democracy is the progressives lining both sides of the bridge, end to end. Our official count was 588. The Trumpers came too. They got a couple dozen cars. Lots of flags. Lots of obnoxious pictures of Trump's head on Rambo's body. But still...at no point even in cars could they reach from one end of the bridge to the other. Not even close. Lots of flags. Not very many people.
And that is what democracy looks like. The courage of the progressives, to stand in the street, to show up not knowing who was going to be there, to stand next to their neighbors, to say NO to Trump, NO to Hagedorn, NO to the rightwing agenda.
While the Trumpers sat in their cars and desperately tried to look like they were bigger and more powerful than they really are. Hiding in their cars, afraid of their neighbors, scared and alone, we stood side by side in the street, unafraid.
They are the few. They are the desperate and the weak. They are scared. They are the past. They proved that on the bridge today in Mankato.
We are the many, the strong, the people. We are filled with hope and energy and enthusiasm. We are the future. We proved that on the bridge today too. We showed 'em what democracy looks like and we're going to keep on showing 'em
Another day, another demonstration. Welcome to the Trump era.
My family and I moved to Mankato 18 years ago. This community has been good to us. We have really thrived here. We've tried to be civically engaged, to strengthen our community.
I have been to a lot of demonstrations and a lot of protests. There is popular chant we like to do - "Show 'em what democracy looks like." It's popular because it is easy to say and because it's true. A protest, a demo IS what democracy looks like. It's tense, maybe even a little scary, messy bottom up grass roots democracy. It is the unfiltered expression of the people's will.
Veteran's bridge is free and open to all. Any person can stand on it. The Trumpers could have stood there. Set up and shown the world what kind of place they think Mankato is. And in a way, when they circled around in their makeshift parade, they did.
Democracy is the progressives lining both sides of the bridge, end to end. Our official count was 588. The Trumpers came too. They got a couple dozen cars. Lots of flags. Lots of obnoxious pictures of Trump's head on Rambo's body. But still...at no point even in cars could they reach from one end of the bridge to the other. Not even close. Lots of flags. Not very many people.
And that is what democracy looks like. The courage of the progressives, to stand in the street, to show up not knowing who was going to be there, to stand next to their neighbors, to say NO to Trump, NO to Hagedorn, NO to the rightwing agenda.
While the Trumpers sat in their cars and desperately tried to look like they were bigger and more powerful than they really are. Hiding in their cars, afraid of their neighbors, scared and alone, we stood side by side in the street, unafraid.
They are the few. They are the desperate and the weak. They are scared. They are the past. They proved that on the bridge today in Mankato.
We are the many, the strong, the people. We are filled with hope and energy and enthusiasm. We are the future. We proved that on the bridge today too. We showed 'em what democracy looks like and we're going to keep on showing 'em