We the People

60: (October 2025)

In the past few months, some of my friends and acquaintances have expressed fear about publicly expressing their political views; that is, publicly expressing anything that isn’t pro-Trump and his policies. All of them have been white baby boomers. I have to admit, I’d felt some trepidation myself, which I was discussing with a young person in my life prior to the No Kings Rally on October 18th. She said,

“If we’re white and feel this intimidation and fear, imagine how it feels if you’re NOT white! We HAVE to be willing to take a stand for what we think is right, for everyone’s sake.”

She put me to shame. Now is not the time to give in to fear (is there ever a time to do that?). Giving in to fear is not American! Walking and marching side by side and hand in hand unite us. Being able to voice our opinions and stand up for our beliefs and morals is what defines us.

‘We the People’ is the phrase that opens the preamble of the United States Constitution. Our government’s authority comes from all of us, belongs to all of us; it is a popular sovereignty. In essence, our citizenship demands of us that we continue to work toward the goal of forming ‘a more perfect Union.’

Many people were part of the No Kings Protest—in fact, about seven million of us nationwide. Did it accomplish anything? I think it did. It demonstrated that people care about our country; that they love our country and care about protecting democracy. It demonstrated that people were willing to put aside fear and make ‘good trouble’ through peaceful protest, as statesman and civil rights activist John Lewis had long advocated.

The October 18th rallies were a demonstration of love, and love is never without fruit. We will have to see what seeds were planted and how they will continue to be watered in the times to come. The essential work of tilling the ground has clearly been done. And that is not to be underestimated.

Here is a song I wrote, written with love for my country (lyrics written in collaboration with Eric Blackmer and Alex Murray, and sung by Alex):

40: (October 2005)

There was a peace walk in Washington, D.C. last week. A friend of mine spoke of her neighbor, who went on the march with her 12-year-old son so that he could experience ‘democracy in action.’ She probably taught him more on that day than he learned in many days of formal schooling, because experience teaches like nothing else can.

     “Why don’t we teach our children more about peace?” my friend mused.

While our society places a lot of emphasis on education, we are not proactive in educating our youth about how to get along in the world.

     “Actually,” my friend continued, “where do our children learn about all the most important things in life, like relationships? At the end of life, what will it be that has mattered most to people—their jobs or their relationships?”

Interesting questions. The answer for me is very clear; my relationships far outweigh any job in significance. I am sure it is my family and my friendships that I will be thinking about on my deathbed. They are what make me get out of bed every morning. Yet we do not spend much time in school educating about relationships—be they relationships with family and friends, or our relationship with our communities and the world.

I remember feeling very smug about parenthood when I was pregnant with my first child; I assumed parenting would come naturally and that I would be good at it. I had a lot to learn. Likewise with marriage . . . need I say more? Parenting and marriage were subjects never delved into in school. It is not the norm to teach skills useful in conflict resolution, or the behavioral phases in childhood, or how to take care of your own needs while taking care of everyone else’s. But in our increasingly busy lives, where family time is at a premium, and society is becoming more secular, where do our children have opportunities to learn these invaluable life skills?

We learn about war, because that is on our television screens and in history lessons, but we do not learn how to wage peace. We push our children to excel in school and in sports, but getting along with friends, being a good spouse and loving parent, or being at peace with ourselves and the world are skills that we leave mostly to chance.

An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people marched in the peace walk. I bet we can learn a lot from them.

60-40:

There is always more work to be done. Peace, democracy, and justice are all lofty goals. We simply have to keep striving, walking, demonstrating, praying, singing, marching, and getting involved in whatever ways we can. Love of our country and of all those who live here demand it. Let’s figure out solutions together.