Silence Isn’t an Option
The grave dangers of a second Trump presidency are almost too many to count. They are certainly too many for me to have fully processed since Tuesday. Yet among the many threats that keep circling in my head (those to women, to immigrants, to the environment, to communities of color, and so on), one keeps pulling my attention: the threat to free speech. If our fundamental right to speak, to protest, is in jeopardy, our ability to fight for these other rights — for our democracy — is too. The criminalization of protest, including climate protest, has been on the rise in authoritarian and non-authoritarian countries alike in recent years. It has manifested in mass arrests, violent use of police force, and steep prison sentences for peaceful protesters in countries as diverse as the United Kingdom, Uganda, and Russia. During a second Trump term, it is poised to continue increasing here in the United States as well. Not only has Trump expressed support for police crackdowns on peaceful protesters, he has said that as president, he would engage the US military in suppressing protests he deems to have become riots. This is a terrifying prospect, one that makes the work of environmental activists, journalists, and so many others more dangerous. But I’ve also begun reflecting on the deep courage and perseverance that have always been part of social movements in this country. And I have found some comfort in the knowledge that perhaps after some rest, reflection, and regrouping, those of us who can will continue to speak out. That we will continue to assemble. That we will continue to defend the people, places, rights, and values we hold dear. “This, too, is what Democracy looks like,” Terry Tempest Williams wrote on November 6. “We are here for the duration — the long view in the desert is the seedbed of inspiration. The revolution is ours, it isn’t what we thought it would be — but transformation comes in unexpected forms.” This rings true. And I’m confident that, as a community, we will find creative and courageous ways to face the unexpected. Onwards. Together.
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