No Kings
April 19, Lexington Green. Hope to see you there.
April 19 was the day Americans woke up and headed out to Lexington Green to let the world know that we bow to no king.
Listen, my children, and you shall hear, of the midnight ride of Paul Revere…
Did you have to memorize that poem in elementary school? I did, not the whole thing, thanks heavens, but the opening verses, with the famous “One if by land, two if by sea” part:
He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town to-night,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry-arch
Of the North-Church-tower, as a signal-light,—
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country-folk to be up and to arm.”
Okay, a bit corny. A little over-the-top. Not precisely historically accurate. What’s interesting though, is what was going on when Longfellow wrote it, more than a hundred and fifty years ago. It was times not unlike these—the country at war with itself, polarized, filled with hatred and fear and dreadful uncertainty. The poem appeared in the Atlantic on December 20, 1860—the same day that South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. Longfellow was scared for his country, and hoping that some of that old Minuteman spirit would inspire folks.
My favorite line in the poem is when Longfellow is talking about Paul Revere’s famous warning: The British are coming. Longfellow calls it “A cry of defiance and not of fear.” That’s what we need. Because fear is the enemy right now, not the British. Fear that leads networks and newspapers and universities and whole countries to capitulate to Trump.
Anyway, the national organizations sponsoring protests—Indivisible and 50501— have called for another day of action on April 19. Most state capitols will probably see crowds—I know in New York State there’s a protest planned for noon at the State Capitol Building, and there are several other local protests. If you want to find out what’s going on in your area, check with your local chapter of Indivisible.
In my area there are several organizations planning a Honk and Wave. Isn’t that a great name? The beauty of it is that it only takes one person. You make a sign or hold a banner, and stand on a busy streetcorner (safely on the sidewalk away from traffic) and well, just be there. As cars whiz by, drivers honk and wave in support, get it? So if there’s nothing going on in your neck of the woods, consider starting your own honk and wave.
Indivisible has other suggestions for the coming days:
Organize in your community against Trump’s reconciliation plan that fleeces working people to make billionaires even richer. Another congressional recess has begun -- just as Republicans are crafting a massively unpopular bill that guts Medicaid and SNAP to fund tax cuts for billionaires. We’re hoping to see hundreds of events across the country to put pressure on congressional Republicans. You can use our toolkit to plan an event or check our map to see if there’s something already planned near you.
OK, the poem is corny, sentimental, I know. Those were simpler times, if not easier ones. I still get a kick out of Paul Revere.
A cry of defiance, and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night-wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
The people will waken and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
Dear Friends,
Are you infuriated by the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.
Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.
Together, I think, we can really make a difference.
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”
--Noam Chomsky
