Update Thu, Sep 18 at 11:50am: A little bit after I posted this, Jimmy Kimmel was indefinitely cancelled. I am still processing this and working on a new post. I honestly don't know what my sign will say this weekend. I still think this is a solid idea for certain times, but we may need something else this weekend. You decide.
This past week has been hard. One side is trying to escalate the hate and division. The rest of us are feeling so many mixed emotions. I have been on a rollercoaster. I abhor violence and certainly didn't want the outcome that occurred. On the other hand, seeing this person who made money off of hate turned into some sort of saint with flags at half staff, vigils, and honors is frankly disgusting. It's gaslighting at its finest. I could go on, but if you are reading this, I feel sure you likely know the background. You know the people who should have been honored but never were. You know the people who were violently attacked but never received much notice. Enough of that.
But the fact is, we are sitting on a powder keg. Certain media is repeating a false narrative over and over how the folks on the left are violent and radical and trying to destroy everything that's good. They are using the old standards - tell the lie often enough and it will be believed and ingrained. It's hard to fight when our media sphere has been reduced to streaming.
This parable spoke to me -
I'm thinking maybe this is a good time to show lots of signs at our protests that make it hard for any hate messaging to ring true. We just need to show people who we are. We need to feed the wolf that is generous and kind.
If people on the right see too many signs that are snarky and cut down their hero (who definitely deserves going after), it will bring out their anger. But there are certain issues most of them would have a hard time disagreeing with. Most Americans believe in veteran's rights, Social Security, and Medicare/Medicaid. Signs about those concerns are winners. One big topic that is still valuable, even if it's not all sunshiny, is RELEASE THE EPSTEIN FILES. That message needs to keep going.
Tax the Rich is another that most people can get behind, with signs like these -
- The Only Minority Destroying America are the Billionaires
- The Chaos Is To Distract Us While the Billionaires Take Our Money
- Billionaires Are Talking Our Country, Fight Back
- Billionaires Are Stealing Our Government
WAVE THE FLAG - For too long, the right has waved the flag as if they are the only ones who are true Americans. We are reclaiming our flag and hopefully every protest will have lots of those.
But, most of all, for the next few weeks, I hope there will be plenty of signs that represent the best of us. I did a quick image search and found some sign ideas that get the idea across. Maybe this will give you some ideas.
- Make America Kind
- Big Fan of Human Rights
- God Bless America
- Kindness - Equality - Inclusion - Diversity - Love
- In a World Where You Can Be Anything, Be Kind
- People Over Profit
- We Rise by Lifting Others
- Be the Change You Wish to See in the World
* I'm not saying every sign should be all sunshine and flowers, but having plenty of signs that lean in this direction might soften a few more hearts and ratchet down the hate. I admit, I'm not feeling all love and kindness myself. I am mad as spit and fed up. I'm tired of being told people on the left have to be the ones to de-escalate while politicians and influencers and media personalities on the right work so hard to do just the opposite. There are truly lots of important issues I'd rather be pushing but while people are this worked up, I don't think signs about those issues would get through. In order to get through this time with our country intact, we need to be smart. I'm having a hard time with that but I'm trying. I will be at the protest this weekend with a flag in one hand and a sunshiny sign in the other. I will have a smile on my face and try my best to love my neighbors.