Alert through the commotion
This week marks the first month of the Donald Trump presidency. Boy, are we tired. The nonstop chaos emanating from the White House is exhausting. As is often the case, William Shakespeare sums up the situation perfectly, in this famous line from Macbeth, written about life but applicable to today’s White House: “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury. Signifying nothing.”
Still, despite all the noise and commotion, executive orders signed and rescinded, angry or threatening tweets, not much of substance has been accomplished, at least by the usual measures.
As conservative columnist Ramesh Ponnuru writes: “By this point in his presidency, George W. Bush had announced the outline of a tax plan that, with modifications, he would sign into law a few months later. Barack Obama had signed the stimulus, a bill to expand the children’s health-care program, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. President Donald Trump is having a slower start. He has not signed major legislation yet. The White House has not put out a legislative plan on three of Trump’s main campaign issues: health care, infrastructure and tax reform. He has been slower in filling government positions than his predecessors, too. And the president’s highest-profile executive orders, on immigration, have been stayed by federal courts.”
That’s the reality, despite the appearance of movement. Of course, what movement that actually is taking place is somewhat frightening, especially to our neighbors who are in the country without documentation.
Trump officials might be denying it, but overhauling immigration rules to put at risk even people arrested for a traffic violation is a first step to mass deportations. Even the possibility of being kicked out is making otherwise law-abiding men, women and children afraid.
This rewrite of the rules is not simply enforcement of existing laws. It is an expansion that is unnecessarily cruel. Before the United States starts deporting thousands more, Congress must act to make the immigration system more functional — including a way out of the shadows for people who are not here legally. People who work, pay taxes, send their children to school and go to church on Sundays should not have to live in fear.
Americans, in their hearts, do not want to see a police state in action, with door-to-door raids by officers rounding up people and breaking up families.
Yet such raids are the logical consequence of Trump’s rewrite of the rules. Despite opposition, there is little average citizens can do about this outrage — they can organize, protest and get ready to vote in the next election, but that won’t stop anyone from being arrested right now.
That feeling of helplessness can overwhelm people, but opponents of bad policy and unwise actions cannot give up. In Santa Fe, citizens meet, plan and are unafraid to protest. They write letters to the editor and opinion columns. They show up at City Council meetings or lobby the Santa Fe County Commission. They agitate for a more civil, just society. They keep on, even when they are unsuccessful. There is a danger, of course, with all the commotion, that people will grow tired and retreat.
The way forward is by taking steps each week to find satisfaction. Take individual volunteer actions, whether feeding a hungry person, visiting an elder or testifying about a piece of legislation at the Roundhouse. Participate in broader political actions — now made easier by the proliferation of mobile apps in this wired age. Advocates of particular policies can contact Congress, make phone calls to persuade voters and keep track of how their representative voted, actions made easier through the use of apps (find political apps online, just by Googling). It’s never been easier to become connected and stay involved.
Many positive impacts, of course, can be made close to home. A letter to the editor about potholes on your street likely will be read by a city councilor in a way that a criticism of Trump won’t be seen by the president. Organizing to support immigrant families is a way to act locally while still keeping the national implications in mind. Citizens fought back against budget cuts that reduced library hours — and won. Right now, concerned individuals across the country are letting lawmakers know they don’t want to lose the protections and coverage guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act.
One step at a time, individuals acting together can and will make a difference. This collective voice of the people is all that can cut through the noise of the Trump administration. It’s loud. It’s chaotic. It’s designed to make us forget the biggest outrages — that Trump keeps his taxes hidden and the country does not know the extent of Russian involvement in our election.
Citizens cannot allow themselves to grow exhausted, despite the upheaval in Washington, D.C. Exhaustion, and the resulting inaction, is just what the powerful want — because when citizens are tired, they stop fighting. That’s when the country will lose its way.