When Belle Boggs took her 6-year-old daughter Beatrice on a peaceful march to the polls last Saturday, she never imagined it would end with the police pepper-spraying citizens. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what happened in North Carolina, and it is unconscionable.
Why is this happening? [Beatrice had] demanded to know.
The answer is so dark I’m almost afraid to tell her. It’s happening because some people with power, like police, would rather pepper-spray children, elderly people, and disabled people than wait for them to move. Some people would rather cut the sound to a PA system than hear a faith leader issue a demand for change. And some people would rather arrest peaceful protesters than see them vote.
I am sickened, saddened, and ashamed to live in a country where children were pepper-sprayed as they accompanied their parents to vote. At this, and at so many other despicable acts seen since the misbegotten election of Donald Trump to our nation’s highest office, I am angry almost beyond words. But I also know that we can be better than this. Fortunately, alongside my anger, I also have hope. I firmly believe that one day very soon, we will be better than this.
That starts with ending the nightmare that is the Trump presidency. As you surely know, no matter where you live, it’s election day in America. Like many Americans, I’ve already cast my ballot. If you’re an American who hasn’t yet voted, today is the day. In the 21 states (plus D.C.) that offer same day registration, you can vote today even if you’re not yet registered. Visit vote.org and make sure your voice is heard.
Every day, Beatrice Boggs’s kindergarten class recites a mantra: “We can do hard things”. It’s simple, but not simplistic. Humanity can do amazing things, and it’s time for Americans to remember that. We can end the wretchedness and divisiveness of the Trump era, and return to striving for a more perfect union. We can put our terrible present into the past, and awake to a brighter new day.
May the future recognize today as the day we pulled our country back from the edge.
