Standing Up For Who We Are

And who we as Americans strive to be

I did not realize how much I had internally embraced being an American. What Trump is doing affects me two ways. First, how it is hurting and scaring so many innocent people. Secondly, how he is systematically removing all the good things that I had considered made America America.

I lived in Rome for a year with my family at aged 16. It was a time period when the US was not liked around the world, and I was a very left leaning young woman. I was also raised to be suspicious of nationalist sentiment gone to the extreme, and because of the Vietnam War, I felt embarassed by our country. I believed myself a citizen of the world, and not particularly American. Hitch-hiking around Europe, I was pleased when I was mistaken as Candanian or Swedish.

Our country has had a lot of problems, and still does, to put it mildly. We have been brutal to Indigenous and Black people and other minorities, and we still have work to do there. But I believe we have tried to be kind to people globally, to help those less fortunate. We accept immigrants with open arms, we take the “tired and hungry,” the oppressed. As I got older (and as I learned my WWII history better) I felt this more strongly and became proud to be an American. My 16 year old self would be surprised, but here I am (although I still don’t like flying flags).

It’s about helping others. It’s about letting people be who they want to be, to live their lives fully.

Trump is doing the opposite and is motivated by money and power. Just yesterday, I thought, what would it be like to be a Norwegian citizen? I might like that, and could be proud of my county.

I like to think that more of us Americans feel as I do. Our basic tenents are still there. It’s just that we are being hijaked by one man and a party of unprincipled, money hungry, misguided weaklings. I don’t think ill of the German people as a country because of Hitler; I hold individuals responsible for his rise and his horrific success as a mass murderer.

I am hearing news that protests are happening on April 5th around the country, and I think it is crucial that we show up.

We need to be loud and large.

This day of protest is being sponsed by Indivisible and Hands Off. The first two links below will give you a place to register for information.

https://handsoff2025.com/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJMC6pleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdMGlvf3bCdeTyOTRdAjhz34CJJsUf41JkTXymVG5V6RXEXjQcdJ790auQ_aem_nXBSaPyIX0Id_Bu6ezi-ZA

https://act.womensmarch.com/survey/April5Pledge_Typeofaction/

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/3/14/2310338/-BREAKING-APRIL-5TH-Nationwide-protests-HUGE

https://lavocedinewyork.com/en/news/2025/03/21/hands-off-new-nationwide-protests-on-april-5-against-trump-and-musk/