So Trump’s Muslim-ban-that-he-says-isn’t-a-Muslim-ban is already creating chaos at airports across the country, as refugees and others (including green card holders) who were literally in the air when Trump’s plan went into effect have been detained for, well, whatever they are being detained for, as Trump’s executive order was a bit vague. Because he likes signing things and getting his picture taken and doesn’t really give a shit about the details.
This is something straight out of Nazi Germany, and that’s no hyperbole. It’s an offensive and unconstitutional act, opposed to everything this county should and sometimes even does stand for. It will make the world a more dangerous place for Americans, especially those serving overseas. It will be a powerful recruiting tool for ISIS.
So:
CALL YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS! Yes, it’s Saturday, but leave a message if you can, and follow up by writing an email. Call their local offices if you can’t leave a message at their DC offices.
You can find the name and contact info for your representative here, and for your senators here. You can find email forms on their official websites.
See my posts here and here for information and advice on how to make your calls and emails effective. If making these sorts of calls is tough for you, here’s some advice on calling politicians if you have social anxiety.
JOIN A LOCAL PROTEST IF YOU CAN! A spontaneous protest has started at New York’s JFK airport; it’s drawn several hundred protesters so far. Al Jazeera is reporting that “other protests [are] expected to take place at airports in San Francisco and Washington, DC, among other US cities,” but unfortunately I don’t have any info about them or contact info for the organizers.
UPDATE: Here’s a frequently updated list of dozens of protests with links to more info on each.
If you know of protests being planned, post what you know in the comments below. Thanks!
EDITED TO ADD:
If you’re in Chicago, there’s a protest planned at O’Hare tonight:
Chicago O’Hare Airport, Terminal 5 at 6pm today, Jan 28
https://www.facebook.com/
I don’t know who is planning this so be careful if you decide to go.
I found out about this in an email from Avazz, You might want to sign up with them to find out about protests near you.
Anyone else know of anything?
UPDATE:
Click through the Tweet below to see a Twitter thread with info on dozens of protests around the country either happening now or planned for the next few days. I’ve copied the info from the thread below, but the Twitter thread itself will have the most complete and up-to-date info and any changes in plans. Not to mention links that actually work.
1. Thread of protests happening against the #MuslimBan:
— Adrienne Mahsa Varkiani (@AdrienneMahsa) January 28, 2017
Newark
Happening now
https://twitter.com/MaketheRoadNY/status/825468794621530114 …
If you live in NJ, join @MaketheRoadNJ at Newark Airport NOW #TerminalB
Houston
Today, January 28, 7 p.m.
IAH Terminal E
Louisville
Tomorrow, January 29, 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office
https://www.facebook.com/events/175651122918583/ …
Houston
Tomorrow, January 29, 1-4 p.m.
Discovery Green
https://www.facebook.com/events/386770058353091/# …
Bloomington
Tomorrow, January 29, 4-5 p.m.
Court House Lawn
https://www.facebook.com/events/141181763054369/ …
Nashville
Tomorrow, January 29, 3-4:30 p.m.
Sen. Bob Corker’s office
https://www.facebook.com/events/1782511105404931/ …
Seattle
Today, January 28, 5 pm-midnight
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1152820661482173/ …
Minneapolis
Today, January 28, ongoing
Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport
https://www.facebook.com/events/1626807780957019/ …
Reno
Today, January 28, 6-9 p.m.
Reno-Tahoe International Airport
https://www.facebook.com/events/253898505050158/ …
Philadelphia
Today, January 28, 7 p.m.
PHL Airport, Terminal A
https://twitter.com/HelenGymAtLarge/status/825481846981066752 …
San Diego
Today, January 28, 5-8 p.m.
San Diego International Airport
https://www.facebook.com/events/1197079300405276/ …
Salt Lake City
Today, January 28, 8-10 p.m.
Salt Lake City International Airport
Detroit
Tomrrow, January 29, 4-6 p.m.
DTW- Macnamara Termial- Intl Arrivals
Detroit
Tomorrow, January 29, 3 p.m.
Hamtramck City City Hall
https://www.facebook.com/events/1754583231524900/ …
Atlanta
Tomorrow, January 29, 4-6 p.m.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport
https://www.facebook.com/events/370576413312630/?active_tab=about … …
New York, New York
January 28, happening now
John F. Kennedy International Airport
https://www.facebook.com/WorkingFamilies/videos/10154733903016418/?hc_ref=PAGES_TIMELINE …
Omaha
Tomorrow, January 29, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
Turner Park
https://www.facebook.com/events/1468682563144607/?notif_t=plan_user_invited¬if_id=1485643779835043 …
Los Angeles,
Today, January 28, 5-8 p.m.
LAX – Tom Bradley International Terminal
https://www.facebook.com/events/1655523898074718/ …
Chicago
Today, January 28, happening now
O’Hare International Airport
https://twitter.com/Tropophobe/status/825469641673830401 …
Portland
Today, January 28, 3 p.m.
Portland Airport, MAX Terminal=
Denver
Today, January 28, 5-7 p.m.
Denver International Airport
https://www.facebook.com/events/1416101161753999/ …
Los Angeles
Today, January 28, 1–5 pm
Federal Immigration Office, 300 N. Los Angeles St.
https://www.facebook.com/events/390044374684230/ …
Seattle
Tomorrow, January 29, 5-8 p.m.
Westlake Park
https://www.facebook.com/events/581941758669291/ …
Los Angeles
Tomorrow, January 29, 1-4 p.m.
LAX, Tom Bradley International Teminal
https://www.facebook.com/events/1876148372629363/ …
San Francisco
Today, January 28th, 3-5 p.m.
SFO International Terminal
https://www.facebook.com/events/1851001951851194 …
Philadelphia
Tomorrow, January 29th, 2-4 pm
PHL International Terminal A West (Arrivals) https://www.facebook.com/events/252451231859979/ …
San Francisco
February 4th, 4–7 p.m.
UN Plaza
https://www.facebook.com/events/1860032590936254/ …
Minneapolis
Tuesday, Jan 31, 4:30–6 p.m.
Minneapolis Federal Building
https://www.facebook.com/events/294911630924576/ …
Boston
Tomorrow, Jan 29, 1–3 p.m.
Copley Square
https://www.facebook.com/events/1808560036070492/ …
Washington, D.C.
Tomorrow, Jan 29, 1–3 p.m.
White House
https://www.facebook.com/events/1252785808141697/1254651654621779/?notif_t=admin_plan_mall_activity¬if_id=1485550421938754 …
Washington, D.C.
Happening now!
Dulles Airport
Greeting refugees and immigrants: https://www.facebook.com/events/1241814585910234/ …
There are several people matching donations to the ACLU, so if you can/want to donate now would be a good time. ACLU National is retweeting the people doing the matching so you can show them your reciepts and have it matched.
Here’s a list:
https://mobile.twitter.com/Kate_Beckman/status/825517835250180097
@ Oogly
True, the 1% (actually it’s about .01%) are A real enemy, but the bigots are the ones doing the damage, and it would be unwise to allow them to continue razing the planet while we focused on the .01%.
@ Calmdown
No
Just had a discussion with a good friend who is a Muslim, originally from Turkey. We have a mutual acquaintance who is one of those older white women who voted for Trump, and she speaks about him like he’s a god. It’s horrifying.
My friend is worried that the ban will be expanded to Muslims in general (whether citizens or not) and she won’t be able to visit her elderly mother this summer.
My anger at this mess is the only thing keeping me hoping lately.
Just had a discussion with a good friend who is a Muslim, originally from Turkey. We have a mutual acquaintance who is one of those older white women who voted for Trump, and she speaks about him like he’s a god. It’s horrifying.
My friend is worried that the ban will be expanded to Muslims in general (whether citizens or not) and she won’t be able to visit her elderly mother this summer.
My anger at this mess is the only thing keeping me going lately.
PS: How do I add an avatar to my comments?
Thanks Axe and Ooglyboggles for your responses. (glad you like the avatar 🙂
Sometimes I feel just baffled at some people’s responses to Trump. I try, and your responses here help, but on some level I don’t think I’ll ever understand them. I somehow still feel that I’m really missing their points but unfortunately I think I understand more than I realize.
Truer words never spoken. It would be so much better if they felt like part of the community. It’s that disconnection plus a sense of thwarted entitlement that causes so many problems, whether it’s turning to religious extremism or the manosphere.
@Shartheheretic:
To add an avatar to your comments, make an account at Gravatar with the same e-mail address you use to comment here, select a picture and add it.
Don’t forget the people declaring “Christianity isn’t a religion! It’s a political ideology.”
This is just the final straw for me. I don’t even want to be a political activist. I hate politics. I’m the most lukewarm Britta(from Community)-type person, if I’m really honest. I just can’t anymore. I am not going to be ashamed of myself 30 years from now.
I’m not just going to stand and feel uncomfortable, or make myself and a few people around me more knowledgeable, or do my little next-to-nothing part in my daily life. That’s not good enough anymore. I’m going to “war” against hate. Full stop. Seriously. It’s either that or cry for my country. If these little hate mongers can make stuff happen, so can I. If hateful people can be a wall of unrelenting momentum, so can I. I just can’t take it not one more stinking day.
@Jules: That’s one hell of a battle cry! And if those who are full of hate can take over the world, those who are kind can take it back!
@Jules, @Lord Pabu
I hope your words and actions are contagious!
@Laugher at Bigots Not quite the same, but have you read this?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lions-Blood-InshAllah-Book-1-ebook/dp/B006K3I1S4%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAILSHYYTFIVPWUY6Q%26tag%3Dduc08-21%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB006K3I1S4
@Weird
Yes, that was pretty much my reaction as well. No way I’m dropping the contempt for Trump voters now, it’s ONLY BEEN A WEEK! I doubt it’s going to get much easier with time.
@calmdown
“Show concern, not contempt, for the wounds of those who brought him to power”
My only response to that is: why? why pretend? Trump voters know their complaints are fake and that their “solutions” are hateful. Their entire strategy depends on non-supporters buying into their lies. Seems like the last thing to do would be to oblige them.
@Calmdown
If I survive the coming shitshow, in 30 or 40 years, my feelings towards Trump voters may have cooled to mere contempt.
One thing that’s been bothering me: where did Trump’s powers come from? I mean we all remember that Obama struggled to get ACA passed etc, whatever he proposed always took a while to go through the process in congress and the senate. Trump seems to be able to just DO things. Did the constitution get amended to give the president more powers between Obama and Trump?
@mywall
The Senate. They blocked everything Obama did because black Democrat and allow everything Trump does because white Republican. That’s all there is to it – race and party before country.
I’m dealing with a Facebook friend now who dislikes Trump, but cannot let go of the idea that he happened because people like her from flyover country have been disrespected, and the Obama administration wasn’t concerned with protecting us from terrorists.
The big proof today of how ignored she and hers are is that I made the mistake of posting an article about how an Iranian filmmaker who’s been nominated for an Oscar won’t get to the ceremony. This was wrong, because the media is focusing on THAT, rather than the army translators who were unable to get into the country. The fact that the media is covering both–irrelevant. The fact that every fucking Trump voter fucking knew exactly what he was saying he’d do, and VOTED for those army translators to get hung out to dry–irrelevant.
I’m just done. Fuck the whining. There are little old ladies with green cards who can’t get back home from weddings in Tehran, and I’m supposed to worry about how affronted flyover country is that Barack Obama wouldn’t say the magic words or something.
Well, I just emailed my local Congresswoman. I also have been searching for any signs of an upcoming protest in my city, but haven’t found one.
In a moment of passion, I made a comment implying that I may be willing to start one if there isn’t one going on. Now I’m wondering if I’ve bitten off more than I could chew, or if the people who saw it will understand that it was a thought rather than a promise.
I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: I just feel so terrified that he’s managed to do so much in the span of just one week, just so terrified as to what the world is going to look like in 4 – or, heaven forbid, 8 – years time, just so sorry for all the people who are actually affected by his shtick.
Folks, I know I’m wringing my hands here, but it’s really hard not to feel as if all these protests, petitions, donations and phone calls aren’t just a waste of time. That they aren’t actually going to accomplish anything. I’m not saying that I’m going to stop engaging in such activities myself – I never will – but, damnit, people had better up the ante. They had better keep it up, week after week, until the 4 to 8 years are over. They had better go to every protest there is, sign every petition there is, make multiple calls a day, engage in acts of civil disobedience, show solidarity any way they can, recruit new people, turn out in force to vote, etc. Otherwise, I fear, we’ll be just as impotent as the alt-right claims we are.
For UK peeps:
There has been a lot of encouragement for Americans to call their congresspeople in protest. The nearest equivalent we have is to make our disgust known to the US embassy in London, they are the local branch of US government after all. They can be reached on 02074999000. If you get the out of office message, press 3 to reach an operator.
Petition against allowing Trump a state visit to UK
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/171928
Oh I have concern all right, but I doubt it’s the kind of concern they’re looking for.
I saw a tweet recently – I wish I could find it – which included a screenshot of several voters describing what they like about Trump. Things like: I like Trump because he’s so honest; I like the way he admits when he makes a mistake; I like him because he’s so religious. As the tweet noted, the Trump the quoted voters support is an entirely fictional character who exists only in their heads.
When you have large numbers of voters who appear to have abandoned reality and retreated to a made-up world, that’s certainly a cause for concern. Anything could happen!
It’s hard not to see religion as partly to blame for this. When you raise people from childhood with the idea that it’s good to believe things without evidence just because of how they make you feel, there are bound to be some bad effects.
Was chaos the real goal of this ban?
The EO was rushed out without review by the relevant departments. This looks like the White House (particularly Bannon) effectively being at war with the machinery of government.
They must have known there would be legal challenges. Rather than spend time putting together policy which stood a chance of standing, they rushed out something which was guaranteed to cause a shitstorm from every direction.
As far as enacting policy is concerned, it’s not a very effective way to proceed. But as a way of sewing discord within the government, and spreading anger among the public…
Bannon is on record as saying that he wants to destroy the government. Trump is on record as saying that America needs to descend into chaos before it can become great again. When you put two such destructive individuals in charge, are EOs like this one what you’d expect to see?
@ mywall
Thanks for the info! Petition signed, but what would be the best thing to tell the embassy? Also, is there any point in contacting the UK embassy in the US?
@ moggie
There was an American guy on (UK) Dateline last night. He was of the view that it probably didn’t matter to Trump whether his executive orders succeeded or were lawful or even that some of the stuff he brought in was already in place anyway.
He theorised that Trump’s flurry of signing them was:
(a) photo opportunities
(b) looking ‘decisive’
(c) throwing red meat to his key voter base
And then, even if they’re overturned, he can say that he tried to carry out the will of the people but he was foiled by lefty judges (justifying his supreme Court picks) and/or the Washington political elite (feeding in to his ‘political outsider’ image).
So pretty despicable but possibly good politics.