“Jean, Peter just called and told me he saw you on the Rachel Maddow show! You were on national television!” shrieked my sister Joy calling from New York on February 5th, 2020.
“Whaaaa……you are kidding. Are you sure it’s me?” I asked.
“He said for sure it’s you. You are protesting and beating on a drum and blowing a kazoo at the same time.”
“Well, that was me alright. Huh! We didn’t even know we were being filmed. “
I quickly looked to see if that show was replayed and at 9:00 p.m. and later watched it. I thought that I had recorded it, but I had technical difficulties.
It was a particularly important show because it followed the final vote by the United States Senate to impeach President Trump, a man I felt to be totally guilty and who was governing in ill-informed and authoritarian ways that were eroding our Democracy. The House with the Democrat majority had already voted to impeach. The Senate, with a Republican majority would not allow witnesses to be called but ultimately judged him not guilty. Only one lone Republican, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, shocked the Senate and the White House. He delivered a heartfelt speech and voted to convict the President of the First article of Impeachment of abuse of power. He said, “My oath before God demanded it.” He also said he knew that this would be hard for him and his family and that he would be vilified but there had been an egregious abuse of public trust and he had to vote his conscience.
Reporters were going to cover an event at the White House following the vote and they were lined up ready to begin when the President heard about Mitt’s vote. He promptly canceled the event and tweeted that Mitt was a secret spy for the Democrats.
When I heard about the senate vote, I knew I had to go protest.
All around the country, protests were being planned and there was one hastily put together by friends at our Central Park, corner of 5th and B, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. where we could be seen by many people coming to the Farmers Market and commuters leaving the University of California, Davis. I made two large signs, packed up a drum, a tambourine and a kazoo. I gave my signs to others so that I could make some noise, beating the drum and playing the kazoo. Many cars honked in approval especially as they sat at the stop light. It was the first protest I had experienced where nobody gave us the finger.
Sometimes I wonder if I am making any difference at protests. For sure, I am feeling cathartic kinship with others who feel strongly enough to take some actions. But in retrospect, showing up became more important after I learned we were on national television. We were sandwiched between Mitt Romney’s speech and the speech of Adam Schiff, Head of the Intelligence Committee and House Manager in the Impeachment.
Midway through the show, Rachel showed videos of protests being held all around the nation. In New York, hundreds of people marched from Columbus Circle to the Trump building shouting Reject the Cover-up. Huge crowds were shown marching in Boston, Florida, Portland, Maine, Dallas, Texas shouting No More Cover-up, We Want Witnesses, Reject the Cover-up, Lies Matter, Honk to Convict. Then Davis, California where protests Rachel noted that protests were just beginning as we were just starting to hear about the senate vote. Davis had 15 seconds of fame and I had my 7 seconds of fame being front and center beating my drum along with 70 other citizens. We were the only visual representation of California, so I felt we had made a difference.
Also, on the very same day, Attorney General William Barr made a rule that he alone must approve or disapprove of any investigation going forward. Never has there been such a rule and we all can remember times when horrible truths were discovered about candidates right before an election. It is the reason I wait right until election day to vote.
John Bolton, the United States National Security Advisor to Trump wanted to testify and has written a book showing Trump guilty of trying to get a foreign country to interfere in our election. Parts of it were released in advance. However, the senate would not let him testify. Trump has said he wants to block publication of the book.
The videos of groups protesting around the country were followed by a replay of Adam Schiff, Head of the Intelligence Committee and House Manager in the Impeachment, delivering the closing argument to the Senate before the vote asking, “Is there one among you who will say, enough?” And then, an interview with Schiff after Romney cast his vote, saying Romney’s vote made him more optimistic and how much he admired his courage.
I feel like I am living through a horrible time in history with Donald John Trump ruling as an ill-informed committee of one, ruling like a king, a man who is trashing every value I hold dear whether it is consumer protection laws, environmental laws, respect for learned long time government specialists, rules for kids’ lunches, the climate crisis, or voting rights. I was glad to play a little role in the visible protest and plan to do much more in the months ahead. I fear for the country we are leaving our children and grandchildren.