The midterm election is only 3-½ months away, and the mainstream news can’t seem to decide which narrative they like best: Are Trump voters happier than ever? Is there a “blue wave” coming? Are registered members of one party leaving in droves to join the other?
It’s hard to get a bead on how this election may turn out, but the one thing that both the left and the right agree on is that this will be the most important midterm election essentially ever.
If the Democrats win back control of either or both houses of Congress, ongoing investigations will be aided by subpoenas, presidential activities may be subject to Congressional approval, and there’s even a chance that Donald Trump gets impeached — although it’s hard to imagine that many think that’s a good course before an investigation could put him in jail instead, since impeaching him would just make Mike Pence the president, and nobody wants that except Karen Pence and a bunch of televangelists.
If the Republicans retain control of both houses of Congress… Well, you can just consider it an extension for Donald Trump’s disastrous and purposely harmful policies. While some Republicans have spoken out publicly about investigations or ethics or terrible economic decisions, they’ve all proven that none of them are actually willing to do anything about it.
So now is a perfect time to turn back the clock to the days immediately following Trump’s inauguration — both to remind voters with protest fatigue what they’re up against, and to perhaps inspire new voters to get in on the civic duty that millions of Americans felt after Trump took office when they banded together to send him a message with the largest protest ever organized in American history.
In fact, four of the five most-attended civic actions that will ever end up being covered in our children’s history classes have occurred since Trump’s inauguration, and they have come in the name of science, in the name of keeping children safe from the gun violence epidemic in this country, and the two largest marches were in a global movement spearheaded by women to firmly plant their feet and stand their ground for rights — near equality, in fact — that they’ve fought for all their lives.
So for a refresher course on your power as people, as citizens, as voters, let me remind you of TIME Magazine’s February 8, 2017 cover:
Upon its publication, TIME reporter Karl Vick said:
There is no precedent in U.S. history for the show of collective outrage that answered Trump’s Inauguration. But then, there is no precedent for Trump. Protest organizers actually calculated that framing the march as pro-women rather than anti-Trump would work wonders.”
Americans loved it.
WE did this! #WomensMarchpic.twitter.com/g0CFL2LFRb
— Women’s March (@womensmarch) January 26, 2017
Newest @TIME cover is on FIYA ??? @huffpostwomen‘s photo https://t.co/eb8E3Gbbh7
— Ashley Jennings (@ashleyjjennings) January 26, 2017
@TIME LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover! I went to @womensmarch in DC with my daughters and will save this copy for my future grandchildren. Thanks!
— Haleh Tavakol (@HalseyJoon) January 26, 2017
Quite a statement from this @TIME cover. Do not underestimate the power of women and their allies. pic.twitter.com/lzbarKxINt
— Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) January 26, 2017
Hi first week in office, and THIS is the cover of Time magazine I’m sure he will want an investigation into this A YUGE investigation? https://t.co/dzjoTi0fBD
— Melissa Gilardi (@GilardiMelissa) January 26, 2017
I wouldn’t want @realdonaldtrump to miss the new cover of @time. I felt like it was my civic duty to share it. pic.twitter.com/7CQVjnfaaZ
— Angie Siegel (@realangsiegel) January 26, 2017
You can make your voices heard again in November, and you can do something about the policies that have only seemed to get worse since Trump was the subject of these massive protests.
But you have to win.
Featured image via screen capture
