Please watch the video I’ve linked below, then read the rant.

How to Deal with Protesters with Understanding and Civility.

Protesters: heard and acknowledged rather than threatened, or called “bad people” who are ruining our country, or sucker-punched. No violence incited. Was the President happy? Clearly not. But he still let them know that he heard them and understood their frustration and was hoping they’d sit and remain part of the conversation. Whether you like our President or not-hopefully you can see that he was certainly civil, inclusive and Presidential in his response.

(yes, I know this was more than a year ago, which doesn’t reduce its impact; the contrary, the contrast is even more striking to me, as it was all over the news when it happened and could have set an example for others at future events. I also remember the “You’re in my house!” response at another time, which I must admit I thought was pretty great. But you are hereby absolved of sending me videos of every time our President was heckled and responded less graciously. I’m linking you to this one example because, well, it’s exemplary!)

I haven’t unleashed Rachel Maddow’s time-stamped proof of incitement and encouragement to resort to violence. I still might. But I don’t know who would still need proof at this point that a current front-runner needs to choose his words in a more thoughtful and kind manner. There is no good intent behind the dreadful things he says.

Speaking of Senator Sanders, 🙂 if you really believe that this most peaceful and compassionate candidate, who has demonstrated a passion for the rights of ALL humans for his entire adult life, sent protesters to Chicago to get into physical altercations? And that the Trump supporters were innocent bystanders who were mercilessly attacked? I will listen to the reasoning but will be hard-pressed to change my point of view, especially when there’s so much video proof that tells the story pretty well.

The fact is that while annoying to the guy at the podium and the people who were there to listen to him, the protesters had every right to be there and to yell stuff. As I saw in a recent meme: the First Amendment protects the freedom to protest! How it played out has been spun every which way but loose, so I won’t take anyone’s “news” story about which group threw a punch first, or any of that, seriously-unless it comes from a news source that is not made up or agenda-biased (e.g. a blogger with the word “news” or “network” in it’s URL. I could have named my blog “The Pax News Network” instead of “Paxgirl.com” and for 99 bux a year I could have convinced people that I was a reporter. I birthed someone who could green screen me onto a news set for free so it would have been pretty easy).

Here’s what I know. President Obama handled the protesters in the video from a while back with patience, grace and aplomb. I also know that Senator Sanders is a man of honesty and integrity. Actions speak louder and all that; Bernie has been ‘acting’ in the best interest of all citizens for his entire adult life. As in the words of one of my heroes, Spock (thanks to my dad for introducing us-he and I cried together all through *that* scene-you know the one): “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few…or the one.”

If some of Bernie’s supporters decided to crash (legally) a rally and (legally) cause a scene, I would bet money they didn’t do it on his orders-though since they used a version of the Bernie logo (it’s called ‘copy/paste,’ people! It’s done all the time) as their twitter id pic, well of COURSE those who are more gullible/innocent of the ways of the ‘net had to assume they came straight from the campaign, right? Even the ‘angry’ people would be hard-pressed to believe that Bernie, a lifetime human rights advocate, would do that.

I also know that the “pompous one” -as a well-respected conservative friend has dubbed him-could have done much better with using *actual* best words, over insults, threats, “get out”s, and advice like “beat the crap outta them” in response to protesters.

I also suspect that most of my friends have quit reading by now because it’s just another long essay from me. But, kinda like the Lorax, I’ll keep speaking. For the trees, for understanding, and to convince people that just because others do stuff that irritates you (the literARY “you,” not literALLY “you,” so relax), it doesn’t mean their actions are illegal, unethical, or, please, “un-American.”

It’s not illegal for the donald to say “It’s THESE people who are destroying our country!” Bigotry, while not good, isn’t illegal. It annoys the crap out of me when he says stuff like that because I can’t even imagine how it feels to be on the receiving end of his dismissive-ness and vitriol, or that of so many Americans. I can hurt for those who are on the receiving end of hate, and speak against it though, as was probably the original intent of the Chicago protesters.

I cannot speak “for” marginalized people.

• But I will use my privilege to speak against the racial undercurrent that runs hundreds of years deep in our nation.
• To speak against the homophobia that sits like an anvil on the shoulders of my LGBT friends; against the Islamophobia that assumes that my Muslim friends are terrorists.
• Against the “bootstraps” notion that people in poverty just don’t work hard enough.
• Against the bigotry that causes anyone to think that any of these people are less worthy than anyone else to experience a life of safety, acceptance, optimal health, and happiness.

It’s what I’m doing with my life, so if you’re still here, you can expect more of the same from me until my kid has me cremated and plants a tree on top of me. Clearly my blood sugar is low, resulting in an extra long and scattered missive today.

Go forth and be nice.

Peace, friends.