I recently found a program from the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights from 1979. I was there, along with the Texas Delegation that I helped organize.
Though we still do not have full guaranteed rights in this country, we have made big strides.
That march brought together hundreds of thousands of Americans all working toward a goal: freedom and justice.
Today, I feel that we need to once again move our feet and head to our nation’s capital — but for a much broader reason: The First Amendment to the Constitution is under greater threat than ever before.
When a sitting president sends the FBI to investigate and search the residence of former Gov. Chris Christie and former national security advisor John Bolton on nonsense charges driven out of rage at being criticized, the First Amendment is bleeding.
After the cancellation of Jimmy Kimmel’s show and the earlier cancellation of Stephen Colbert, it’s clear something really bad is happening. We should have seen it when the White House Press Correspondents dinner was put on without a comedian for fear of damaging Trump’s fragile ego. The event is notable as a celebration of the First Amendment and press freedom and has alway taken jabs at those on power. But not now.
But what about Congress? They are cowering in fear of the orange-faced man. They need something to show them that the country will not go quietly along with a would-be dictator.
We need to wake Congress up before it’s too late.
In the words of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, “When you pray, move your feet.”
The archbishop moved his feet, and he changed a nation. I firmly believe we can as well.
I am calling for a March on Washington for the First Amendment. I have contacted leaders of many organizations and am trying to get their cooperation to make it happen. Washington, D.C.. is a beautiful city, and the image of several hundred thousand Americans all rallying peacefully together demanding that Congress protect our Constitution would make it even more so.
If you think this could be a much-needed wake-up call for Congress, start by contacting any and all organizations you might be associated with and float the idea. It’s going to take more than just an old fart like me to make this happen, and it’s going to take more than elected officials as well. They are standing by and letting a dictatorship happen.
I also urge any elected officials who might read this to consider participating or organizing as well. We are talking about the foundation of our democracy this time, and no amount of fundraising is going to save us.
We need to pray. And we need to move our feet! n
Hardy Haberman is a longtime local LGBT activist and a board member of the Woodhull Freedom Alliance. His blog is at DungeonDiary.blogspot.com.