Ag freastal ar rang filíochta!

“"When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak out. You have to say something; you have to do something."

-John Lewis (1940-2020) - American civil rights activist.

This is not the time to be silent here in America, with democracy in mortal danger. It is time for us to stand up publicly, to defend democracy against the imminent threat of oligarchy. The worst thing we can do is to be silent, to say nothing about what is happening before our eyes. Most Republicans are happy to sit back in government and do nothing, while President Trump and his colleagues permanently damage the federal government, and violate the constitution more blatantly every day. The Democratic Party or the Independents are not doing enough either – with a few notable exceptions. Independent Senator (Vermont) Bernie Sanders and Democratic Representative (New York) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) are currently on a major political tour of the United States, titled ‘Fight Autocracy’. They were not expecting the turnout they are getting across the country. A week ago, I attended another local protest in my hometown of San Diego County, and I was thrilled to be there, along with others who are not content to sit back and do nothing about the corruption going on in Washington, DC. When I heard that Bernie Sanders and AOC were coming to Los Angeles, it was an easy decision to attend this special event!

Fight Autocracy

On April 12th, my wife and I took the train to downtown Los Angeles (Union Station) early in the morning. After a short walk to Gloria Molina Park, we entered through security gates. We didn’t need to be there so early, as local politicians and guest speakers from various unions were on stage throughout the morning. We went out to find food after a while, as there were long lines waiting for the catering trucks and portable toilets. We were very lucky, as we found a food court near the park, and had a nice lunch before returning.

The main events really began at one o’clock in the evening, when Joan Baez took the stage. She opened with the country song “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around,” and the crowd cheered wildly as she sang new lyrics saying “I won’t let no white supremacists turn me around” and “I won’t let those ugly billionaires turn me around.” She followed with “There But For Fortune,” as well as a stirring cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine.”

Baez expressed her disdain for the Trump administration last month when she appeared on John Mulaney’s “Everybody’s Live With John Mulaney” and said, “Our democracy is on fire!”

Singer-songwriter Maggie Rogers then took the stage, singing “Different Kind of World,” “Light On” and “Alaska.” Baez returned to the stage and sang “America the Beautiful” together.

Neil Young got his turn before AOC and Sanders, coming out with his electric guitar and mouth organ, singing “Take America back” to the crowd while playing power chords on his guitar. Young performed “Rainbow of Colors,” “Take America back,” again, and at the end of his set sang “Rockin’ in the Free World” with Baez.

AOC and Bernie

Then it was time for AOC to take the stage. She didn’t mince her words, calling it a scary time. “We’re seeing neighbors, students, and friends losing their jobs; they’re being harassed and even kidnapped by the government.” She also said that power, greed, and corruption are taking over the country like never before.

When Bernie Sanders took the stage, we were all excited. He told us that there were 36,000 of us in attendance, which Trump and Musk wouldn’t want to see. “This is an era where the Republican party has become a cult, giving in to Trump’s every whim,” Sanders told us, adding that the Trump administration is now “planning how they can give $1.1 trillion in tax breaks to the wealthy.” He also said that these are very dangerous times, and that our response will have a significant impact, not just on us, but on future generations. He said a few other things that really struck me. “I’m no longer saying we’re moving towards oligarchy, I’m saying we’re now living in an oligarchic society.” He also said “In our democracy, we need to stop billionaires being able to buy elections!”

Conclusion

Those are just a few examples of what AOC and Bernie Sanders had to say, but I tried to convey the essence of their speeches. I can’t explain the emotions to you, either. But we were up and down, laughing and crying, and emotions ran through all of us present. But overall, it was an inspiring experience for all of us who attended this rally. We are not alone, and we are not powerless. But we all need to stand up every time we see the government doing something wrong, and oppose it in every legal way we can. In particular, when we have the opportunity to vote in the midterm elections next year, it is our critical duty to use that power to throw Trump's cronies out of the House of Representatives and the Senate, and to put new representatives and senators in power – people who will fight for us, not for the oligarchs.