Note: The United States committed an act of war last night. We don’t know how successful it was, and we don’t know the ramifications, either for the world, or here in the US. I’ll definitely write about it in the upcoming days.
Time
It’s day 151 of the second Trump Administration. We face 1,310 days until the end (barring unforeseen circumstances). It’s 1,235 days until the 2028 Presidential election. Hell, it’s 505 days until the 2026 election, when, at least, Congressional control might change. We’ve got a long way to go.
Democrats are demanding that their political leaders do something about Trump. But, what can they really do? They don’t control the House, or the Senate. Without control, they can’t call Committee meetings, demand investigations, issue subpoenas, or pass legislation. In many ways, all Democratic Leaders can do is try to shine a spotlight on the corruption, the ethical violations, the inhumanity, the inequity, and the idiocy of much of the Trump agenda.
Take a Stand
They can stand up and speak, on the Floors of the House and the Senate, or on the steps of the Capitol. They can ask questions in committee, questions that get answered with snark or obfuscation by Trump’s appointees. And some try to take action. Senator Alex Padilla demanded answers from the Secretary of Homeland Security in a press “event”. He was thrown to the floor and handcuffed. Mayor Baraka of Newark, New Jersey demanded to see an uninspected facility in his city where migrants are held in custody. Instead, he was placed in custody himself. And the Congressman who tried to defend him in the “scrum” of Federal agents? She’s now facing obstruction charges.
Federal judges appointed by Obama, Biden and Clinton; and Reagan, Bush and Bush, and even some appointed by Trump himself; stand up to Trump’s illegalities. (If you don’t know, the President really can’t create a “Federal Law” out of thin air and a scribbled signature on an Executive Order). But we really don’t know how that will all turn out. What will the Supreme Court do? This same Court recently declared that a President is immune from criminal liability for any “official act”. Maybe that’s why all those “executive orders” with the Magic Marker signature are so “important”.
Speak Your Mind
And the American people, “in their righteous might”, as Franklin Roosevelt put it, are doing their best to “resist” Trump and MAGAism. Last week, more than five million marched on the “No Kings” day protests. They “stood up” in Blue cities and in Red towns. They demanded that the rule of law and the standard of American humanity be enforced.
And local authorities did exactly what they were supposed to do. They protected the First Amendment rights of the protestors. Many called out “Whose Streets? Our Streets!!” And the streets were theirs, with public permits and acceptance. The police protected THEM, and nationwide millions protested with almost no incidents.
Some Americans are doing their best to stand up to the authoritarian, arbitrary round-ups of migrants. Some of those “arrests” are made outside the courtrooms of our government, as migrants obey the law. And some are taking place at the local hardware store, or Mexican restaurant. Citizens, regular folks, are trying to block ICE operatives (who are acting like no Federal agents I’ve ever seen). But they too risk arrest and punishment.
A Story of Hope
So what can we all do? Here’s a story that might give you hope.
In July of 1943, in the depths of World War II, the Allies were bombing Germany. Americans were flying daytime raids against Nazi factories in B-17 bombers, called “Flying Fortresses”. The problem was that while the B-17 could fly to the target and drop their bombs, American fighter aircraft didn’t have the range to stay with them. So for a good portion of the flight, the most dangerous part over Germany itself, the bombers were without protection. The “Flying Fortresses” were swarmed by German fighter aircraft, as well as attacked from below by anti-aircraft fire. Bombing raids averaged 30% losses. One hundred planes took off from England, 70 came back.
The “tour of duty” for American aircrews was twenty-five missions, so it was often just random chance who made it back “this time”, and would they survive the next attack.
Tondelayo
A B-17 named the Tondelayo was on a raid to bomb the air-engine shops in the German town of Kassel. The crew was under constant attack, both from fighters in the air, and anti-aircraft on the ground. The two “waist-gunners”, standing in open windows firing fifty caliber machine guns, were killed. The plane was hit multiple times from all directions.
But somehow the Tondelayo dropped its bombs on target, and made it home to England. When they landed and inspected the plane, they found eleven unexploded shells penetrated the gas tanks. Had any of those actually worked, the plane would have been destroyed.
As maintenance carefully removed the shells, they discovered that they were without any explosives. Inside one of them, instead of the charge, there was a rolled up piece of paper. Carefully written in Czech was the following message:
” Tohle je vse, co pro vas ted’ muzeem udělat”
“This is all we can do for you now”.
What You Can Do
The German war machine ran on forced labor from conquered countries. The laborers knew that their products were used to defend their captors. Some took a chance to do the only thing available to help the Allies. The made shells without explosives, and one had a message inside.
In the worst conditions possible, forced labor under the Nazi regime, some found a way to “protest”. They risked all to try to stop their oppressors and aid their ultimate saviors. (This story is from an article in the Military Times).
What can we do against authoritarian change in America? We can speak out, we can protest, we can stand up against injustice, we can organize for change. We can do “All we can do, for now”. And we can prepare for tomorrow, and 2026, 505 days from now, and 2028, 1,235 days away. We can stand for America by doing whatever we can do, even if it’s small. When our kids look back at this time with the perspective of history, the question will be: what did you do?
The answer must be: Do what you can do, now.
The crew of the Tondelayo. (U.S. Army via American Air Museum)
