Up Close, with Peter Sage: Signs at an Indivisible Rally

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Signs at an Indivisible Rally

Another description of a mid-day "Indivisible" rally.

Sign at an Indivisible Rally

Resist Trump. Replace Walden. Support Health Care for all.

Weekly since Jan 20 approximately 250 people assemble on the grass in front of the county courthouse, noon on Tuesdays.

Nearly all the sign are handmade. The attendees of are generally aged 60-80. They walk, they visit among themselves, they agree, they visit about their grandchildren. They are dismayed by Trump. They enjoy their Medicare think it would be simpler and better if everyone were on it.

The speakers are brief. The audience wants them to speak up. They can be urged to chant but it dies out quickly. They cheer comments like "we will resist Trump!" and "we support Planned Parenthood" but the crowd is orderly. They are here to bear witness, not to fight; they are here to sign petitions and re-post on Facebook, not to break anything or create a disturbance.

Papers Distributed

At one point in their march to the office of Congressman Greg Walden they meet up with a half dozen people holding American flags but not signs. The flag carriers disband because they are assumed to be part of the Resist Trump group. They are not. The participants are dressed in motorcycle gear and they told me they are not part of the Resist Trump group, and indeed are a counter protest. They disbanded when they were overwhelmed by the rally which moved to the park area where they were standing. Some words exchange between the groups as the flag carriers left--we were here first/we can both be here/get your own park/its free speech/no, its our free speech too.

Members of the Resist Trump group spoke among themselves agreeing they needed more American flags at future gatherings.

The hardest thing to notice in politics and in life is what is not there. This was a group of liberal progressive Democrats. What was not here were blue collar Republican and "Reagan-Democratic" voters. What was not here were Republican officeholders unhappy because their constituents were in danger of being hurt. There were no apparent "small businessmen" saying Obamacare allowed their part time employees to bet healthcare. There was nobody from the Chamber of Commerce chiming in. Nobody from the major hospital groups were there, saying the Medicare expansion under the Oregon Health Plan is essential to the health of the hospital system.

The rallies going on currently are engaging the progressive liberal "college-town" Democratic base of voters. Trump, Walden, and the GOP has little to fear from their opposition. They count on it. Resist Trump and Trumpcare will create political fear when we see Republican County Commissioners in the red counties showing up and asking to speak.

[Note: if at some point organized public pro-Trump or pro-"Trumpcare" rallies emerge this blog intends to photograph and post those photos.]