I tell wonder-filled stories about hope and healing
If you ever grow weary over this next four years, I want you to remember that our present situation is not our future. The tide is already turning. And while this present moment seems almost unbearable, know that the majority of America believes in a brighter, better way. Our only job is to hold the space until tomorrow is today. The future takes time.
I know many of us will be participating in marches and protests this week and in the weeks, months, and perhaps years ahead. I’ll be at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. I haven’t participated in anything like this before so I did a lot of research to be prepared. I wanted to pass this on to you and your friends and loved ones who may also be protesting so that we can be both safe and informed. Please feel free to share and repost. It is a lot of information but it is critical for you to have it. I’ve broken up the information into categories to make it easier for you to scan. Some of it I suggest you print out and bring with you as noted below. Though some of it applies directly to the D.C. Women’s March, much of it is applicable for any protest. (Here is a list of sister marches that are happening in every U.S. state and across 6 continents: https://www.womensmarch.com/sisters/). A sincere and heartfelt thank you to all of you who are standing up and speaking out to protect the rights of all people. Now is the time for action and I appreciate, applaud, and honor each of you who are engaged in the process of social justice.
Meeting spots and pre-march info:
1.) I am gathering a people in the lobby of my D.C. apartment building between 9:00am and 9:15am on Saturday the 21st. At 9:15am, we’ll walk to the starting point of Independence Avenue and Third Street SW (a little over a mile from my apartment). If you’d like to join us, or have friends who would like to join us, please send me a message and I’ll send you my address and cell number. The event begins at 10am. The march is not just for women. Everyone is welcome to participate in the march and I’d love to have you join us. It’s always better to march with buddies.
2.) Please fill out this form to say you’re going to the march so that they have enough relief stations, food trucks, and medical services for everyone. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzAOhSz5i7Vw88k9z7s5crNKsjmtoFigkb1jSuAQJ3-57uKg/viewform?c=0&w=1
What to bring (and not bring) with you:
3.) Bring your charged phone, identification, a little cash, and a credit or bank card so that you can buy water and food as needed. It’s a long event and you need to stay hydrated and satiated. I’m also bringing a small water bottle as well as a small stash of medical supplies like bandaids, asprin, Neosporin, etc. Don’t count on being able to have any cell signal. Because of the projected size of the crowd, it is very likely that reception will be spotty at best during the march. D.C. has spotty cell reception to begin with. I plan to turn off my location and have the phone in airplane mode for safety reasons.
4.) The organizers have worked very hard to make this a peaceful event so let’s do our part to support peaceful, nonviolent action. If you run into any legal issues during the march, there is a legal hotline: 202.670.6866. Write down important phone numbers on your arm such as the National Lawyers Guild hotline (212-679-5100) and friends or family members who can help you in an arrest or emergency situation. Again, I hope we don’t need this information though it is good to be prepared.
5.) No bag or a very small cross-body bag is the best bet for the march. Do not bring a large purse, backpack, or luggage of any kind. And of course, no weapons.
6.) Dress for the weather and weather very comfortable clothes. Right now, the weather is forecast to be 60 degrees and partly sunny, but make sure to check closer to the date so you dress appropriately.
7.) Signs are encouraged though please make sure they do not have sticks attached to them.
8.) Protests and marches are serious business. There is a time and place for being fun and silly; a protest is not that time and place. If you plan to take photos or video during the march, please be mindful of your surroundings and do not let your actions disrupt any of the activities. Let’s be present and mindful in the moment right where we are. If you post to social media, the hashtags for the march are #womensmarch #WhyIMarch #IMarchFor. Posting your support before and after the march is also an awesome way to get the word out and support and encourage others. The handle for the Women’s March is @womensmarch.
(About photography and videography during a protest from the ACLU): When you are lawfully present in any public space, you have the right to photograph anything that is in plain view. That includes pictures of federal buildings, transportation facilities, and the police. When you are on private property, the property owner may set rules about the taking of photographs or video. Police officers may not confiscate or demand to view your digital photographs or video without a warrant, nor may they not delete your photographs or video under any circumstances. However, they may legitimately order citizens to cease activities that are truly interfering with legitimate law enforcement operations.
Print:
9.) There are places near the march route that have opened their doors and hearts to us throughout the day. These can be used as meeting spaces and rest stops. Have this printed in case you can’t get any cell signal:
https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/1Z6fsm0f8imCahdIZHDOcwzWZ1wWc2wrVF6OtGDOohfY/pub (list)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1-MbCRo0_c9N2krZ8EC_JGi6hlBQ&ll=38.89711392272274%2C-77.02499509999996&z=13 (map)
Print:
10.) The ACLU has a double-sided demonstration guide with useful phone numbers and tips. I hope none of us need this but it is good to be prepared. Have this printed in case you can’t get any cell signal.
https://www.acludc.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/aclu_8.5_x_11_trifold_v21-flip.pdf
Safety:
11.) Please get enough rest the night before the march, eat well the morning of, and do not drink alcohol before or during the march. It’s not safe for you or for anyone else.
12.) This is a peaceful, non-violent protest. Please be mindful of your words, actions, and reactions.
13.) There will be medical stations set up along the march route and there will be march volunteers and trained marshals to help you with anything you need. You will be ale to easily identify them. There will also be private security guards as well as police officers who will be able to help you in case of an emergency.
14.) Do not fight with other protesters in regards to their protest tactics, and know that there may be counter-protesters along the route. Do not engage with counter-protesters; this is not the time for letting emotions and tempers fly or for making smart remarks and retorts. Things can escalate very quickly in this type of circumstance and your actions could derail the meaning of the march. If someone says something offensive, ignore them and walk away from them.
15.) Stay off of people’s private property so you don’t get arrested for trespassing. Don’t litter or deface anyone’s private property. Don’t throw things. Don’t incite or participate in violence in any way.
16.) If you are stopped by the police or arrested (from the ACLU):
Stay calm, be polite, and don’t run. Don’t argue, resist, or obstruct the police, even if you are innocent or you believe that the police are violating your rights. In some states, you must give your name if asked to identify yourself, but you do not have to provide an ID or other paperwork. Make sure to keep your hands where police can see them. Point out that you are not disrupting anyone else’s activity and that the First Amendment protects your actions. Ask if you are free to leave. If the officer says yes, calmly and silently walk away.
Do not resist arrest, even if you believe the arrest is unfair. If you are under arrest, you have a right to ask why. Otherwise, say you wish to remain silent and ask for a lawyer immediately. Don’t give any explanations or excuses. Don’t say anything, sign anything, or make any decisions without a lawyer. You have the right to make a local phone call, and if you’re calling your lawyer, police are not allowed to listen.
You never have to consent to a search of yourself or your belongings. Police may “pat down” your clothing if they suspect you have a weapon, and may search you after an arrest. You should not physically resist, but you have the right to refuse consent for any further search. If you do explicitly consent, it can affect you later in court.
Remember: the street is not the place to challenge police misconduct. Don’t physically resist officers or threaten to file a complaint. As soon as you can, write down everything you remember, including officers’ badge and patrol car numbers, which agency the officers were from, and any other details. Get contact information for witnesses. If you are injured, take photographs of your injuries (but seek medical attention first). Once you have this information, you can file a written complaint with the agency’s internal affairs division or civilian complaint board; in many cases, you can file a complaint anonymously if you wish. You can also seek the assistance of an attorney or the ACLU.
More information:
17.) Women’s March website – in D.C. and sister marches across the globe
https://www.womensmarch.com/
18.) Washington Peace Center
http://washingtonpeacecenter.org/node/16203
19.) ACLU
https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/what-do-if-your-rights-are-violated-demonstration-or-protest
20.) Know Your Rights
https://www.facebook.com/notes/janie-mac/know-your-rights-all-protesters-a-must-read-before-you-go-on-an-action-or-protes/10151053142352064/
Chapter 1 of the new Breaking Bread Podcast is live! Mina and her dog, Phineas, fall into a strange new world where never is now. Tap below to listen:
When I started the Breaking Bread Podcast, I had the idea to invite people over to my home, cook their favorite meal, and talk about the issues that are important to them. While that mission seems simple, it’s operationally more difficult than I anticipated. Booking guests is a time intensive job and it costs a good chunk of money. Also, audio editing is a bear and I don’t enjoy it. I like writing and live storytelling, and I want to do a podcast that’s an extension of those two things that also lets me be creative in new and different ways.
I spent a fair amount of time over my holiday break thinking about what to do with the Breaking Bread Podcast. I also spent a fair amount of time reading and talking to people about the election and Trump and what a complete sh*t-show we’re facing come January 20th. And a few things started to come together for me: truth reaches more people when it’s dressed as satire and comedy, world-building is a fun, creative activity (some of my favorite stories are The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Harry Potter, and Welcome to Night Vale), and Trump is insane so I’m going to use his own words as material.
Here’s my premise: Mina Montgomery accidentally falls through a hidden portal at the corner of Constitution Avenue and 1st Street NE on the afternoon of November 8, 2016 and finds herself in a strange parallel universe known as Trumpville. Built by Trump himself, it is an idealized version of the world as he would design it and it’s populated by people faithful to his point-of-view. Or so it appears. Every day, there is a press conference delivered by Trump to the citizens of Trumpville that tells them how it’s all going “above ground”. To her horror, Mina learns that Trump won the presidential election on the day she fell through the portal. She thinks she’s alone in this mad, a*s-backwards world, but she’s not. What she needs to do is find her people, and together they will find a way out. Trapped in Trumpville for the forseeable future, she opens a bakery in Trumpville called Breaking Bread in an attempt to bring people together. In the episodes of the Breaking Bread Podcast, Mina processes her thoughts as a living diary of sorts in order to maintain some semblance of sanity while she figures out how to get everyone out of Trumpville and back to civilization.
Similar to a Trump presidency, I have no idea how this new podcast idea will play out. Who knows what he’ll do next? He’s leaving us in suspense, remember? My game plan is to speak out again, and again, and again because I care about this country and the people who live here, and to find and support people who need a friend during this wild ride. I remember the Bush years and they were brutal. My greatest hope for this podcast idea is that it will be a port in the storm where together we can ride out the mayhem while we try to right the ship.
Many of my friends are literally despondent about Donald Trump winning the election. I was talking to Jon Stewart (and by talking to him, I mean reading his book The Daily Show (The Book): An Oral History) about it. Jon reminded me that sadly we’ve been here before. There were two dark and stormy nights known as November 7, 2000 and November 2, 2004. It was a time before social media and citizen journalism, and that’s why so few people remember them. The human brain is designed for self-preservation, meaning we minimize the crappy things that happen to us in favor of the good times. So when crappy things happen again, they feel like the worst times we’ve ever had. That’s why we need books like Jon’s.
November 7, 2000 was a horrible night. We didn’t know who would be President for several days. There were hanging chads, the insanity that is Florida, and reports of election day tampering. It all came down to a handful of votes, and the candidate who won the popular vote lost the electoral college. We were the laughing-stock of the world because of the goat rodeo that was our election process. It was embarrassing. Jon is still shaking his head about this. Still.
The next four years brought 9/11, war in the Middle East, racial profiling as an acceptable practice, ethnic prejudice (especially against Muslims), economic recession, fake news (from our very own federal government—Weapons of Mass Destruction!), and ridicule against any U.S. citizens who didn’t support the war in Iraq. You were actually labeled a traitor and Un-American if you spoke out against our President and the war effort in 2002. Jon reminded me that The Daily Show got piles of death threats for pointing out the lunacy and hypocrisy of the Bush administration’s actions and words. And The Daily Show was the only media outlet doing this. Comedy was truth. Their viewership soared as a result because the youngest set of voters were fed up with our President and our government. The media was a complete circus; everyone hated journalists and no one trusted them. They trusted Jon Stewart and his team, and seemingly no one else. Crimes rates were climbing. Despair was climbing. The Presidential elections were around the corner and it was time for a change! Jon, and the country, were sure Bush would be long gone soon.
And on November 2, 2004, the majority of the country elected President Bush and the evil puppet master Dick Cheney. Again. Cries of “Not My President” were everywhere. Protests were common. Violence peaked. I remember watching the results in D.C. I was 28. I cried. Many people cried. How? How on Earth could he be re-elected? After everything we’d been though how could our nation do this? We were very much a nation divided and afraid. It was a brutal time. Many people didn’t think we’d survive. Many people felt another 9/11 was imminent.
The Great Recession began to take hold in December 2007, and by the fall of 2008 it seemed like our economy might not survive. By then I had an MBA, $100K+ worth of debt, and was working in New York City in financial services. Most of my friends were unemployed; some of them were deported because their visas were no longer valid without jobs. That was a terrible time. There was palpable fear on the streets. There was no escape. There was nowhere to run. Widespread depression mixed with panic was everywhere. By then, President Bush’s approval rating had fallen from 90% in 2001 to 25%, one of the worst in presidential history. (The only presidents ever rated lower were Richard Nixon and Harry Truman.) Jon was losing his mind over the state of the country. He was outraged. We all were.
And then, when all seemed completely lost, a pair of even-keel, educated, and diplomatic leaders rose in Washington. Barack Obama and Joe Biden were handed a frightening responsibility. They rolled up their sleeves, and got to work. Against all odds, we survived. They did the impossible amidst a storm of criticism, racism, and hatred. They were unsinkable.
Now, Jon and I don’t think you should just roll over for the next 4 years. Not. At. All. We want you to get out there and keep fighting for what’s right. We want you to fact-check the hell out of everyone. We want you to get educated on the issues, and speak with conviction. We want you to take care of people in your community. We want you to use the online megaphones we all now have to connect, share, and support each other.
And we want you to do this with the knowledge that those 8 years of painful politics from 2000-2008 were terrible, and our nation did survive. Yes, we were battered and bruised. No, we have no desire at all to relive any of those years. Yes, we think we are in for at least 4 years of great difficulty and heartache. And we know this—we will survive, together. I have absolutely no faith in the new administration. (I won’t speak for Jon here. I’ll leave that to him to do when he feels ready.) I have faith in you, and I have faith in me, and that’s enough of a reason for me to get up every day and keep trying.
As for Jon, well he’s retired now. He told me (and Charlie Rose) that he misses the people of The Daily Show, but he doesn’t miss the grind. He’s gone back to screaming at the television in his underwear while surrounded by a literal farm of animals. He’s more than happy to have passed the mantel of The Daily Show to Trevor Noah, who I’ll be talking to right after I wrap things up with Jon. (And by talking to Trevor, I mean finishing his excellent book, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood.) More on that later.
“How many lives is a man-cub worth?” ~Shere Khan
After I saw it was nominated for a number of awards, I watched the live action version of The Jungle Book that was released this year. I can’t help but think about what a powerful allegory it is for our times. A community of wolves, loving and faithful to one another, protected a member of their pack, Mowgli, who was different. All they wanted was peace and acceptance for everyone. The member of their community who was different posed no threat to anyone, and yet a dictatorial tiger, Shere Khan, demanded that Mowgli be turned over to him to be destroyed. Mowgli left of his own volition for the sake of the pack, and still he was pursued by Shere Khan. On his way to the man-village where he will supposedly be protected and accepted, Mowgli makes friends who help him defeat Shere Khan.
Would we have the courage to protect someone who was different? Would we have the courage to standup for ourselves when faced with bigotry? When the moment comes to fight for what we believe in, would we back down in fear or would we rise and stand tall against injustice?
The Jungle Book is a story written for children, but its lessons have far-reaching implications for all of us. Literature is both a mirror and a teacher. It shows us what we’re made of. It gives us something to aspire to. It inspires us to become greater than we think we can be.
We forget that Jon Stewart’s time at The Daily Show wasn’t all wine and roses. Personally, I didn’t become a fan until after those first bumpy years so I never knew that it was anything but the societal lightning rod it now is.
I didn’t know Jon Stewart had failed so badly in his early years. I didn’t know that if The Daily Show with Jon Stewart had failed, then he likely would have never been heard from again. I didn’t know any of that when I began the book and in the first handful of pages, on page one actually, he lays all of that out in no uncertain terms.
And that’s why he’s so loved by so many—for his raw honesty, his bravery, his unapologetic, educated opinions, for his desire to be as intelligent as he is funny, for his integrity, and for his uncompromising optimism heavily influenced by his deep knowledge of history. This book, told from Jon Stewart’s perspective and the perspectives of the show’s writer, actors, and producers, is a reminder to all of us that we have all lived through dark days—as individuals and as a society.
It’s the perfect time for this message as we head into what could be another sad and fearful chapter in our nation’s news and government. I miss Jon Stewart’s voice in the national conversation. I didn’t even realize how much I missed him until I read this book. Reading this book was like visiting an old friend: I’m so glad to hear from him and after 444 pages, I am also sad, again, to see him go.
To say that I am sad, disillusioned, and disappointed is an understatement. And here is something I won’t be: silent. I will raise my voice louder, clearer, and stronger than ever because now it counts more than ever. I am sick and I am tired of sexism, racism, bigotry, crudeness, narcissism, disrespect, and this fundamental belief that somehow dedication and experience isn’t important when it comes to government. If the new administration and its supporters think that for one second I will quietly live in a world of their design, they are in for a very rude awakening. Most of those states were won by very narrow margins which means that there are an awful lot of people who believe what I believe and the only way I’m going to find them is to call out in as loud, determined, and tenacious a voice as I have.
I believe in democracy. I believe in the people’s right to select its political leaders. I believe in our institutions. What I don’t believe in is change for change sake with no modifiers or qualifiers to tell us exactly what kind of change we’re getting. The markets are tumbling, and my great fear is that the rights of women as well as racial, ethnic, and religious minorities will follow. These 4 years could be the worst in our history, though I can’t in good conscience stand idly by. And I won’t.
Under the anger and disbelief, I am hopeful. Not hopeful about the abilities and intentions of the new administration, but hopeful about ours. I don’t need healing. I’m already healed. This election didn’t break me down. It made me tougher. What’s needed now is action, and I’m going to put my energy into building a better world and a better country that aligns with my vision of fairness, kindness, love, a strong work ethic, opportunity, compassion, and empathy. You with me?
I knew I’d be emotional watching Hillary Clinton accept the nomination. What I didn’t expect was the overwhelming sense of hope her nomination would give me. We have massive problems in this country. We have so much work to do to create true equity, particularly an equity of opportunity, among all people. What Hillary’s nomination shows me is that rolling up your sleeves and getting down in the trenches is how we rise to the highest heights, and how we also take others with us. She’s not focused on building walls. She’s busy building a larger table where everyone gets a seat. Everyone. And that’s a crowd I’m proud to be a part of.
Christa Avampato 