“Nonviolence is not inaction ... It is not for the timid or weak ... Nonviolence is hard work. It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win.” — Cesar Chavez
Almost immediately upon re-entering the White House, Trump and his cronies engaged in a terror campaign against our immigrant and refugee loved ones, neighbors, and community members. They have imprisoned and deported justice activists, beloved community members, parents, children, spouses, very sick people receiving medical treatment, and many more. They have also sent people to foreign gulags in El Salvador and shipping containers in Sudan.
Last week, the Trump administration escalated their terror campaign against immigrants and refugees in the Los Angeles metro area. In response to Angelenos peacefully protesting the violence and cruelty of ICE, Trump deployed the National Guard and then the Marines to Los Angeles to suppress protests, resistance, and community self-defense with threats of government violence and actual government violence.
The havoc and destruction that Trump and his cronies are wreaking on Los Angeles is infuriating and heartbreaking. The people of Los Angeles have already experienced too much hardship and heartache this year, with extreme fires that devastated their communities. Angelenos barely had time for grief and recovery, and now Trump threatens them with military occupation and martial law. With Trump and his cronies like Stephen Miller, the cruelty is the point.
We know that Trump’s deployment of the military is about political theater, not public or community safety. It is about diverting people’s attention away from a federal budget bill that gives tax cuts to billionaires, while devastating communities across our country with deep cuts to essential services like Medicaid, while sending ICE billions more dollars so Trump’s Gestapo can carry out his cruel, chaotic, and unfair mass deportations.
As we resist — no matter how righteous our anger, fury, and despair in response to Trump’s cruelty and injustice — it is critical that we see Trump for what he is and to remind ourselves about who we are:
- Trump wants a country ruled by greed, corruption, and control. We strive for justice, fairness, and freedom.
- Trump foments hate and division. We cultivate care and collaboration.
- Trump emboldens billionaires. We empower everyday people.
- Trump baits us with cruelty and violence — and he wants images of violence by us — so he can use the military against us. In response, we are strategic, peaceful, and unified.
- Trump is a bully who preys on the vulnerable. We stand with all communities, and we center our most vulnerable communities.
It is essential that we not give Trump what he wants — images of violence by the resistance — that he is eager to use against us. He wants these images so he can manufacture an excuse to deploy military forces against the people of the U.S. If he can accomplish this, it will give him the military personnel, resources, and infrastructure that he needs to carry out the mass deportations he has repeatedly threatened but has not yet had the means to fully implement.
Nonviolent movements are much more likely to succeed in defeating fascist, authoritarian regimes. In our resistance and community defense, we must always keep our eyes on the prize — effectively supporting our most vulnerable communities and defending our democracy.
Trump wants to be a military dictator. But, we the people will defend our democracy and our communities with courage, intentionality, and community care, and we have to be mindful about not creating unintended consequences.
** We acknowledge that Cesar Chavez had nuanced views on undocumented workers and immigration, which also evolved over time. With any individual -- including groundbreaking civil rights leaders like Chavez -- we encourage people to learn from their teachings and work but not revere them without critical engagement.
Please help defend our democracy and our communities by doing the following:
