I’ve had the incredible fortune of visiting our nations’s capital on several occasions over the last 15-ish years. The majority of those times, it was on account of Mr. NOA being a federal employee who, from time to time, has to attend work meetings in D.C., and I’ve tagged along. Most of those visits have produced blog posts.
As an American who loves this country in spite of its flaws, I am sickened that the rotten-to-the-core tRump administration has chosen to use military force to take over the city of Washington, D.C. under the guise of combating crime. It wasn’t necessary nor requested, and it’s not cool. The DOJ actually reported not long ago that crime in this city is at its lowest in the last 30 years. The real motivation for this action is , of course, to instill fear in the people of our nation’s capital and to assert control over American society. To live out their fascist fantasies.
The times I have been in D.C., I’ve got out on my own, whilst Mr. NOA was busy with work, to explore the city using the Metro. I always feel safe there; both in the Metro and navigating the city. Now, I understand that my white privilege likely contributes to that sense of safety. Yet, I am a woman. One not trained in karate and who doesn’t carry a weapon or even pepper spray in her bag while there (or anywhere else for that matter). And while traipsing around D.C. on my own, I’ve never felt the need for any of those sorts of “reinforcements”, if you will.
It appears that soon, the monster in the White House is going to send a pack of his acolytes to review the exhibits in the Smithsonian’s museums, to determine which pieces are “woke” and therefore not to his liking, so they can be removed. This seriously pisses me off. They are literally attempting to whitewash history, depriving visitors from learning the realities of American history. This evil regime has attacked DEI and dismantled the US Department of Education, so it tracks that the Smithsonian would also be in their crosshairs.
Have you visited Washington, D.C.? If so, what did you see or do there that enlightened or amazed you?
As a fan of “good trouble”, I’m hoping to see my fellow Americans who are working, living, or just visiting D.C., in this perilous moment of American history, bring their subversive, creative selves to the table in opposition to this madness. I’m thinking something like a peaceful, dancing flash mob (perhaps to the tune of Twisted Sisters “We’re Not Gonna Take It”) on the National Mall. Or a pop-up improv group performing anti-fascism sketches outside the Smithsonian. Perhaps an outside interactive art installation highlighting our uniquely American experiences. I know, I know, these types of resistance activities will not solve the problem of our beloved Smithsonian being ransacked by these evil goons, but I’d sure love to see footage of these kinds of things. To boost morale, you know what I mean?
I firmly believe that We The People will prevail in the end, but just in case tRump gets his way with messing with our beloved Smithsonian, here’s a little photo collage of pics I’ve taken during visits there of “woke” exhibits that educated and inspired me. I’ve included a few other pics of other places I’ve had the pleasure to check out in D.C. over the years as well.
I hope you enjoy this collaborative cover of one of my favorite protest songs because “we’re right, we’re free, we’ll fight, you’ll see”!
Pollyanna's Path 
I’m with you, Rhonda!
You were on my mind as I read Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. I think you would appreciate it.
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Excellent! I know I saw the movie, not sure if I read the book. I’ll have to add it to my list 🙂 that’s sweet you thought of me. I’m going to be digging into “The Artist’s Way” next.
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That one is still on my to-read list!
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Great topic! I don’t know what to think of it. I feel the use of military force is too much, but I just spoke to 6 relatives who live in DC in our family book club today and, despite fiercely hating Trump and all he stands for, they shocked me with their comments about how happy and grateful they are for the military presence. For example, a cousin was saying he used to worry about drive-by shootings taking his 7-year old to school and he doesn’t need to anymore. I can’t even fathom the fear or relief he expressed because it’s just not an issue where I live… and while military force doesn’t seem like the right solution, maybe it could be??? I really don’t know what to think. I’m curious to see what others think.
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Thank you. That’s an interesting perspective from your family members. I wouldn’t have anticipated that. At least they aren’t MAGA, right? One of the concerning things to me about having military presence there, or anywhere, is that it takes the troops away from actual emergencies. Plus they are being pitted against civilians, which is an authoritarian tactic.
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No, definitely not MAGA lol… they’re all very liberal, actually! Which is why I was so shocked by their comments, and have stepped back from my original assumptions to reassess… I really, really don’t know what to think anymore.
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Yeah, these are very confusing times.
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Love your collection of woke exhibits – such a clever way to push back on the whitewashing. And your call for creative protest – so good! Great post, Rhonda!
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Yes, I took quite a bit of time curating the right pics for this one. Thanks for the encouraging comments, Wynne 🙂
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“They are literally attempting to whitewash history, depriving visitors from learning the realities of American history. This evil regime has attacked DEI and dismantled the US Department of Education, so it tracks that the Smithsonian would also be in their crosshairs.” This really says so much about the character of the people in office. So sad.
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Right?! It’s both sad and infuriating. Thanks for commenting.
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The hypocrisy is at an all-time high. It wasn’t that long ago when the Trumpers were fired up about removing confederate statues, but removing slavery exhibits from the Smithsonian is okay? Everything is backwards.
If Trump was really concerned about violence, why isn’t he sending the National Guard into red states? It’s about distracting from our lousy economy and all the bad press he’s been getting.
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And it’s a great distraction from other things, like those pesky Epstein files and his poor health. Everything is not only backwards but upside-down. I can’t wait to get to the part where these fools are no longer in power. Thanks for commenting 🙂
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Catching up on old blog posts today–and I wholeheartedly agree! I live about an hour from D.C. and less than that from Baltimore. And while they’re both much-maligned by this current administration both cities have wonderful things to offer tourists and residents alike. Nothing can beat D.C.’s Mall for amazing, and free, museums; and Baltimore’s distinct neighborhoods have so much character. Do you have to be safe walking around? Of course. But, as you say, the fear-mongering is misdirected and a distraction from all that’s really going wrong.
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