Get Your Resolution On

Peace, truth and justice are born of the light.
And that light shines brightest in the darkest of times.

So, life is about to get a little harder.

That's what the writing on the wall says.

We're about to board a train with an intoxicated engineer, who has a reputation for dozing off on the job.

On the surface though, you'd never know that danger lurks just around the first bend in the tracks.

The train is shiny and new, all polished up for the pompous and not so circumspect.

And the engineer is holed up in the cab of the locomotive. You don't see that guy. But he's there. A catastrophe in waiting.

And at any point, the conductor could doze. The train could become a runaway, swaying dramatically from one side, then to the other, threatening to derail at the next sharp bend.

Anyone who has paid attention for the past obscene year and a half, knows that the threat is gravely real. And we can't pretend it isn't.

But that doesn't mean we are bereft of hope. No, this is when we get our resolution on. 

We dig deep, find our better selves, reach out to the "other side" and unite to fight for what's right.

As the Trump train pulls out of the station after Donald Trump's inauguration Friday afternoon, we have to hold tight at every hairpin bend in the tracks and be ready to defend our country's Democratic ideals.

How long before his next Twitter tirade?

Which nuclear-armed nation will he piss off next?

How can he make conflict free decisions for the people with millions of dollars of debt and an entangled coarse web of business interests across the globe? 

How long before the honeymoon is over and he makes good on his threats against our first amendment rights to peaceful protest and free speech?

Will he attempt to muzzle the press, as he has hinted? Who will hold the president to account?

Which side is he on? America's? Or Russia's?

The questions are endless. This should never have gone this far. Everything about it feels wrong.

Absolutely, we must hope and pray for the best. But that doesn't mean we sit idly by in the face of blatant injustice.

We stick together. We find our faith. We listen. We look for ways to work together. We hold our new president and congressional representatives to account.

If they act in the interest of the people, great. If they don't, we let them know.

As congressman John Lewis (D-Georgia) said on Martin Luther King Day, we must pay attention and then speak up when we see bad things happening. 

It's that simple. As much as voting on election day and paying taxes, it's our citizens' duty be vigilant and stand in defense of truth and justice, the underpinnings of America.

As a nation we have to make smart decisions about our security, but we can't tolerate demagogic fear mongering that fosters hatred.

Love does Trump hate. And the power is indeed with the people.  

Nothing worthwhile comes without effort. We may be headed for some turbulent, painful times. But it's always darkest before the dawn. 

A seedling has to push it's way up through the dark soil before it can embrace the nourishing warmth of the sun.The birth of new life is painful, but rewards are lasting.

The good news is that, in the two months since the controversial presidential election, the power of the people already has gotten results.

We saw the people's power get results when citizens bombarded House Speaker Paul Ryan's office with phone calls in wake of House Republicans' attempt to trash a House ethics committee by secret ballot.

Result: The House reversed course -- at least delayed the move.

We saw the result of the people's pressure on their elected representatives to push for an investigation of FBI Director James Comey's inappropriate "Clinton emails" announcement days before the election.

Result: The U.S. Justice Department announced earlier this month an investigation into Comey's suspect decision, which by the way promises new possible conspiracy revelations soon.

And most recently, a citizen's petition asking Democrats to boycott the inauguration in light of Russia's election meddling, gained steam after Trump's disrespectful tweets about civil rights era soldier Lewis. 

Result: More than 70 Democratic congressman decided to boycott Friday's ceremonies.

The lesson: The people do indeed have the power. Going forward, we are going to need it more than ever.

We can write letters to the editor. We can write and call our congress members. 

And as needed, we can make enough noise so as to demand that our elected representatives listen -- and act.