Chimney Rock

This is my country. These are rocks I climbed on in wonder and awe as a child, in Catoctin Mountain Park, in my home state of Maryland. This is Chimney Rock. This is part of my physical country that is in my DNA and my heart and my imagination and soul. This is the physical country I love.

This country also has more to it than a breathtaking, awesome physical landscape. We also have an awesome constitution. The word constitution literally means what we are constituted of--what we are made of, what comprises us. Our land is constituted of great beauty. Our society is constituted of laws, and a separation of powers, and a free press, which are designed to make us a healthy, functional, strong, free country that is a democracy framed in a constitutional republic.

Just as we have to protect the precious and priceless nature in our country from those who would violate, pillage and plunder it, so too must we protect our constitution, our constitutional republic, our democracy, our FREE COUNTRY from those who, as we speak, are violating it.

I don't know why, this time around, there is no Women's March in the streets. The first time, we were out there, filling the streets from sea to shining sea, a beautiful, diverse quilt of Americans blanketing our country and standing up for it. I don't know why this time we all instead seem to be going about our days in stunned, horrified and helpless silence. We may be talking among ourselves, but why are we not CALLING Congress (202-224-3121)? Why are we not out in the streets, shouting and holding up signs? And why are our elected representatives not resisting all the fast and furious moves by 47 and his cabal taking us to fascism? Why are we just allowing these robber barons, these treasonous traitors, these fascists, these oligarchs, to roll over us?

RESIST. Resist, with all your might. Because even though my beloved Chimney Rock will still be there, whether we are a constitutional republic or a fascist oligarchy, it is vital to ensure that future generations of American children will be FREE to go there, carefree, and climb the rocks, and gaze out over the beautiful Catoctin Mountain vista, and only feel the beauty, wonder and awe. Children, and none of us, should have to feel the fear, danger and dread of living under fascism. They should breathe deep and free, in a free country. And it is up to us. Right now.