The Mandate for Moral Mondays

Posted on by Peter D. Buck

Since November, a group of us in State College have been gathering at the Allen Street Gates for peace and justice. Jason Crane, a DJ at 98.7 the FREQ who’s also a peace and justice activist, had the idea. He broadcast it. He called for solidarity. And many in our community have responded. Each week “We the [local[ people” gather.

It’s a beautiful and small thing. Between 10 and 30 of us come. And we get honks and love and thanks…and the occasional disparager. But mostly honks of support and love.

We need people to be more generous and live into love. Whatever America first means, we must love our neighbors, welcome the stranger, and serve those in need. Since Holocaust Memorial Day is today, we have to recognize the millions of Jews who were the victims of a “triumph of the will” carried out by people who believe that “Gott met uns” (God with us). Today…and I don’t mean to say we live in a Nazi state…we have people who believe in a godlike Presidency. But the president has gone off the rails about our borders. He speaks blatant falsehoods and lies about everything from human-caused climate change to what he said about the CIA (who he compared to Nazis). He attacks the rights of voters. He threatens the most vulnerable among us from the poor to women to indigenous people to my lesbian sisters to our black and Latino and Muslim neighbors.

Standing at the gates gives us the boost of collective will to act. Some of us return home to family. Some will do justice through work or through volunteerism. Some of us went to DC to the Women’s March.Some will run for office. All of them…and you…have a part to play and we need you to play it.

So why don’t you come out and catch the spirit?

gates

Leave a comment