Hate and Extremism in the Age of Trump

Went to a lecture at Temple Emanuel on April 2nd: HATE AND EXTREMISM IN THE AGE OF TRUMP. This is a HUGE temple, and it was totally sold out. I felt so proud to be a NYC Jew, though there were many non-Jews there, too. But, yet again, the rabbi announced their temple as a sanctuary temple in a sanctuary city, and this felt so right--what religious institutions should be doing--protecting human rights. How fitting that this was led by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a center which represents justice, decency, integrity and fights-pro-bono-to help people all over the country fight the human rights which seem to be challenged daily by our current president. Morris Dees, the amazing founder of SPLC, also spoke, and their words energized the crowd. They talked about civil rights and the awful Jeff Sessions, how they will fight the good fight-with law suits-to protect basic human rights. An immigrant teacher, who went to Cornell and became a principal, spoke, and also had his young student read her narrative about coming to America, yet this very much felt like the "old" America, where our doors swung open with love.

This lecture gave me faith, though, since there are organizations like these. Religious organizations, ordinary citizens who are willing to demand justice in the world, who are willing to make America the Democracy it was intended to be. They concluded with Martin Luther King's famous quote, "We will fight until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream."