By Jim Okerblom
A lot of energy and enthusiasm exists out there to reject Donald Trump’s election. California secession and overturning the Electoral College vote have been mentioned. Neither are good ideas, and are likely to be disruptive, maybe violent, and unlikely to succeed.
Trump won, and we need to live with that.
But isn’t there something we could do to forcefully show our rejection of his rhetoric?
How about a designated day — 24 hours, midnight to midnight — that those who oppose the sexism, anti-intellectualism, racism and xenophobia that Trump espoused withdraw from our daily lives as much as possible in protest of him and how he campaigned?
We don’t go to work, don’t drive, don’t shop at the mall or on Amazon. Don’t watch TV, use the Internet or text. Turn off our cell phones, use as little energy as possible and spend those 24 hours with our families.
No violence. No blocking streets or freeways. No exchanging vitriolic messages with Trump, Johnson or Bernie supporters. Those who didn’t vote, principled Republicans and Sanders’ supporters who couldn’t vote for Clinton but are fearful of Trump’s ideas, undocumented workers — all who oppose Trump’s divisive message — would be welcome join in. Maybe Mitt Romney could voice his support.
Everyone from restaurant servers and cooks, construction workers, college professors and doctors missing from their jobs, shopping malls with fewer customers and a plunge in Internet traffic could demonstrate that there is economic power and numbers behind those who reject Trump’s campaign.
Make it clear that there are many people who will not stand by and let him destroy the fabric of the country we live in with his retrograde opinions and pronouncements.
We would be symbolically turning our backs to all of Trump’s demagoguery over the past year. Call it “Turn Our Backs to Trump’s Campaign Day” (#BacksToTrump for short.) What day? His inauguration day is possible. But it’s probably too far off in the future to harness the anger and despair out there now.
If Trump backs down from his divisive proposals and acts responsibly, fine. If not, he will know there are many people who will vigorously oppose him.
It may be tilting at windmills to think this can happen. But we can’t just stand by and say nothing as this erratic and seemingly unstable person becomes the most powerful man in the world.
Jim Okerblom of Escondido is a retired San Diego Union-Tribune reporter and editor. A version of this essay first appeared on Facebook.
