Thank you for your story. I live in a small town in Texas. A group of young activists, a group of roughly 50 of which about 1/2 African American protested the statue to the Confederate Soldier monument at the courthouse with a poem “no whiter purer nation ever stood”. They were surrounded by a heavily armed group of older men, “counter protesters”, with military style weapons. As they exited the protest they jaywalked to get back to their cars. The 3 leaders, 2 black young women and a young white male were charged (3 days after the event) with obstructing a highway. The county spared no expense and got a conviction of 7 days in jail and maximum $2,000 fine from the all white jury.

I was at the trial, I cannot exaggerate the inequality, the racism. I’m trying to raise the money to pay fines (on appeal). I’m the Democratic Party County Chairperson in rural Texas. I am a white male and have no idea what it is like not to be privileged. These things break my heart but also fill me with determination to affect change. I refuse to accept or be despondent. For me it is mostly an intellectual exercise — my focus is community presence and registering voters — the power structure in Texas is a one party system and it’s not the “Republican” party. — I don’t know what to call the MAGA deal. Our Texas laws and invasion of fundamentalist religion into the laws are a long way toward a place that looks like a Taliban government only with a few rule changes. I’ll keep working for freedom, justice, the right of all to vote. It feels like we are under siege.