TEMIRA’S AWESOME TRAVEL ADVISORY SERVICE

HYPERLOCAL WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE COLUMBIA GORGE

THE DALLES, HOOD RIVER, WHITE SALMON, TROUT LAKE, STEVENSON, CASCADE LOCKS, PARKDALE, ODELL, HUSUM, BZ, MILL A, WILLARD, GOLDENDALE, RUFUS, ARLINGTON, boardman

Today is Friday, January 30th. TATAS is not forecasting because TATAS is participating in the National Shutdown, a response to the federal government’s use of ICE to terrorize us. I’d direct you to the website for this protest, but as of 6:20am it appeared to be experiencing a DDOS attack and had also been flagged as “dangerous” by my anti-virus software. Isn’t that interesting?

For me, today’s action goes far beyond ICE. I’m participating because the federal government is eroding democratic norms and the rights of all. I’m participating because the bodily autonomy of women and trans* folks has been dramatically limited. I’m participating because racial profiling has become rampant, because my neighbors are living in fear, because students are afraid to go to school and parents are afraid to pick them up. I’m participating because ICE distributed a memo instructing new recruits to break down doors and detain people *without a judicial warrant* which is in violation of the 4th Amendment. While I’m not a huge 2A fan, I’m participating because, after Alex Pretti was murdered by ICE, the president stated at a press conference, “You can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns.” The president is trying to undermine the Second Amendment (not to mention the First, by attacking the press).

The president of this country does not have the ability to unilaterally set the laws, rules, and norms of the country. He does not have the ability to use law enforcement for his own whims. And yet, he is doing just that by sending thousands of ICE agents around the country to sow chaos and fear. He is using the military to murder citizens of other countries in international waters. That. Is. A. War. Crime. That is not okay. Leaders who ignore the other branches of government are known as “kings”, “monarchs”, “dictators.” We are not a monarchy. While our Republic has never been perfect, what is happening now deeply concerns me. Neither Congress nor the Supreme Court is functioning as the intended checks and balances.

While I dove into the details above, what I’m truly concerned about is the explosion of hatred and cruelty being advocated at the highest level of government. It’s only natural that this is filtering down into the general populace. Combine that with the terror being felt by immigrants and people of color, and we have a truly untenable situation.

Peaceful resistance works. Love works. Nowadays, there is no neutral. Silence indicates you are okay with what’s happening.

I encourage you to stand up and speak up, and I encourage you to do so out of love rather than fear. Love for your own bodily autonomy and that of your loved ones. Love for your terrified immigrant and brown/black neighbors. Love for the children watching videos of ICE murdering people. Love for this country, despite all its flaws, despite its history of slavery and bigotry. Love for what it’s possible to build going forward if we set down hate and try to build a country, a community, a Columbia River Gorge committed to care for each other as best we can.

Safe travels. -TATAS

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