Thank you Vice-President Kamala Harris, and Governor Tim Walz

Ever onward

Vice-President Kamala Harris, and Governor Tim Walz, thank you both for inspiring me like I haven’t been inspired in years. You moved a 69-year old white dude to rock out to Beyoncé and wave the flag proudly. And Tim, could you come over for Thanksgiving and show us how to carve a turkey?

You both moved me to love my country and its potential for great good with renewed vigor.

You lost but your joyful hope for America won my soul where it will remain locked secure and I vow to nourish that feeling by serving my community.

You revealed to me a Democratic Party that has an outstanding bench of young leaders to which the torch is passing. And when I heeded Michelle Obama and did something I was blown away by the young Democrats I met here in my community. Tucson is a beautifully diverse progressive island.

To the President elect, congratulations, Godspeed, and best wishes.

PS Don’t give Kari Lake a job. You’ll tweet her firing within 24-hours.

Rather than wasting our time analyzing or lamenting the poor choice of most of our fellow Americans let those of us in the minority continue perfecting our union in good faith with that majority when it serves the common good.

And when it does not serve the common good?

We must resist.

We will never surrender our reverence for the common good. We will never surrender our progressive values, values which can be found in the Preamble of our Constitution and are embodied in our Bill of Rights.

We vow eternal allegiance to preserving these rights no matter who is President.

We vow eternal allegiance to preserving all existing Civil Rights no matter who is President.

Any President who does not work “to establish justice, to ensure our domestic tranquility, to provide for the common defense, to promote the general Welfare, and to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity” is unworthy of our allegiance and shall be regarded as a tyrant.

Our love for this country and its constitution is paramount in our hearts and remains so under every President, even President Donald Trump.

And here I share with you my good, dear, friends my vow to myself on this morning after:

While many of our fellow citizens have chosen to go back I never will. I will not go back.

While many of our neighbors have chosen a lawless leader, I will forever respect the ideals of justice and the belief that no citizen is above the law.

I will believe women.

I will trust women with control over their own bodies.

I will stand with taxing the rich and growing the middle class.

I will fight for healthcare for all.

With mass deportations there will be violence. When I resist, I will choose non-violence.

I will not abide cruelty to children, whether trans or immigrant.

I will offer refuge to deportees and fight for Immigration reform.

I will resist those who contribute to climate change and those who deny it.

I will resist any government action that is cruel.

I will not surrender to despair.

I will protect my treasure wisely in preparation for the time when his tariffs crash the economy and I will serve the needy and I will call upon my community to serve the many needy that will grow under the Trump economy.

When he dismantles Obamacare I will demand our local and state communities find ways to rescue our neighbors from suffering.

When he demeans women, I will demonstrate my disapproval in ways that will get his administration’s attention.

Be of good cheer.

Historically, by the second term, Americans tire of their presidents and usually vote to give them a congress that makes their last 2-years miserable. Or the 25^th Amendment will take him out. By then the nation will be so rocked by the dismantling of the federal government and the right-wing religious overreach that President JD Vance will vanish in a Democratic Party landslide in 2028.

Until then, I will remain healthy, positive and productive so I will live to see that day. I will see to it my family, friends and neighbors remain healthy, positive and productive so they will live to see that day.

And I will think on those who went before us.

Like the White Rose Society. Five students from Munich University and one of their professors challenged the Nazi regime by forming the White Rose group. Hitler lied, controlled the press and murdered all critics. The White Rose Society published and distributed their contrary opinions in modest leaflets asking the German people to react to the violence and oppression and the death camps which were all around them by standing up, by resisting, by fighting for freedom. Small pamphlets bravely left on street corners or next to lecture halls for citizens to find and furtively skim and pocket to read later at home in secret. And most likely burn in a fireplace.

When they were arrested, the students were tried in theatrical tribunals, found guilty of treason and guillotined.

Because they were “the enemy within”.

One patriot’s “enemy within” is another citizen’s inspiring martyr to honor in the trying years ahead.

And last but not least, I am a progressive American. I will always put country first.

All this I promise.

Have a beautiful autumn day in the greatest nation on earth.

Respectfully,

David Fitzsimmons

The Enemy Within

PS My wonderful adult daughter shares my leanings and was very politically active this election. She texted me this morning, ”I'm in awe of the complete stupidity of humans.”

I responded, "I'm going to remain in awe of those who resist stupidity in spite of futility.“