Tonight, Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address. However, an event held Monday night may have just upstaged “The Donald”: The People’s State of the Union.
Current Events
Led by actor Mark Ruffalo, The People’s State of the Union was an opportunity to reignite the anti-Trump movement behind the Dream Act, civil rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, women’s rights and labor rights. Held at New York City’s Town Hall as a protest event to tonight’s Trump speech, the evening was a veritable who’s who among a starry array of Hollywood artists and activists. Michael Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Amy Schumer, Rosie Perez, Cynthia Nixon and John Leguizamo each delivered rousing, issue-focused speeches. Rapper Common spit lyrics in memory of Trayvon Martin. Singer Andra Day performed a melodic reflection of “Stand Up For Something,” while singer Rufus Wainright delivered a haunting rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”
Legendary women’s rights activist Gloria Steinem received a standing ovation from the audience. In a segment regarding women’s rights, #MeToo, pay parity, Time’s Up and the Women’s March, actor Kathy Najimy boldly exclaimed “F*ck locker room talk.”
During a discussion related to immigrant rights, actor/comedian John Leguizamo cracked, “This president makes me long for Ronald Reagan.” He then introduced Christina Jimenez of the immigrant youth network United We Dream, who said “We and our families are undocumented, unafraid, and here to stay,” echoing the organization’s fight to get the Dream Act passed. She also spoke against the immigration plan that Trump is slated to sell during tonight’s State of the Union.
“This Trump plan is nothing more than a white supremacist ransom note,” she said. “We must reject it.”
Current Events
In a wakeup call to all Americans, actor Cynthia Nixon said: “Our American democracy is under attack, and we Americans need to not only cherish and protect it, but to fight for it.” She added, “We must make the firing of Robert Mueller a stark line in the sand, and if Trump crosses it we must take to the streets as never before and make inaction untenable for every elected leader.”
However, it was activist Michael Moore who set The People’s State of the Union on fire in a roof-raising speech that concluded the evening.
“We must remove and replace the system and the culture that gave us Trump in the first place,” Moore said. “He did not just fall out of the sky and land in Queens. He is the result of a decades-long corporate takeover of our democracy and of us, never correcting the three original sins of America: A nation founded on genocide, built on the backs of slaves, and maintained by the subjugation of women.”
Participants of The People’s State of the Union are calling on all anti-Trump Americans to boycott tonight’s State of the Union speech by not watching it.
Thank you for sharing this DJ.
Cynthia Nixon:
“Our American democracy is under attack, and we Americans need to not only cherish and protect it, but to fight for it. We must make the firing of Robert Mueller a stark line in the sand, and if Trump crosses it we must take to the streets as never before and make inaction untenable for every elected leader.”
Michael Moore:
“We must remove and replace the system and the culture that gave us Trump in the first place. He did not just fall out of the sky and land in Queens. He is the result of a decades-long corporate takeover of our democracy and of us, never correcting the three original sins of America: A nation founded on genocide, built on the backs of slaves, and maintained by the subjugation of women.”
Hear-Hear!…and let the Church say AMEN..!