On Saturday, April 15, thousands marched in over 150 cities to use their voices and their presence to demonstrate how strongly they believe that the President of the United States should release his tax returns. Contrary to Donald Trump’s insulting tweets that the protesters were paid, the streets were filled with Americans who marched for truth, not for money. The principal idea is that Americans need to know what are the influences on any president, but especially on this president who prides himself on his vast dealings.
The idea that people would work from conviction rather than payment probably does seem absurd to Donald Trump, who appears to consider money as the motivation for his actions and the measure of each person’s worth. He lies as he claims that he hides his returns because he is under audit. We know that he can share his returns with no penalty from the IRS. People know that he is lying, but do not know if he is lying because the tax returns will reveal that he is also lying about how wealthy he is, or reveal to whom he is indebted. And, they know that the tax reform legislation he intends to introduce will benefit him and his family more than the vast majority of Americans.
In the past Trump has said he’d release his taxes if Obama released his birth certificate. He repeatedly called on Mitt Romney to release his taxes as the responsible thing to do. Before running for office, he promised that if he ran, he would “absolutely” release his taxes. Ever acting the game-show host, he also held up the returns as barter during the 2016 election, claiming he’d release his taxes if Hillary released missing emails.
In each of the next two weekends, marches are scheduled so that protesters can work in mass to speak to Donald Trump and other Americans. On April 22nd, the March for Science will be held in over 500 cities across the world. The organizers say that standing up for science is essential because science protects families, communities and the future, and that currently science is under aggressive attack.
On April 29th, the People’s Climate Movement which has lead rallies in the past several years will coordinate marches on DC and other cities, again because the current Trump administration, overtly denying science and the threat of climate change, is destroying programs intended to address this earth-threatening crisis.
Trump’s tweets claim that those who march and those who challenge their Congressional leaders in Town Hall meetings don’t understand that he (and Vladimir Putin) beat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Of course, Trump, who projects his faults onto others, would assume that others would be like him and deny defeat when it occurred. However, the marchers understand what happened in 2016, and understand what is happening in 2017. They are showing that they treasure the American right to free speech (while it lasts), and they are showing that they will continue to resist the slow dismantling of their country.
The idea that people would work from conviction rather than payment probably does seem absurd to Donald Trump, who appears to consider money as the motivation for his actions and the measure of each person’s worth. He lies as he claims that he hides his returns because he is under audit. We know that he can share his returns with no penalty from the IRS. People know that he is lying, but do not know if he is lying because the tax returns will reveal that he is also lying about how wealthy he is, or reveal to whom he is indebted. And, they know that the tax reform legislation he intends to introduce will benefit him and his family more than the vast majority of Americans.
In the past Trump has said he’d release his taxes if Obama released his birth certificate. He repeatedly called on Mitt Romney to release his taxes as the responsible thing to do. Before running for office, he promised that if he ran, he would “absolutely” release his taxes. Ever acting the game-show host, he also held up the returns as barter during the 2016 election, claiming he’d release his taxes if Hillary released missing emails.
In each of the next two weekends, marches are scheduled so that protesters can work in mass to speak to Donald Trump and other Americans. On April 22nd, the March for Science will be held in over 500 cities across the world. The organizers say that standing up for science is essential because science protects families, communities and the future, and that currently science is under aggressive attack.
On April 29th, the People’s Climate Movement which has lead rallies in the past several years will coordinate marches on DC and other cities, again because the current Trump administration, overtly denying science and the threat of climate change, is destroying programs intended to address this earth-threatening crisis.
Trump’s tweets claim that those who march and those who challenge their Congressional leaders in Town Hall meetings don’t understand that he (and Vladimir Putin) beat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Of course, Trump, who projects his faults onto others, would assume that others would be like him and deny defeat when it occurred. However, the marchers understand what happened in 2016, and understand what is happening in 2017. They are showing that they treasure the American right to free speech (while it lasts), and they are showing that they will continue to resist the slow dismantling of their country.
