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Jacqueline Penny's avatar

I was at the last no Kings Day protest in Downtown LA - I’d flown in from Auckland. I was waving a Latino flag. Suddenly everybody ran away saying they were going to throw tear gas. The protesters had warned me but I didn’t believe them. Because it was such a beautiful day – such a well run protest, a peaceful protest. I had faith in your officials.

However the protesters had been right and my naivety in the American way of life was wrong. I found myself in a white cloud, I couldn’t breathe, I was told to run by fellow protesters but couldn’t get my legs to move because I didn’t have any breath. My eyes were streaming. I fell to the ground. I was picked up by a group of protesters who ran with me. Then when they couldn’t run any longer a person who had been in the military (turned protester thank God) picked me up and fire-man lifted me for another hundred yards running as fast as he possibly could. Nothing was done or said in the media about this.

Thank God for those protesters. I hope one of you is reading this now or will in the future. But we need numbers. I came from 11 hours away because I felt a calling to be there for your country and the immigrants in the ICE protests. It was not my country. Please be there for your own country. And I know it’s hard But please do not look away.

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Marianne Williamson's avatar

Thank you for this brave and extraordinary post

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Jacqueline Penny's avatar

Nothing compared to what you face every day Marianne. Thank you and bless you !

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Jacqueline Penny's avatar

Plus thank you for acknowledging my experience and the experience of those around me. The military man as I call him was superhuman and such a hero. The group of people who picked me up like a feather were phenomenal. They are American soldiers without the title. I’m so thankful. Bless them all!!! It renewed my faith in human nature. I love the USA and will be going to a retreat there again in October. Hopefully I can be be at the second kings day protest- my retreat is in Orlando so it seems almost meant to be. Will try my hardest!

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Rebecca Suzanne's avatar

Your story is amazing. Thank you for supporting us here in the US.

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Jacqueline Penny's avatar

Awww bless you and thank you🙏

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Jacqueline Penny's avatar

And as I say the USA has always been there for other countries in trouble. Thats why Trumps American first worked. We need to bond together. - meaning other nations and say ‘no, not on our watch’

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Jean Knowlton's avatar

What exactly is he doing differently from an enemy intent on destroying this country? He is spending money like a drunken fool, blowing through our military budget by these unnecessary deployments and using bombs to kill likely innocent people when all it required at most was a traffic stop? How does blowing through our military budget and creating new enemies make us safer? Taking bribes, making billions in a crypto currency side business, stepping in to silence comedians, the Johnny Carsons of our day, all things a ruthless fascist intent on destroying the economy, safety, and character of a nation would do. This isn't leadership, it's destruction. He doesn't belong in the presidency and those keeping him there don't belong in their jobs. Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert do belong in theirs and it's overreaching for a president to have any say about that whatsoever.

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Marian Malatesta's avatar

We must move humanity forward

..PUSH......

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Virgin Monk Boy's avatar

Trump struts like a wannabe king, but kings are just men in costumes. Costumes rot. Power rots faster.

What survives is exactly what you named: the invisible army. Decent souls who refuse the crown, who don’t need thrones to stand tall.

October 18 isn’t just protest. It’s rehearsal for a different story. One where citizens outnumber tyrants, and love outlasts decrees.

See you in the streets. The monastery will be there too.

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Judi Lindsey's avatar

I plan to be in Concord, NH on that day. Shining the Light, shining my light - peacefully demonstrating and emanating love and forgiveness and the power of Truth.

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Kimber's avatar

Blessed be. AMEN, AMAMA

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Joan Halgren's avatar

Marianne, your prayer is beautiful--just what the doctor ordered today for my weary soul. Also, I am glad you mentioned "the world" too--so many are suffering under oppression, and as we know, thousands under extremely hideous conditions I find incomprehensible. Wishing you continued blessings, Joan

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Rebecca Suzanne's avatar

Thank you for the "prayer for the exhausted,". Becoming exhausted in life in general can be a challenge. Being reminded our spirituality can overcome it is comforting.

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Rebecca Suzanne's avatar

PS I hope the Portland, OR protest stays peaceful. If I am not working on the road with my husband, we will plan to go there. The Last NO KINGS we were able to attend there was so beautiful. Portland has a long history of peaceful protest. I pray we can continue our tradition!

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Lynne Meredith's avatar

Jacquline Penny: You are a courageous protester! Thank you for being part of the solution. Your post made me teary eyed but not from tear gas but from admiration!

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Jacqueline Penny's avatar

Safety in numbers.

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Susie's avatar

Amen 🩷

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Nancy L's avatar

What you wrote here, "But I say it’s getting worse “on the external level” because internally he cannot touch us unless we allow him to." had me think of spiritual law.

I do my best to follow the ways of universal Truth, which is covered by all the major religions and at one point the Holy One will pass on to you that your safety and dignity matters. At that moment a person understands that kindness, stillness, being nice, sharing, compassion are not weak actions. But goes very well with dignity and safety for all.

With people being at different spiritual places in life it would make sense a person should inquire with the Holy God about dignity and safety when seeing cruelty, abuse, violence in the world.

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T Mark Commons's avatar

No matter how bad it gets (there was a dark ages), this time in the US that was characterized as "more freedom and compassion (wokeness)" will be remembered as a high point of civilization; a time to strive again for. It will not be remembered by the majority as a dark time that the authoritarians rescued us from. Even if the memory is the only net legacy that we leave, it is still a memory worth keeping alive..........It is an embodied memory of the Truth of life itself, when free of material embodiment.

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Bill McQuaid's avatar

Once again, a BRiLLIANT commentary on what's going on! MANY THANKS to you for your thoughts and prayers! Your thoughts are SPOT ON!!!

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Gwen Gangi's avatar

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Your timing is perfect, I very much needed this today. I am definitely one of the exhausted, trying to keep my minds eye on the positive while keeping abreast of the daily turmoil here and abroad.

Many blessings your way in much gratitude 🙏.

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Susan Sarabasha's avatar

Thank you. What I hope folks are figuring out is most of this is not TACO’s ideas. He is being fed this horror by Bannon and Vance and others in his entourage. He is not smart enough to think this through on his own.

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