The Truth about Cats and Dogs

I’ve been reflecting on the fact that Donald, who seems to be a Natural Born Liar, stood in front of the CIA whining about “the media being among the most dishonest human beings on earth.” The CIA consists of a group of people who ironically, 100% lie for a living. Behind him was a wall of stars for CIA members who died for our country. Yet he pursued his bombastic and petty complaint.

But you know Trump steals every idea he has. This one was most often used by Hitler: ‘Luegenpresse’ which means ‘Lying Press’.

We’ve already seen Trump attack valid, professional news organizations while promoting hoax and virulent sites. This is how authoritarianism begins — with stomping on the free press.

I was using the term ‘fake news’ months ago about right-wing blogs and such, perpetrating false stories about Hillary Clinton. Why were conservatives suddenly using the acronym MSM as if it was code all agreed upon? The professional news organizations are just that — they operate with a credo of integrity.

This notion that ‘mainstream media’ was toxic was particularly well received among Orthodox right-wing Jews who had complained for years that coverage of Israel was unfair. Yet those newspapers gladly printed our Op-eds — we are able to provide our own checks and balances with professional media. The wish to be insular and separate from the general, secular world fed into their innate distrust of the media. This is the pocket of American Jews most likely to believe Trump’s lies. Their magazines and newspapers refuse to print pictures of women, even world leaders. Now, they have to pretend millions of women don’t exist and didn’t take to the streets.

When I was Orthodox, I had to suppress every value and aspect of life I had been most proud of, especially feminism. Except for kindness. That was omnipresent. Kindness is where we begin our dialogue.

Yesterday’s historic Women’s March was a grassroots phenomenon that arose from people’s deep desire to express their truth, to create a collective truth that is so formidable, it’s undeniable. Half a million women — and men — marched on DC. Hundreds of thousands more marched in cities big and small across America, millions more around the world. Yesterday was a veritable sea of Pink Pussy Hats. It was a magnificent celebration of kindness.

And Trump was silent about that truth — that women and men were galvanized to protest his hate speech, his destructive policies, and most of all — the lies he tells. They were there to stand for the vulnerable, to say, we will not be ignored. As Gloria Steinem remarked, “This is the upside of the downside.”

I trust dog lovers. When I was ulta-Orthodox, I was discouraged from having a dog for various reasons, some pertaining to Jewish law, some referring to Jewish mysticism . But dogs are loyal and joyous. Trump is the first president in 150 years to not have a pet. The last was Andrew Johnson, who was impeached. 75% of American households have a cat or dog as pets.

I’d say, it’s raining cats and dogs right now in America. Yesterday should have been an awakening for Donald Trump. But, no matter, it was our awakening…that we have more power and capacity for joy, peace, and unity than we even realized.

One news reporter discussed how so many mothers and grandmothers were intent on inculcating activism and feminism in their daughters. She called them the Matriarchal Generation. As a Jewish woman, as a proud Jewish feminist, as a Jewish mother, that phrase really resonates with me. We are strong, we are wise, and we are true.

Feminism was the most peaceful revolution our country has ever known. I am not surprised that millions of feminists marched peacefully yesterday. We proved our truth.