"American Carnage"

"American carnage," the phrase President Trump used between loud sniffs from the inaugural stand yesterday to describe the American landscape he thinks he is inheriting, was on full display today in the streets of Washington DC, and New York City, and Chicago, and Atlanta, and Boston, and Denver, and Los Angeles, and Seattle, and other national cities in the form of massive numbers of protestors a day after he had "thin" inaugural crowds to watch him sworn in.  But in contrast to yesterday when there were clashes between disorderly demonstrators and police with stun grenades and pepper spray, and punches were thrown, and people were injured and arrests were made, today's marches were peaceful and orderly, albeit crushingly packed.

This morning I was sipping coffee watching the news on a TV screen in a McDonalds, preparing to go march in the District in solidarity for the first time since the sixties, when a man my age and dressed as I was in blue jeans and a denim jacket, wandered over and asked if the Mall was crowded already.  I said it seemed to be from the news reports, with at least triple the number of people as attended Trump's inauguration.

He asked sarcastically if that meant that meant Trump should step down.  I said, "Ask the Russians."

In the District an hour later, I was soon solidly imprisoned on Independence Avenue at 12th Street, along the march route, by the crush of people assembled in the street, many carrying diverse and revealing signs such as the one showing a picture of Trump with a windswept coiffure saying "We Shall Over-Comb," and a placard stating "Russian Doll" that showed Trump as a nesting doll.  What I experienced today was the anger the American people feel about the things Trump said and the way he acted on the campaign trail, and I think the huge size of the crowds today was a spontaneous reaction to what he said and did yesterday.