No ICE, Thank You

 

I have not always felt this way

about ice

no strong opinions

on whether a drink needs a cube

or not

but now,

now that ice means 

terror

violence

even death

to anyone who disagrees

who says "not in my town"...

now i have a strong opinion

about ice

I do not want any

As Gary and I sat eating our breakfast, we talked about the importance of doing what is ours to do in this critical moment. There are many ways to protest, to stand up for our neighbors, and to speak up for justice. The key for each of us is to figure out what is our particular way of making a point against the dismantling of democracy and the concomitant power grab that is going on.

Today, as I write this, there is a call for a national strike - no work, no school, no shopping. It got me thinking about other ways we can cast our vote for democracy. Other actions that might be noticed, if enough of us participated.

I turned to Gary and said, "what if, when getting a drink at a restaurant, or cafe, pub, or party, we simply said, 'No ice, thank you.' Would that make a point?"

"Wow! It sure would, especially if it caught on."

Maybe I am getting ahead of myself, but I can see something like this spreading across the country. If everyone who disagreed with what ICE is doing put a hand over their glass at every opportunity, and said, 'no ice, thank you', it could be a reminder that we can choose to say no.

This may not make a difference to the powers that are attempting to unravel our country's integrity and systems of justice, but it would be a way to signal to our friends, neighbors and the folks we interact with, that we stand against the cruelty and violence that ICE is perpetrating in our communities. More importantly, it would be a way of reminding ourselves.