Why They Marched: Signs of Disbelief, Defiance, and Creativity

If nothing else, Donald John Trump let loose the creative juices of his non-constituency. From the disbelieving (“Really?”) to the defiant (“Grandma Is Pissed”), the signs I saw at Washington’s January 21 protest—hand-crafted, high-spirited, and heart-felt—spoke of a people aroused. A sampling:

A play on his words
Make America Think Again
Make America Smart Again
Make America Kind Again
Make America Tolerant Again
Hate Doesn’t Make America Great
Let’s Not Make America Hate Again
Diversity Will Make America Great
Immigrants Make America Great Again

The skeptical
Trump Can’t Call The Shots. Immunization Works.
The Sky Is Blue, The Earth Is Round And Vaccines Work
No Healthcare, No Peace
Trump Is A Disease; Don’t Let It Spread
If You Take Away My Healthcare, How Will I Get Rid of This Unintended Presidency?

A gender speaks out
Women’s Rights Are Human Rights
Respect My Existence Or Expect Resistance
Females Are Strong As Hell
The Future Is Female
We Are The Leaders We Are Looking For
Feminism: Back By Popular Demand
Keep Your Policies Off My Body
We Are Not Afraid Of The Future—We Are The Future
Equal Rights – Why Aren’t We There Yet?
We Go High
Stand Up; Trust Women
America Got Grabbed
Our Bodies/Our Minds/Our Decision
A Woman’s Place Is In The Resistance
If I wanted the government in my vagina, I’d fuck a senator

The political
I’m Seeing 2020
Reality Catches Up
Impeach!
End Voter Repression
A House Built On Lies Cannot Stand
Yes We Still Can!
What If We’re Right?
Save Our Democracy Now
The Earth Can’t Wait 4 More Years
I Will Not Go Gently
Stop Fascism
Build Bridges, Not Walls
Electoral College—Worse Than Trump University
And If Not Now, When?
History Has Eyes On You
This Is Not Okay
This Is Not Normal
I’m With Her—and Her—and Her—and Her—and Her
I’m With Earth
Putin Elected His Puppet
Mr. Trump: Tear Down This Wall
I Prefer the Swamp
“What Is Done Is Done, But We Can Prevent It Happening Again”—Anne Frank

The personal
Terrible Comb Over. Very Sad!
Donald Duck: Quack Quack; Donald Trump: Tweet Tweet
You Haven’t Seen NASTY Yet
I Don’t Like Crowds, But I Like Misogynists Less
America Is More Than A Real Estate Deal
Show Us Your Taxes, Coward
Our Country Is Not A Corporation

The defiant
Proud Immigrant: Arrived 1680
I’m Really Mad
Grandma Is Pissed
Really?
I Can’t Believe We Still Have To Protest This Crap
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Take Your Vitamins
I No Longer Accept The Things I Cannot Change. I Change The Things I Cannot Accept.

—Compiled by Mike Feinsilber
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Mike Feinsilber spent about a quarter century with UPI in Pittsburgh, Columbus, Harrisburg, Newark, New York, Saigon and Washington and about a quarter century with AP in Washington, with a spell as assistant bureau chief and a stint as writing coach. He was a deskman, reporter, and editor and he covered Congress and 18 political conventions.