Good Trouble Electric Candle Light Rally

Congressman John Lewis joined civil rights protests as a young man. He was famously seriously beaten by police while leading a peaceful march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama in 1965. He was just 25 years old. Lewis called for “good trouble, necessary trouble”.

The idea was that protest should be non-violent but it needs to cause “trouble”. July 17 was the fifth anniversary of his passing, so it was a good opportunity to create Good Trouble rallies across the country. The Santa Barbara Good Trouble rally was held along the beach, spreading out from the Dolphin Fountain around sunset. A candle light rally using electric lights. And lots of signs.

Here are my photos.

Some in this group made tiaras with electric candles. I especially appreciated the central sign:

“Sometimes the Law is the Problem – Ask Anne Frank”.

A recent post on Nextdoor very politely asked people to consider the impacts of the ICE raids on their neighbors. One woman replied that the ICE agents were “just doing their jobs”. I was shocked that people could still use this chilling line.

I calmly replied that the Nuremberg trials after World War II established that “doing your job” was not an excuse. That everyone at all times has a legal obligation to refrain from crimes against humanity. The entire post with over 100 comments was soon deleted.

My friend and fellow journalist Martha Sadler (at left in the dress) held a sign reminding everyone of this principle.

This woman Laura reminded us that her father and millions of other Americans fought Nazi dictators and brutality in WWII.

I was happy to see fellow Humanist Society Board member Judy Fontana (far right) with her husband and friends holding appropriate signs.

I have made this point repeatedly for years, but I will try again in hopes that a few new people will finally get it: Laws can be wrong. Millions of Americans have lived in this country for decades with no way to get legal status. It is not their fault. It is the fault of legislators who prefer to keep this as a wedge issue rather than to solve it.

Our country has a long history of laws that were just wrong. Laws that supported slavery. Laws that required people in non-slave states to return formerly enslaved human beings to their former slave holders. Ever since then we have had a series of laws that limited the rights of descendants of enslaved people.

Whether someone is “legal” or not is an arbitrary decision of a completely broken legislative process regarding immigration. A majority of Americans called for tighter border security. That happened a year ago, when Biden was still president. But that is a completely separate issue from people who have lived here for decades with no legal status. And no path to get legal status. Every other crime except murder has a statute of limitations.

Many people being kidnapped and deported by masked ICE agents have spouses and children who are US citizens. Even the Nazis gave some leniency to Jews who were married to non-Jews. Trump’s ICE rips families and communities apart with zero chance to appeal. These men held a sign “Families Belong Together”.

Tom Homan was one of the architects of Trump’s brutal war against immigrants. He also wrote some of the immigrant policy section of Project 2025. He was interviewed on “60 Minutes” just before the 2024 election and he was asked about ICE tearing families apart. Homan calmly offered that families could be kept together. By deporting the entire family. Including all of the US citizens in the family. Yes. Really.

“Who Are These Goons?” raises a serious question. If these ICE agents show up masked with no identification, how can anyone know they are actual legally allowed to do anything at all? Any criminal now could put on a mask and kidnap and rob someone. It also raises the stakes for someone being attacked by these masked thugs. If they feel their lives are at stake, it means the masked thugs are not safe, either.

“My greatest fear is that one day we will wake up and our democracy is gone.” This quote is from the biographical film “Good Trouble” about John Lewis.

A reminder that Trump is trying to shut down PBS and NPR. In much of rural America these are the only sources of actual news. The conversation on Nextdoor showed the stunning ignorance of some people even in our own community.

News Channel reporter Mina Wahab kindly posed with me. We are fortunate to have their coverage.

My hiking and dancing partner Ginny held this sign showing John Lewis leading a civil rights march in the 1960s.

This gentleman offered kind words of encouragement from John Lewis.

Here are some more of my photos.

People are clearly energized to keep protesting and organizing until democracy, justice and humanity are restored. Indivisible Santa Barbara has a Facebook page here where you can find out what is happening next. And a link to sign up for their email list.

And 805 UNDOCUFund is providing help to undocumented Americans. Here is their web site where you can help.

– Robert Bernstein