DAY TWO, LOOKING FOR MARCO

        What a difference a day makes. Monday morning I was walking through 40 degree Washington rain to get to the office of Senator Marco Rubio. Twenty-four hours later I was doing the same thing under warm sun at Miami's headquarters of the American Welding Society.

        That's where Rubio resides  when he's in town.  I had gone there because MoveOn had asked its 8 million members to participate in yesterday's "Protest Tuesday". 
     The local MoveOn organizers chose Rubio's local office as a protest site.
Forty of us stood next to NW 36th Street holding signs. Most  complainted about Trump's awful cabinet. Still, I got the idea that most folks driving by thought we were standing in front of the big blue building to complain about bad welding.
     Out message did go nation-wide. A photo of our protest ended up on the Rachel Maddow show that night.

        A large sign that said, "Rubio Stinks!" would have helped.  We're learning to do this protest by protest.  Some of the activists were from Progressive Miami but most were from the Gables group, "Rise Up Florida!".  When I learned their leaders were inside talking with Rubio's office manager, I went to join them.  Many Doral police officers were guarding the entrance.  No one stopped me despite my looking like a thinner version of Michael Moore.
    Stepping inside the gaudy blue building I passed the 46 portraits of former presidents of the American Welding Society.  Just next to them was Rubio's office.

       Inside, I found the Rise Up! leaders having their portrait taken in front of Rubio's patriotic tableau. Why they were smiling I do not know. So many bad things emanate from this place. 

   They had just come out of a meeting with the office manager (Rubio is still in Washington doing whatever Trump wants him to).  
     The Gables group is working to make themselves heard.  You might want to consider becoming a part of Rise Up, Florida!,  Progressive Miami, and the MoveOn folks who organized this gathering.  After the Rubio protest some headed south to stage another one at Ileana Ros-Lehtinen's office.


       
    I asked the young woman at the front desk if I could speak with the office manager as well and was told, "You don't have an appointment and she is now unavailable".  Curious, I went on to ask if Marco was a welder, a member of the the AWS.  She had no idea.
       I asked her to tell the Senator that our group was extremely disappointed by his confirming  Trump's cabinet choices.  She said she'd make a note of it.
       Our Grove-based group, Progressive Miami, is having its next meeting on Tuesday, January 31st.  We will continue to discuss how we can resist Trump and everything he stands for.
Our gathering will be held again in St. Stephens Church, 2750 MacFarlane Road in Coconut Grove (next to Peacock Park).  It will begin at 6 p.m.
      
    Over one million of us marched in Washington last Saturday. Ten thousand did the same thing here in Miami.  These efforts mean nothing unless each of us work to put constant pressure on Trump and the politicians who support him. Forming groups helps do that. As actress, America Ferrera, said in her DC speech, "For the next four years we must fight together.  If we do not, we will lose together".
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