This Is What Democracy Looks Like

April 20, 2018



*photo NASKW





*photo Mark Hedden

*photo Mike Freas

This Is What Democracy Looks Like

It is a very rare occurrence when a sitting US President visits our island community, in fact it has not happened since 1962 when President John F. Kennedy visited just after the Cuban Missile crisis. When it was announced that President Donald J. Trump would be making a short visit to Key West for a tour and meeting at JIATF (Joint Interagency Task Force South), people in the community were understandably abuzz.

JFK in Key West, 1962

Almost immediately on facebook, groups of supporters and of protesters began mobilizing to arrange to line the route that the Presidential motorcade would take from the landing site of Air Force One at the Naval Air Station Key West, a few miles up US One, through Key West to JIATF headquarters located near downtown Key West. Debates sprung up as well with supporters very excited about the prospect of greeting the President and perhaps catching a glimpse of the man and those opposed to him arguing that he was not welcome here and that they would protest the man and his policies if given the chance.

President Trump waves as passing Key West City Hall * photo by Virginia Wark







I have never used my blog or facebook page to promote my political opinion and I don’t wish to start now. Anyone who knows me well, is probably aware that I am no fan of the current President and that both his policies and behaviors are almost universally against what I stand for and that I am very strong in my beliefs. However, I have a good number of friends who are on the opposite side of the political spectrum and I try my best to respect and honor their opinions. There is too much personal acrimony in our political process these days and that in itself is one of the things I find most disconcerting.







* photo Mark Hedden





While I have some Trump supporting friends, the majority of my friends are not supporters at all, in fact many of my closest friends are well, well to the left and many of them helped organize the resistance and the protests of Trump’s visit. Some people were of course angry at this and urged them not to protest and for those in support of the President to get out and show their support. There was a fear in some quarters that there could potentially be ugly scenes playing themselves out on the streets of our community and some were urging caution and restraint.









For myself, as much as I supported the message of the protesters, I also felt a bit of the excitement of those Trump supporters. In fact I was looking forward to getting to see the Presidential motorcade pass by and happy and a little jealous for my many friends who had the opportunity to meet and greet President Trump. I know a lot of city officials like Mayor Cates and his wife Cheryl and also the local press covering the visit and I felt they were pretty lucky to have the opportunity. As much as I dislike the man holding the office, I still strongly believe that everyone should always respect the office and a visit by a President, any President is an honor and should be treated as such. I had the good fortune to meet the first President Bush when he came to Islamorada and presented the organization I was working for, Reef Relief, a Point of Light Award and though I did not much care for his policies either, it really was an honor.

Mayor Cates and Cheryl.









Though I was a little apprehensive about what might happen, I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised at how well the citizens of Key West behaved overall. Literally thousands turned out to watch the motorcade and I think supporters of the President (or at least Patriotic citizens who felt as I do) outnumbered those protesting overall, though in the area where I watched the vast majority were anti-Trump, because I watched from Key West City Hall where one of the protests was organized.





* photo Virginia Wark

While most of those I saw and photographed were protesters, due to my location, I made it a point to try and meet and photograph Trump supporters as well.  I wanted to see what they had to say and why they felt it important to be there. It was ironic to me how what they said mirrored what some of my protester friends were saying. The protesters liked to chant, “This Is What Democracy Looks Like” which I honestly felt was an appropriate phrase for the entire experience.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders * photo by Mark Hedden







I don’t know if I have ever been prouder of the island community that I live in, these people who took the time to line the streets to greet our President, whatever their political feelings, were demonstrating their Democratic right, this was indeed what Democracy looks like and it was thrilling to see, all of it. These weren’t angry nameless internet trolls, one-sided talking heads featured every night on the local media, but real people, who though they may disagree vehemently about their political beliefs, share far more in common than in that opposition. Love of Country, love of community, concern about our future and an activist mentality that made me so proud to be a Key West citizen.









While there were a few four-lettered curses lobbed at the motorcade, the behavior on both sides, at least that I witnessed was overall pretty congenial. In some areas Trump supporters mingled with their protesting neighbors and I saw more good natured ribbing than the hatefulness that has been depicted on TV. Maybe that is just the nature of our island community, where diversity is accepted more than just tolerated and we all have to learn to live together on this small island. If so the rest of the nation could learn a lesson, that you can disagree yet still be respectful, that you can advocate your position without demonizing those who believe differently and that you can love your neighbors in spite of your differences.





https://www.facebook.com/DonaldTrump/videos/10160902902415725/UzpfSTE1MzA4MDYyMDcyNDpWSzoxMDE2MDkwMjkwMjQxNTcyNQ/ President Trump thanks Key West

Special recognition to those friends and photographers whose photos I have used in this blog, Mark Hedden, Mayor Craig Cates, Virginia Wark, Gwen Filosa, Rob O’Neal ,Mike Freas and any others I may have missed.