“A Haka for Democracy: Why We Need a Māori-Inspired Chant to Survive Trump 2.0”
Dear Fellow Seekers of Sanity,
Well, folks, here we are—Trump’s Second Term, otherwise known as Groundhog Day: Constitutional Crisis Edition. While the Democrats in Congress did their level best to demonstrate resistance during the State of the Union—some held up signs, others walked out, a few sat in grim silence, and one particularly feisty fellow shook his cane like a Shakespearean ghost—it all felt a little…disorganized.
What if, instead of this scattershot approach, they had all risen in unison, feet stomping, voices booming, eyes ablaze with the collective fire of a thousand suppressed sighs? What if, like the Māori warriors of New Zealand, they had unleashed a full-throated haka—a defiant, rhythmic chant to shake the very walls of Congress? Imagine the look on Trump’s face as the entire Democratic caucus, led by Bernie Sanders slapping his knees and AOC pounding her chest, thundered forth:
“We do not fear the storm!”
“We stand firm for the people!”
“We will not be silenced!”
A haka, for those unfamiliar, is not just a war dance—it is a proclamation, a declaration of strength and unity. Unlike a politely worded tweet or a carefully crafted press release that promptly disappears into the algorithmic abyss, a haka demands attention.
And let’s be honest, America could use a little more spine in its political theater. If nothing else, it would make CSPAN worth watching.
So, my friends, I propose we draft our own haka—a chant for the weary, the bewildered, and the democracy-loving masses. Something to ground us when the news cycle spirals into the absurd. Something to remind us that we are not just witnesses to history but participants in it.
Send in your lines, your battle cries, your poetic defiance. Let’s build a chant so powerful even Mitch McConnell’s eyebrows twitch in recognition.
Because if we must endure Trump 2.0, we might as well do it with rhythm and fury.
Onward, together.
Julie Bolejack, MBA
