What’s up with all these pink hats. Where did they come from and why are so many people wearing them?

The pink hat is a symbol of human decency. It is our response to Trump’s statement “Grab them by the … .” This lack of respect and decency is echoed in every one of Trump’s actions. Take the budget for example. We are told that Meals on Wheels is not meeting its “goal.” It doesn’t help people get out of poverty and should be eliminated. The same goes for Women, Infants, and Children program.

These programs provide food for the most vulnerable people in our society. Nobody on these programs is getting shrimp or lobster. It’s all good, basic food. We have a responsibility toward those less fortunate. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat” and “as you do onto the least of these so you do also onto me.” If we’re going to claim we are a Christian country, we need to act like it.

Some people say this should be done by private charitable groups. That no one should be forced to help someone else. There are too many people in need of help for private groups to feed everyone. Communities with the greatest need have the fewest resources. We need to invest in each other to have a healthy society. Both these nutrition programs save us money in the long run.

Meals on Wheels helps elderly people stay in their own homes longer. Without it, many more people will have to go into a nursing home. Nursing homes are expensive. They have bills to pay, not the least of which is payroll. Without Medicare and Medicaid many nursing homes will be forced out of business. What then? If we don’t have the money are we going to let people starve in the street? I doubt there will be enough private houses to take them all in.

How can we afford to take care of people? How can we afford to spend $3 million every weekend guarding Trump when he goes to Mar-a-Lago? Mar-a-Lago is not Trump’s private house. Anyone with enough money can visit there. Anyone can work there. There is no security check for the waiters and dish washers. There is no time to check the member’s guests. It’s dangerous for him to conduct top secret business in such an exposed place, not to mention physical security. How safe is he from poison or a knife? We’re also spending millions every week to keep Melania and Baron protected in New York City, one of the most expensive places in the world. Our president should live within our means. Trump is used to more luxury but it will be good for him to experience something more like an average person.

So … about those pink hats. We have taken the word, Trump’s word, and made it our own. Some people have said “Grab them by the …” was “just locker room talk.” We of the pink hats say there is something seriously wrong in that locker room. I expect every coach around the country, indeed around the world to give their athletes a “talk” about respecting other people’s bodies.

You do not grab other people’s private parts. You do not so much as touch another person’s private parts without that person’s permission. We need men to be our allies, our defenders. Men who when they hear someone bragging sexual assault will go up to that person and tell them to keep their mouth shut and their hands to themselves. If they have a problem with that the two of you can settle it behind the gym.

The pink hats are a fun way to show we love human values. We want to take care of each other and leave our children a better future. The problems facing our country are complicated and as Paul Ryan said “BIG” and “it’s hard to do BIG things.” Yes, we need to work together to clean up toxic waste, to fully fund our libraries and public television stations, to make schools a welcoming place for people of all ages. We must work to come together for the common good.

One Trump man was annoyed that we criticized Trump for having his hats made in China. We said, “That’s no way to employ Americans.” This guy said, “Oh yeah! So where did all those pink hats come from?” They were made by hand. Millions of people all around the world used their own skills to make an emblem of human decency. Millions more people all around the world wore these hats on the same day. The pink hat is an affirmation of hope. It is a sign that world wide problems can have worldwide solutions, solutions based on our human responsibilities and human values.

Marie Tomlinson is a Fredonia resident.