Tens of thousands nationwide once again took up banners and clever signs in a show of force against Capitol Hill over the weekend. This time, the mission was to combat a sitting president who has not released his tax returns, an unprecedented refusal in modern times.
It was a move that only the most bold of American presidents in the age of television and mass information had taken, the last being Richard Nixon. His famous statement, “I am not a crook,” actually had nothing to do with the Watergate investigation. Indeed, it was about the lack of transparency inherent in hiding his finances from the republic, as he had been repeatedly questioned about possible unpaid income taxes. Nixon claimed that he “earned everything [he] got,” and that he “never profited from public service.”
After 40 years of improving transparency following Nixon’s dumpster fire of a presidency, President Donald Trump announced that even if he wanted to release his tax returns (which he doesn’t), that he couldn’t (which he can) because his tax lawyers released a letter claiming he was under audit by the IRS (which he may not have been).
And the American people weren’t having that. At least, most weren’t.
However, the national protest movement was in essence pushed to the side in Seattle by an early social media campaign for a Black Lives Matter 2.0 protest, which ultimately outgrew the earlier tax march protesters April 15. The Facebook event for the Seattle tax march garnered a middling 3,400 confirmations, compared to the Black Lives Matter event’s 19,000.
The latter event’s description included a mere footnote referencing our sitting West Wing, declaring “apparently Rich people Like Donald Trump don’t pay taxes,” and after a volley of reasons for the march taking place, demanded Trump release his tax returns. What was supposed to be a sister march to the Tax March that was taking place at 10 a.m. ended up becoming all the buzz and the Saturday plans for the locale.
Perhaps it was because Seattleites weren’t as interested in Trump’s tax returns as they say they are on social media, but I’d wager that a significant chunk of the Black Lives Matter 2.0 march’s attendees simply didn’t know about the Tax March before they had already dedicated themselves to the other cause.
I find it a bit sad that this happened. The Black Lives Matter march should have happened on a different day, maybe earlier, maybe later. It should have certainly taken place on a day that made sense for the principle of a march: to make voices heard.
Protests and marches have a unique opportunity to garner nationwide attention and unification, and by sapping away the energy from the Tax March, Seattle was practically off the radar in the outcry over Trump’s tax returns. I find his conflicts of interest and pertinent business ties to be far more significant to the nation right now than almost any other issue.
What could have been achieved is a national voice of unification against the sitting president’s decisions. At a later time, Seattleites could have shined the spotlight on issues of race and discrimination via a separate march free from protest fatigue. The Tax March had been planned since the day after President Trump’s inauguration, and although I love the uniqueness of this city, it really didn’t have to be that unique on this one issue.
Reach writer Zackary Bonser at opinion@dailyuw.com. Twitter: @ZackaryBonser
