The March: How will he react?

The mom of a friend of mine is marching in Washington today. I am proud of her, and her colleagues there and throughout the nation.

Peaceful protest is a pure American right, embedded in the First Amendment to the Constitution -- the right to assembly and petition. (The 18th-century phrase was "peaceably assemble and petition the Government for a redress of grievances.") Bless them in their bus loads, with their signs and banners. Bless them outside my state Capitol in Hartford, and throughout our country. Most of all, bless them for for their message that women's rights are real and serious.

One day after Donald Trump's inauguration as the nation's 45th President, I am curious to see how this most thin-skinned of leaders reacts to the undeniable (real, not"fake" news) fact that his statements and behavior have prompted a mass protest.

Will he take to Twitter (a phrase he has made popular)? Will he denounce the participants as un-American -- or just bitter, sore losers? Will he blame the media for covering this story? Will he seek to minimize the importance of this, spinning his own version of reality?

It is too much to hope, too much to ask for, that the brand new President -- who put his hand on two Bibles one day ago, who attended a prayer service in the soaring and inspiring National Cathedral this morning, even as protesters arrived -- would pause to reflect? Maybe even to ask, "What can I do to heal some of America's wounds? To make us more united?"

He doesn't even need to tell us about it. Just act like he understands that there are people -- women and men, children, too -- who are frightened about what his Presidency means for our nation and our values. He needn't agree, just listen.

In time, that would show that America already is great.

POST SCRIPT (one day later): I got my answer. Sarcasm, snarkiness, dismissiveness and (of course) inaccuracies in claiming that the marchers (or the vast majority of them, anyway) didn't vote.