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If I simply follow mainstream media, I begin to despair that the president may succeed in overwhelming us with one drastic measure after another to cut programs to meet human needs and, instead, reward the 1-percent billionaire friends while claiming to have a citizen mandate, even though polls show the majority disapprove of his cruel and erratic policies.
Nevertheless, I am heartened when joining others at vigils and rallies resisting destruction of democracy and past gains from organized struggles for decency and human rights. Many of us have joined thousands in Maine and millions nationally for “Hands Off,” “No Kings,” and “Good Trouble” rallies, even with those who have never spoken out before and have brought creative signs expressing their concerns. We resist and promote the positive alternatives of what is best in all of us, in Maine, and in the nation.
Recent ” Good Trouble” rallies honored the legacy of John L. Lewis, who nonviolently and courageously spoke out and marched in the face of violent racist attacks. Before his death in 2020, he urged us to: “Choose confrontation wisely, but when it is your time don’t be afraid to stand up, speak up, and speak out against injustice.” So many honked horns in support when hundreds lined Stillwater Avenue in Bangor with creative signs.
As one sign read, when we come together, we realize our individual efforts are part of a greater whole and that “The power of the people is greater than the people in power.”
Ilze Petersons
Orono
