Dear Liza,
As you know, the United States’ newly installed president has spent his first three weeks in office dismantling the Federal government, rolling back human rights laws, and generally setting himself up to be a dictator.
With his appointment of billionaire racist Elon Musk as head of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), he is quickly firing the staff of any agency that might stop him.
Even more frightening, the Republicans in Congress are doing nothing to protect the government they were elected to.
This angers me… and hundreds of thousands of other Americans.
So on Monday, which was Presidents’ Day, about 2,000 people showed up at Portland City Hall to protest, chant, and eventually march through the streets. A peaceful but vocal crowd marched across the bridges and up the east side, carrying the message of resistance to tyranny.
It was good to be part of something bigger, of a flood of hope and passion for our democracy. Portland’s Raging Grannies were there, and Federal Workers, Union Members, and thousands of just plain folks.
This will not be our last protest, you can be sure. I’ll keep you posted.
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 