Protests are no magic wand: they don’t solve problems. Protests expose problems, like the self-dealing and corruption that festers in the Trump administration, like the systematic dismantling of our democratic government and basic infrastructure and institutions. Protests help bring into the open that President Trump is enriching himself, his family and his entourage while giving tax breaks to his billionaire buddies and leave us to pay the bill by cutting Medicaid, Medicare and SNAP programs.

Taking to the streets will not reverse the chaos, repair the damage or change the course of history overnight; healing and rebuilding will take time. But with each chant rising from the street, with each sign raised, with each cheer coming from passers-by, we are marching and coming together from all over the nation to draw a line and, with one voice, say: “We will not bow our heads, we will not remain silent.”

On June 14, in more than 1,800 cities, towns and villages across the U.S., including more than 35 in Maine alone, “we the people” will remind Trump that this country is no place for a king. And we will do it again, and again, because every time we rise in protest, Trump’s veneer of power will keep chipping away.

Bruce Springsteen said: “The last checks on power, after the checks and balances of government have failed, are the people — you and me.”

We have a job to do. This Saturday. And again.

Marcy Leger
Bath