I have a pamphlet-sized copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution on my desk. I recently re-read the Declaration of Independence in honor of its 249th anniversary.
After you get by the “We hold these truths to be self-evident” paragraph, the signers had a long list of specific grievances (27, to be precise) against the Crown. In the signers’ eyes, these issues and the failure to redress them constituted tyranny and the basis for declaring independence.
To highlight but a few:
“He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers;”
“For cutting off our Trade with all Parts of the World;”
“For depriving us in many Cases of the Benefits of Trial by Jury;”
“For transporting us beyond the Seas to be tried for pretended Offenses;”
Does any of this sound familiar? There’s more:
“He has erected a Multitude of new Offices, and sent hither Swarms of Officers to harass our Peoples, and eat out their substance.” (DOGE, anyone? ICE?)
We knew the MAGA Republican regime was going to be horrible. We did a detailed analysis of Project 2025.
What the MAGAs apparently did not count on was the fierce groundswell of popular opposition. Maybe they thought people would be cowed or indifferent.
They were wrong. Trump threw himself a military parade for his birthday. It was a piffle, attended by about 40,000.
On the same day, the No Kings protest in thousands of cities and towns turned out about 4 to 6 million. (My favorite sign from the protest: “If Kamala were President, we’d be having brunch now.”)
No matter the party, elected officials (and judges) pay attention to mass protests. But they REALLY pay attention to election results.
As Democrats in Ridgefield, and Connecticut, and the USA, our job is to win elections. Everything else pales in comparison.
We will harness this opposition, and we will defeat the MAGAs in every election, at every level. Every. Single. Time.
Our fight continues.
Happy Independence Day!
Arny DiLaura is the Chair of the Ridgefield Democratic Town Committee.