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Join us in the square! 4 PM, Mkt Square!WHEN POWER KEEPS PUSHING, WE HAVE TO KEEP SHOWING UP
Another week has brought another series of decisions that reach directly into the lives of ordinary Americans.
Federal officials moved to cancel nearly $1 billion in spending that Congress had approved. The administration moved to remove hundreds of thousands of people from Affordable Care Act coverage. The Supreme Court allowed the administration, for now, to move ahead with an expanded federal voter-information system before the midterm elections. And communities that depend on federal financing, scientific research, clean-energy investment, and public programs are continuing to feel the effects of decisions being made in Washington.
At the same time, the fight over who gets to see, question, and challenge government power continues. News organizations have gone to court over restrictions on White House access. The courts remain deeply involved in disputes over presidential authority. And even proposals that would give political officials greater control over federal research funding have generated enough concern to be pulled back this week.
These are not abstract Washington arguments.
They affect whether a family can afford health insurance. Whether communities can obtain financing for housing and small businesses. Whether public money is spent as Congress directed. Whether voters can trust the systems used to maintain voter rolls. Whether independent journalists can do their jobs. Whether scientific research is guided by evidence or political priorities.
And taken together, they raise a question that should concern every American:
What happens when the institutions designed to check government power are under constant pressure?
The answer cannot simply be to look away.
Democracy requires more than voting every few years. It requires people who pay attention. People who ask questions. People who read beyond the headlines. People who know their rights. People who talk with their neighbors. People who are willing to stand peacefully in public and say that constitutional rights, accountable government, and the rule of law matter.
That is why Civil Rights Sunday matters.
Every Sunday at 4 PM in Market Square in Portsmouth, people gather peacefully to make those values visible. You do not need to be an expert. You do not need to give a speech. You can bring a sign, bring a friend, talk with your neighbors, or simply stand with other people who believe that public participation matters.
We are going to be changing the time of Civil Rights Sundays to 3 pm on November 1, due to daylight savings time change. With the early nightfall, there are people that want to attend but aren't comfortable with driving in the dark.
Civil Rights Sunday — 4 PM — Market Square, Portsmouth, NH.
Read this week's newsletter.
Follow the evidence.
Ask questions. And
decide how you want to participate.
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