Action 109 – the Conscience of Collins
Background: From the start of her career, Susan Collins has always said that her inspiration and guiding light is Margaret Chase Smith, whose seat Collins now occupies in the Senate. In 2010, when Collins was 58 years old, she co-sponsored a resolution that designated June 1, 2010 as "Declaration of Conscience Day," to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Margaret Chase Smith's historic speech on the Senate floor. Smith’s speech (1) made her the first Republican to speak out against McCarthyism and its “political exploitation of fear, bigotry, ignorance, and intolerance.” This June 1st will mark the 75th anniversary of that "Declaration of Conscience" speech.
About the speech, Collins wrote (2): “On June 1, 1950, Senator Margaret Chase Smith delivered a courageous and heroic speech on the floor of the United States Senate in which she denounced Senator Joseph McCarthy's unchecked anticommunist smear campaign. She called on her colleagues to reject political exploitation, intimidation and fear tactics, and to defend the right of all Americans to freedom of speech and the right to independent thought. She had the integrity to speak out for what is right, though it was not politically popular. Indeed, as Senator Smith once said, "The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character...Senator Smith has been one of my role models and a special inspiration to me throughout my career in my public service.”
Susan needs to know that we know what she said and we agree with it. However, her actions seem to indicate that she forgot that courage is required of her also, and in this time. Let’s remind her.
Action: On May 20, mail a postcard to Senator Collins. The organizers of this initiative say “Our vision of this action is not to shame or blame her, but to inspire her to be the leader her young self once aspired to. This is a clear moment and opportunity that most leaders do not get. She could be a hero. A real hero. It just takes one. And Maine would be celebrated for its fierce, independent spirit once again. We encourage postcards with a positive message. A you-can-do-this, we-are-counting-on-you vibe. We believe if she were able to find it in her, she could, like Margaret Chase Smith before her in 1950, begin to turn the tide. It just takes one, truly, and Collins knows it.” IF the postcards are mailed on May 20, they should arrive by June 1. Get all your friends to write and mail a single postcard. Surely we can do that, if it could help to get Congress to do its job and check the rampant lawlessness of Trumpism!
Contact: Write to: Senator Susan Collins, 68 Sewall Street, Room 507, Augusta, ME 04330
On your postcard(s), please include your name and address; otherwise Senator Collins’ staff
may not officially “log in” your correspondence.
Urgency: It’s just ONE postcard per person, to put in the mail on MAY 20.
Extra Credit:
(1) https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/SmithDeclaration.pdf
(2) https://www.collins.senate.gov/newsroom/conscience-and-courage-honoring-legacy-senator-margaret-chase-smith This is from Collins’ website, and contains more statements she made about how she was inspired by Smith.
“It is high time that we all stopped being tools and victims of totalitarian techniques - techniques that, if continued here unchecked, will surely end what we have come to cherish as the American way of life." Margaret Chase Smith from her “Declaration