Action Item 160: Labor Day
Background: If you aren’t familiar with the origins of the holiday, here’s a link to the Wikipedia article about it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_Day Scroll down to see the history of US Labor Day vs. May Day, and on what date Labor Day will fall in the future! Frances Perkins, that amazing woman who was the prime mover behind much of the New Deal as well as our first Secretary of Labor (1), finally has a National Monument in the form of her Newcastle homestead (2), which you can go visit – maybe September 7 when there will be an event in her honor. (3) What is happening to our nation as Trump and his merry band of fascists attempt to undo all her good work is a travesty that must not stand.
Actions:
Labor Day Monday Sept. 1 Peaceful protest in Ellsworth. A flyer is attached. Come in the morning for the standout on High Street, stay for the rally and march in the afternoon. Some have questioned why the emphasis that protests be nonviolent. Answers include: (a) we don’t want to provide any excuse for reciprocal violence on the part of the fascist thugs the Trump administration has been hiring, (b) if you create violence, in the ensuing mayhem some very vulnerable people (e.g. elderly, children, disabled) who are protesting beside you may be severely injured, and (c) violence simply does not align with our values. However, to be non-violent does NOT mean to be wishy-washy! Make a sign that hits hard and doesn’t mince words! Print and post the attached flyer locally and on any of your social media.
Blue Hill Fair Aug 28- Sept 1 Attend and Talk to people! The Hancock County Dems have a booth, and your participation would be very much appreciated. Contact Lin Gould (lingould347@gmail.com) to volunteer for an open slot and find out what’s involved. Free fair admission! A chance to inform and engage with a wide variety of voters and learn what’s on their minds! The insights you gain will be valuable going forward into election season. And you might convince some people to vote who otherwise would have skipped the important November 4 2025 Maine election.
Door to door canvass in your town. Right after Labor Day, Democrats start hitting the roads to tell people about Referendum Question 1 and encourage people to VOTE NO on November 4. This is vitally important. Contact your town Dem chair for how you can get involved. If you need contact info or want to initiate a canvassing effort in your town, contact Charles Stephens, Chair
chair@hancockdems.org, Lee Cline, Vice Chair vicechair@hancockdems.org, Phil Bailey
Pbsustain@aol.com or Abbie McMillen abbiemcmillen@mac.com
Watch a short youtube video. We concur with Emanuel Pariser’s recommendation to watch Robert Reich’s “Five Ways to Fight Facism”, and talk to your friends and family about it. (4)
“The future is watching”!
Extra Credit:
(1) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Perkins
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Perkins_National_Monument
(3) https://francesperkinscenter.org/social-security-90th-anniversary/
(4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W-lVRQQGtI