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JOIN THE MOVEMENT, FIND YOUR MOJO
July 4th is normally a time to celebrate our democracy — one of humankind's greatest achievements. This year, we find ourselves in a state of anxiety over whether this great experiment will survive — and if so, in what condition? Major elections won’t happen until 2026. While that may seem far off, there is plenty for us to do right now.
Our protests and phone calls serve to remind public officials — especially members of Congress — that we are watching and will hold them accountable for gutting the federal government, trampling on civil rights and due process, using ICE as a political weapon, allowing the reckless tax and fiscal policies of the foolishly named “Big Beautiful Bill,” abandoning our allies overseas, attacking universities and undermining science, politicizing the Department of Justice, suppressing voting rights, persecuting political enemies, undercutting vital health programs such as Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, and, most recently, engaging the U.S. in military conflict in the Middle East without Congressional authorization.
Trump and his accomplices want us to give up. Our phone calls and protests show them that we won’t. Our actions are infectious and inspire others to join us. The continuing Saturday morning protests on the Salisbury green are growing and drawing concerned citizens from neighboring towns. Our actions show others — protesting across the country — that we stand with them as part of a massive, decentralized movement. No Kings Day was a model for this kind of peaceful, legal protest: too large to be ignored, yet too decentralized for Trump to inflame by sending in the National Guard. Our message is clear: We, the people, reject what this administration is doing. Your presence matters. Your voice matters. And your commitment fuels the ongoing fight.
Democracy isn’t preserved by elections alone or by waiting for the courts. Since 1776, history has shown it’s shaped — and saved — by the collective efforts of people who stand up, however they can, whenever they must.
So don’t sit back and rely on others to do the work. Get involved — in whatever way makes sense for you — and start now. Read on for some simple, powerful ways to take action.
With thanks for the courage you give me,
Your Faithful Editor
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In This Issue
- No Kings Day: While Trump Paraded We Protested
- Don't Quit -- Join Saturday Protests in Salisbury and Other Towns
- New Project Launches: Art Rejects Tyranny (ART)
- Upcoming Events
- Things You Can Do Now
- In Case You Missed It
- Did You Miss A Newsletter?
- Share Your News
- Tell Us What You Think
- Spread The Word
| NO KINGS DAY: WHILE TRUMP PARADED WE PROTESTED | |
While President Trump was staging his military parade in Washington, DC, to celebrate his birthday on June 14, millions of Americans marked the day by participating in No Kings Day. Across the country—in large cities and small towns, in red states as well as blue—people came together to reject what Trump is doing.
In Salisbury the turnout was nothing short of inspiring. An estimated 500 people, many from neighboring towns, gathered on the town green. Protests also took place in towns across the Northwest Corner. Many people from Salisbury continued on to the larger protest in Hartford.
Special thanks go to Sophia and Lee deBoer for organizing a bus and coordinating carpools from Salisbury to Hartford. Victoria and Mike Selbach also deserve everyone’s gratitude for hosting a pre-event workshop to make protest signs. More than 60 people participated, creating over 90 signs and a large banner.
To everyone who joined in this landmark day of protest—thank you. Together, we stood and said: No kings. No unchecked power. No abandonment of the democratic values that define us.
| | DON'T QUIT — JOIN SATURDAY PROTESTS IN SALISBURY AND OTHER TOWNS | | |
If you liked No Kings Day, please join the ongoing protests every Saturday morning from 11-noon on the town green at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury. Send the message to those in power: We, the people, reject what the Trump Administration is doing. Please bring your own sign, if you can. These events are also a great way to teach your children that democracy works best when citizens participate. Come every Saturday rain or shine. Saturday protests are also happening in these other towns:
- Cornwall - 12:00pm at the Triangle at the intersection of Routes 4 & 7, Cornwall Bridge.
- New Milford - 12:00pm - Check this link for the location, which is subject to change due to other town events.
| | NEW PROJECT LAUNCHES: ART REJECTS TYRANNY (ART) | | |
“In a time of destruction, create something” is the founding motto of Art Rejects Tyranny (ART), a collaborative creative project born here in the Northwest Corner. Its goal is to inspire people to create something meaningful in response to the destruction being wrought in Washington. Unlike protests, boycotts, or other forms of resistance, ART invites both artists and non-artists to respond emotionally and creatively—to grieve, to dream, to push back against tyranny—by making a creative work.
You are invited to submit a creative work in almost any medium—painting, photography, sculpture, video, poetry, or other—that speaks to this moment. All submissions will be displayed in an online gallery on the ART website. In September, selected works will be featured in a live exhibit in Millerton.
To learn more, view the online gallery, submit your work, or find out how to volunteer, please visit the ART website at www.artrejectstyranny.org.
Please note that ART is not officially sponsored by any Democratic Town Committee, although it did emerge from conversations among several DTC leaders in the Northwest Corner. (Full disclosure, Your Faithful Editor, Lee Greenhouse, is one of the organizers.)
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TODAY: Tuesday, July 1 at 5pm - ACLU Briefing: Inside this Supreme Court Term. Join the ACLU’s team of legal experts for a debrief of the most critical rulings of this Supreme Court term. panelists will talk about what it was like fighting these cases in front of the Court and the impact these rulings have on our civil rights and liberties. Click to register for this online briefing.
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Thursday, July 3 at 3pm - What’s Next? Indivisible’s Weekly Call. Every Thursday, Indivisible co-founders Ezra Levin and Leah Greenberg help wade through the week’s news, answer your questions, and provide timely calls to action. Click here to register for this weekly call.
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Sunday, July 6 from 4-6pm - “Always Proud” PRIDE Potluck Picnic in Norfolk.
Celebrate with friends and neighbors at this pride picnic on the Norfolk Town Green. Everyone is invited. Please come even if you aren’t bringing a potluck dish. Beverages will be provided. This event is hosted by the Church of Christ Congregation UCC Norfolk. Call (860) 542-5721 with any questions.
Monday, July 7 at 5:30pm: The Sharon Democratic Town Committee holds its regular monthly meeting. You are welcome to join in person on the second floor of Sharon Town Hall, 63 Main Street in Sharon, or remotely on Zoom. Please email sharontowndemocrats@gmail.com for a link.
Tuesday, July 15 at 7pm: Salisbury Democratic Town Committee Caucus and Monthly Meeting. The Salisbury Democratic caucus will be held to elect a slate for municipal elections on November 4, 2025. Participation in the caucus is in person only at Town Hall. All registered Democrats in Salisbury are welcome. The regular monthly SDTC meeting will start directly after the caucus and will be hybrid, in-person and Zoom. The SDTC is committed to promoting good government and democratic principles at every level of our civic life. The SDTC recruits candidates for local elective and appointed offices and supports the most qualified Democrats to run in municipal, state, and national elections. Meetings are usually on the third Tuesday of every month. Please email Al Ginouves to receive a copy of the agenda and the link to the meeting. All are welcome.
Saturday, July 19 at 5:30 pm - Democratic Garden Party to Benefit the Sharon DTC
at 1 Williams Road, Sharon. Click here to purchase tickets. Lynden Miller’s private gardens in Sharon are a mid-summer miracle. Fresh from her triumphant restoration of the gardens at Manhattan’s Frick Collection, Lynden is back home and eager to dig in to the political work we must do to protect our democracy. Each year she opens her gardens for this event and they are both a balm for the soul and a reminder of the power of beauty to inspire. There will be signature cocktails, hand-crafted appetizers, and a silent auction of specially curated items, most of which are unique experiences not found anywhere else.
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At the risk of repeating a message from previous issues of this newsletter, we are re-posting some of the ways you can contribute to the growing groundswell of citizens making our collective voice heard. With the increasing recklessness of the Trump administration, it's more important than ever to take a stand. Channel your anxiety, depression, frustration, and anger into meaningful action.
Get Timely Updates on Important Actions From These Sources
Because we publish only once a month, there are many events during the month that never make it into our pages. To keep informed about those events, we strongly suggest that you subscribe to some of the excellent, more frequent sources that are listed below.
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5 Calls - Elected officials really do care what their constituents think. That's why calls to officials' offices are impactful. Every day staffers compile and report on all the calls that their offices receive. Making a call takes just a minute using the short scripts on key issues and telephone numbers they provide. 5 Calls researches key issues, drafts scripts, and provides contact info for elected officials. Go to the 5 Calls website and choose an issue you care about. Enter your zip code and the system will provide you with the telephone numbers of your senators and representatives along with the relevant scripts. Subscribe to 5 Call’s weekly newsletter for emails with the latest updates.
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Jill Drew’s Today's Action Daily Blast – This six-days-a-week email suggests a single, focused calling action to our public officials each day, most often providing carefully-researched sample scripts along with the contact information for calling US senators and representatives serving Northwestern Connecticut and the adjoining area of New York’s Hudson Valley. To sign up email jill@jilldrew.com.
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Saving Democracy email - Indefatigable activist Kathy Voldstad provides announcements of actions for people in and around Salisbury and elsewhere. Kathy's emails also provide inspiration that we all need in times like these. To sign up, email kathyvoldstad@gmail.com.
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Jessica Craven's Chop Wood, Carry Water – This is one of our perennial favorites. Activist Jessica Craven provides daily suggestions on easy actions that each of us can take. Read it here and subscribe free for her daily dose of actions.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Strengthened Security for Absentee Ballot Drop Boxes in CT. Beginning July 1, all Connecticut municipalities are required to install and operate video recording systems — with date and time stamps — at every absentee ballot drop box. This major upgrade significantly enhances the security and integrity of mail-in voting. To ensure transparency and public accountability recordings must be made publicly available as soon as possible, and no later than five days after the last ballot is collected. And municipalities must retain all recordings for at least one year. This new safeguard was enacted following a high-profile absentee ballot abuse case in Bridgeport, where a 2023 video appeared to show a political official placing multiple ballots into a drop box — prompting a court to order a re-do of the city’s Democratic primary.
The Power of Peaceful Protest: Why 3.5% Is a Game-Changer. Peaceful protest isn’t just a moral stance — it’s a proven strategy for political change. Harvard researcher Erica Chenoweth found that nonviolent movements are twice as likely to succeed as violent ones, and that no movement with at least 3.5% active participation has ever failed. From the 1986 People Power revolution in the Philippines to Georgia’s Rose Revolution and recent climate protests, history shows that ordinary people can topple regimes and reshape societies — without weapons. Why does it work? Nonviolent campaigns attract broader support, are easier to join, and often win over police and military forces. Once a movement reaches a tipping point of engagement, real change becomes nearly inevitable. Chenoweth’s research has reshaped activism and shown that real power often lies with committed, everyday citizens — not just the political elite. Read the full article by the BBC to explore how peaceful resistance can change the course of history.
Past and Presidency: The Lasting Importance of the "No Kings" Protests. June 14 was the largest single day of protest in US history, with five million people gathering around the country. Listen to this conversation between journalist Jonathan Alter and historian Julian Zelizer about how "People Power" can change the world. Learn about where protest has worked in the past and where this movement could be going. (Subscription required).
The DOJ Doesn’t Win Anymore — and That’s a Good Thing. Despite the chaos dominating headlines, a counter-narrative is quietly emerging: democracy is holding firm in the courts. As litigator and democracy advocate Marc Elias points out, Trump’s Department of Justice is losing — badly. In May alone, the DOJ lost 96% of its federal district court cases, according to Stanford professor Adam Bonica. That’s a stunning reversal for a department that has traditionally enjoyed deference from judges. Behind the collapse is a mix of legally unsound arguments, courtroom blunders, and open hostility toward judges — even those appointed by Trump himself. Conservative jurists, once expected to favor the administration, have instead become vocal critics of its legal overreach. Trump wants critics to abandon faith in legal institutions — but so far, judges are standing firm. For more insightful coverage of the courts and legal issues, visit Democracy Docket.
Sarah McBride on Why the Left Lost on Trans Rights — The Ezra Klein Show.
If you want a sharper understanding of what progressives have gotten wrong in recent years, listen to Ezra Klein’s interview with Sarah McBride, the first openly transgender person elected to the US Congress. McBride offers powerful insights into why transgender rights have lost ground—especially since Trump’s re-election—and shares broader lessons for progressives on how to rebuild popular support through grassroots persuasion. Her candid reflections provide both hope and a compelling defense of political engagement, despite its inevitable compromises, frustrations, and setbacks. The full 90-minute conversation is well worth your time. But if you’re short on time, don’t miss the 10-minute segment on illiberalism on the left and the aftermath of the 2024 election, which begins at 23:32. Click to see the entire interview.
Anti-Managerialism Explains a Lot About What Has Happened in Trump 2.0. Elon Musk may have exited from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), but the broader mission behind DOGE remains firmly in motion: To dismantle what its architects call the "tyranny of the bureaucracy." At the heart of this movement is a deeper, once-fringe ideology that now animates much of the New Right: anti-managerialism. This worldview sees modern democracies as having been overtaken by an unaccountable class of bureaucrats and technocrats — a “managerial elite” that governs without consent and evades democratic control. Far from a simple push to reduce spending or shrink government, this effort is rooted in a radical reevaluation of who holds real power in America. Inspired by political theorist James Burnham’s The Managerial Revolution (1941), today’s anti-managerialists aim to reclaim institutions from what they see as a self-perpetuating class of rulers. Understanding this ideology is key to making sense of the New Right’s ambitions — and the growing resistance to America’s managerial state. Read more in this guest essay in The New York Times by N.S. Lyons, who writes the Upheaval Substack newsletter.
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DID YOU MISS A NEWSLETTER?
The entire archive of past newsletters is available at the Salisbury Democratic Town Committee website.
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SHARE YOUR NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
Please send us any news or announcements that you would like us to share with our community. We publish on the first of each month, so please send us any submissions at least one week in advance. Please submit to the editor at salsdemsnews@gmail.com.
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TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
We love hearing from you, our readers. Every edition of our newsletter is created with you in mind — to inform, engage, and inspire. But your feedback helps us do our job better. Drop us a note — even a few lines can make a big difference. Reach us anytime at salsdemsnews@gmail.com.
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