Johnson County Democrats met in a park in Warrensburg on Saturday evening for Blue Dogs in the Park, a regular gathering featuring conversation, food, information, and candidate speeches. Around fifty individuals attended.
Mike Walbom, candidate in the 57th Legislative District and Jeanette Cass, candidate in the 4th Congressional District.
Roberta “RB” Burford, Vice-chair of the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee
RB spoke on the recent Missouri Supreme Court decisions on redistricting and the current obstruction by Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins (r) of the voter referendum challenging the right wingnut controlled Missouri General Assembly’s blatantly gerrymandered congressional district map.
Denny Hoskins (r) [2023 file photo]
Over 300,000 Missouri voters signed the referendum petition. Denny Hoskins’s (r) foot-dragging on certification leaves congressional district voters and candidates with no clarity on the district maps. Warrensburg is either in the 4th of the 5th Congressional District. depending.
Ray James, Chair of the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee
Jordan Herrera, candidate in the 4th Congressional District.
Mike McCaffree, the Democratic Party candidate in the 28th Senate District.
Taigan Plummer, the Democratic Party candidate in the 54th Legislative district.
Mike Walbom, the Democratic Party candidate in the 57th Legislative District
400 to 500 people demonstrated on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in Warrensburg, Missouri starting at noon today. The No Kings rally included a number of speakers who emphasized peacefulness, purpose, persistence and voting.
“No Wars, No ICE, No Kings”
“Save Our Democracy…”
“Kindness can’t sit down…”
“No Kings”
“Morons Are Governing America”
“FDJT”
“Freedom…”
“No War”
“Resist the Constitution, expect a Revolution”
“…Human Rights…”
“No Kings”
“Only caring about your own rights is exactly how you lose them”
Yesterday in Warrensburg the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee hosted its 19th annual James C. Kirkpatrick celebration. Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D) was the keynote speaker.
Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D).
.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): ….It was one of the tur, turbulent moments in the history of our nation. In fact, it was the time of the birth of our nation. And General George Washington, uh, had committed himself to lead the Continental Army. There was no turning back. And that was, uh, they’d gone too far in their fight against, uh, the Brits.
But in 1782, uh, one of the colonels in the army, a guy by the name of Lewis Nicola, uh, wrote a famous letter to General George Washington. And in that letter he asked that the general consider becoming the first king of the United State of America. In May, May twenty-first, 1782 General Washington responded to the colonel and said, that no graver disease can befall me as a general in this army than to even remotely consider being the king. After all, we’ve just been fighting the king. [applause] And so, um, that hushed the talk of making him a king although it, it was very, very popular among the soldiers. Uh, many of them, uh, saw themselves, you know, the soldiers protecting the, the king. And so he put it to a standstill and then, uh, everything was fine until the Don [laughter], King Don [laughter], uh, came to the throne. Uh, who is a, uh, a dictator [voices: “Yeah.” “Yes.”], uh, and I have seen it first hand….
….I have never seen anybody who could lie, uh, repeatedly, and actually believe themselves [laughter]. The hoodlums that I was around, they, they knew they were lying [laughter]. And they would confess if you got around the corner. ‘Oh, yeah, I was making it up.’ This man lies, I say he lies on the lie….
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): …Ladies and gentlemen, this is a crisis that even those early soldiers could not have anticipated. And all of a sudden it becomes a requirement if you are a Republican – you have…the first place you have to respond to is that you have to lie and say that, uh, Donald Trump won the election. First thing, you gotta lie. And the second thing you have to do is become politically subservient to a man who knows nothing about government, or frankly…[laughter], doesn’t know anything about government. And, uh, is just making up stuff. His chief of staff, one of the top generals in the United States Army, said after he resigned, Donald Trump, he said, I’m quoting him, is the most flawed human being he had ever been around in his life. And when people come out, when they retire or quit, and then finally it’s okay to tell the truth. Then, some of them, by now publicly saying, yeah, this happened and this happened, and he said this, he lied about that. It goes on and on and on….
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): …So, I think that, uh, we’re in a, a troublesome spot. Uh, but, we have had dark days before. And if you look at the history of the United States there, there was a moment of darkness before we became a nation. Then we became a nation and then there was a great light. And then, uh, periodically there have been dark, dark, dark moments for us.
But we’re the light. We’re Democrats. What I’d like all Americans to know is that there is no such color of dark or black. It’s not a color. We’re thinking, we have dark days, we’re trembling. Black is not even a color. Black is the absence of color….
….And the way that you defeat darkness is with light [voice: “Yeah.”]. And you are the lamplighters for America. [applause] The lamplighters for America. We, we are going to defeat darkness. [applause]…
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D): …I want to make sure that all of us understand right now that we’re gonna vote. What do we want to win, t’ain’t enough. We right now are willing to do whatever we can to make sure that this nightmare ends. T’aint enough. We are the men and women who will save this country. Our children and our grandchildren will talk about the fight we put up and how we won. And brought back the light into the United States. And make it the citadel of justice and peace….
Yesterday in Warrensburg the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee hosted its 19th annual James C. Kirkpatrick celebration. The program started with a welcome and Tribute to Immigrants by Roberta Burford and an invocation by Barbara Curtis. The master of ceremonies was Judge Joe Dandurand and the keynote speaker was Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D). Raymond James was recognized with the Doris Houx Kirkpatrick Service Award. Marion “Woody” Woods was recognized with the James C. Kirkpatrick Heritage Award. There were over 150 individuals in attendance. The annual event honors individuals who have served the community in the spirit of the Kirkpatricks and serves as a fundraiser for the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee.
Jeanette Cass (D), candidate in the 4th Congressional District (left) and Taigen Plummer (D), candidate in the 54th Legislative District (center).
Sunday afternoon over a hundred Missourians gathered in the cold and snow on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri. It was another one of many community organized demonstrations against the excesses of Donald Trump (r), his administration, and his paramilitary.
“Worst of the worst…”
“Trans Rights = Human Rights”
“No to Trump’s Fascist, murdering regime”
“ICE is Trump’s Gestapo!”
“…Defund ICE”
“….just stupid and reckless”
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to Justice everywhere”
This afternoon over a hundred Missourians gathered in the cold and snow on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri. It was another one of many community organized demonstrations against the excesses of Donald Trump (r), his administration, and his paramilitary.
As one part of the thousands of No Kings events protesting Donald Trump (r) and his administration residents and neighbors of Warrensburg, Missouri gathered yesterday for a demonstration at the Johnson County Courthouse which was scheduled to start at noon. People started showing up well before then. There were speakers and petition groups had set up tables (also circulating in the crowd) to gather signatures. We heard they did get a lot of signatures. Around 750 people attended the demonstration.
More images:
“We the People…”
“Wrong is wrong…”
“How long before Trump hurts you?!!”
“No Kings”
“We love America…”
“No Kings”
Media interview.
A significant number of signature for petitions were gathered at a table and by individuals circulating in the crowd.
Gathering petition signatures.
Explaining the petitions.
“Fight Fascism…”
“…Defying tyrants.”
“Make Fascists Afraid Again”
Read the womb.
“Separate Church and State”
“They blame immigrants so you won’t blame billionaires”
“…I’m not to old to say ‘Hell No’ this time”
“I love America…”
Anti Fascist should be the default setting”
“When cruelty become normal, compassion looks radical”
“I am AUNT TIFA”
“Remember, only you can prevent Fascism”
“Resist”
Listening:
“Resist”
Emily Wales, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) and Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes (PPGPV).
“There is nothing MORE American than Standing up for Democracy”
As one part of the thousands of No Kings events protesting Donald Trump (r) and his administration residents and neighbors of Warrensburg, Missouri gathered yesterday for a demonstration at the Johnson County Courthouse which was scheduled to start at noon. People started showing up well before then. There were speakers and petition groups had set up tables (also circulating in the crowd) to gather signatures. We heard they did get a lot of signatures. Around 750 people attended the demonstration.
“Fight Fascism”
Tyrant.
“They’ll try to bury us. They don’t know we are seeds.
Warrensburg, Missouri is hosting its annual downtown fall street festival – “BurgFest” – this weekend. Johnson County Democrats host and staff a street both during the daytime and nighttime hours of the event.
This morning:
At the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee booth.
Gathering initiative petition and referendum signatures.
