Again, today, people in Warrensburg, Missouri showed up.
Starting at around 5:00 p.m. people gathered on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg for march and rally protesting the continuing travesty which is the second Trump Administration. By the time the march started there were around 100 people marching.
After gathering on the lawn (and visiting, and voter registration) the organizers had an invocation, then communicated the march route and rally agenda. Local law enforcement agencies blocked the intersections while the marchers were in the street on their way to the amphitheater on the University of Central Missouri campus.
Missouri House Democratic Leader Representative Ashley Aune and Representative Ray Reed (D) participated in the rally and march.
“Resist Now. Because it is easier than hiding a family in your attic later.”
“Only YOU can prevent Fascism”
“Respect my existence…”
Missouri House Democratic Leader, Representative Ashley Aune.
“…Right now things are about as perilous as they’ve ever been in our nation’s history. That is the simple truth. Things haven’t looked this dim since right before the Civil War. And, like Jess [Piper] mentioned, when we’re talking about suspending habeas corpus, that has not been done since the Civil War. When we have people being grabbed off the street the simple truth is this – this is a pivotal moment and I don’t know if the United States of America survives this moment. It’s not guaranteed. [voice: “We’re not united anymore.”] Liberty and justice, freedom, those things are not guaranteed to us. And if we fail this moment our country will cease to exist in the way we’ve known it…”
On Saturday, May 10th, Johnson County Democrats held a social and organizing event in a park on the west side of Warrensburg. Over 100 individuals attended, listening to a number of speakers. Yvonne Reeves-Chong, Vice Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party addressed the crowd:
. “…Here’s the other thing that’s true. No one is coming over the hill to save you. No one. Superman is not coming up over the trees. Barack Obama is not dropping from the sky. The only people that can save us, the hero of this moment has to be you…”
“…It’s the week in, the week out that’s the heroic thing. So for this moment I’m calling each of you to be like Blanche [Rudolph], to get up, to knock the door, to talk to your neighbor, to not let injustice stand. And you do that week in, you do it week out. You run for office when it’s scary. When you hear that bigoted comment. Ya’ll, I’m not asking you to get into a long philosophical argument, but I am asking you to turn around a say, ‘Hell no.’ We don’t have to let bigotry stand…”
“…We are the Democratic Party. But more importantly, we are Americans. [applause] And, ya’ll that flag means something. It means something to me. We are the party that truly understands that liberty and justice for all means everybody or it means nothing at all. [applause]…”
“…We don’t need to explain trans people. We don’t need to explain gay people. And, please, stop explaining black folk. Ya’ll ain’t good at it. [laughter] Yeah, not good at it. Stop explaining things. It’s liberty and justice for all. And all is all is all is all…”
“…All. Because that’s who we are. That’s where we stand. That’s how we fight. Every single one of us. Week in, week out…”
“…We’ve got judges being arrested, we’ve got the Newark, New Jersey mayor being arrested. If they can do those things to people with that much power we have got to be in the streets. And that’s what people, I was hesitant for a long time, ’cause people would say, ‘What should we do?’
We should be in the streets. Every single weekend. We should show them that we do not approve of this, that we are not okay with this. And we do it with our signs and we do it with our bodies. And if it gets to a point I think a general strike is the only thing we’ve got left. We have to hit them in their pocketbooks ’cause they don’t care about anything else. They sure don’t give a ….damn about the rest of us…”
Jess Piper (D).
In the early evening on Saturday, May 10th, Johnson County Democrats held a social and organizing event in a park on the west side of Warrensburg. Over 100 individuals attended, listening to a number of speakers. Jess Piper (D) – The View from Rural Missouri – an organizer, an activist, a writer, and a voice for dirt road Democrats – drove from the northwest part of the state to be there.
Jess Piper (D):
.
‘…That’s why they attack trans kids. Because they got nothing else. Well, you know what? We should stand for trans kids ’cause trans kids are human. And every single human deserves dignity [applause] [voice: “Damn right!”]…”
“…They want us to be scared of standing up. But I’m more scared of not standing up. Every single one of us in here who has privilege, I want you to listen to this. If you see someone who is kidnapping someone else from the street I want you to put your body in the way. I want you to stop them. [applause] Use your privilege to stop this. [applause] They are not deporting people, they are kidnapping them. They have no due process. And let me tell you this, friends, if they don’t have due process neither do you. All of us have to be standing up right now.
Stephen Miller yesterday said they were gonna get rid of habeas corpus. Okay, fantastic. You know what that does? Makes sure that you’re not in jail under false premises. Makes sure that they have charges against you. Of course they want to get rid of it. Because they want everything to fail…”
“…I didn’t need a crystal ball to see what was happening, neither did you. You read ‘Project 2025’. I knew they were gonna defund Head Start. When I said it I sounded like a lunatic. Guess what they did?…”
“…nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” – 5th Amendment, United States Constitution
Today at noon at the Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri – protesting Donald Trump (r) and the Trump Administration – overcast sky and intermittent light drizzle, temperature in the upper 40s, over eighty people, signs, honking horns, and the occasional right wingnut pickup truck complete with scowling driver:
At noon today at the Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri – protesting Donald Trump (r) and the Trump Administration – a steady rain, 40°, around thirty people, signs, honking horns, and one red right wingnut smoker pickup truck:
At the march and rally in Warrensburg, Missouri on Saturday, March 29th protesting the continuing shitshow which is the second Trump Administration.
“Hands off Social Security”
I listened to a talking head conversation on a so-called liberal cable network morning show. Somehow the protests are all about a wealthy Nazi’s car dealerships. Yeah, no.
As in other towns and cities across America today people in Warrensburg, Missouri showed up.
Starting at around 11:00 a.m. people gathered on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg for a noon march and rally protesting the continuing shitshow which is the second Trump Administration. By the time the march started there were close to 300 people marching.
After gathering on the lawn (and visiting, and voter registration) the organizers had an invocation, then communicated the march route and rally agenda. Local law enforcement agencies blocked the intersections while the marchers were in the street on their way to the Quad on the University of Central Missouri campus.
“Dismantle DOGE”
“Trump is unAmerican”
“Speak your mind even if your voice shakes”
The start of the march.
“Mein Covfefe” – allusion and sarcasm on protest signs is an American art form. Smartassery at its finest.
“Trans Rights are Human Rights”
“The Many will beat the Money. Resist.”
“Fight Oligarchy”
“We’re being played”
“The time is now!”
“Our rights are not up for grabs!”
Words from the organizers and other speakers on the Quad at the flagpole with the bronze Bill of Rights plaques at the base:
Manny Abarca IV (D).
“No Kings”
“Keep your tiny hands off my social security”
“Liberty and Justice for All”
Trump don’t care about us”
300 people marching in Warrensburg, Missouri is something to behold. There are reports that several thousand individuals marched in Kansas City
Today at noon in Warrensburg about twenty individuals gathered on campus for a march to the Johnson County Courthouse to demonstrate their support for the concept of and existence of science. This was a local event to coincide with similar demonstrations today across the country.
At the campus gathering point – the Amphitheater:
Any bets on how much longer those banners stay up?
On Saturday in Warrensburg Johnson County Democrats held an awards luncheon celebrating the long public service legacy of legendary Missouri Secretary of State James C. Kirkpatrick.
Johnson County Democratic Central Committee Chair Raymond James.
The program included a panel discussion with written questions submitted by those in attendance.
Yvonne Reeves-Chong (D) and Elad Gross (D).
The moderator:
Gary Grigsby (D).
Roberta Burford (D).
Introduction of the awardees:
Yvonne Reeves-Chong, Vice Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party.
Judge Joe Dandurand – 17th Judicial Circuit judge, Missouri Western District Court of Appeals, Chief Deputy Missouri Attorney General, Executive Director of Legal Aid of Western Missouri was honored with the James C. Kirkpatrick Heritage Award for his distinguished public service:
Judge Joe Dandurand.
Erica Collins was honored with the Doris Houx Kirkpatrick Community Service Award for her distinguished and sustained community involvement.
The University of Central Missouri held its annual homecoming parade in Warrensburg yesterday morning. As in all election years local and statewide candidates participate. The parade route winds around and through the university campus and downtown Warrensburg – with a crowd numbering several thousand.
We accompanied the grouped entries of local Democrats and Democratic Party candidates in the parade.
In the line-up area:
In support of Amendment 3.
The Democratic Party entries were lined up next to a wagon pulled by a pair of mules sponsored by “Missouri Right to Life” festooned with “No on 3” signs. There wasn’t interaction between the two groups.
Eric Stevens, the Democratic Party candidate in the 54th Legislative District:
