Hands Off! Rally in Augusta Maine: Thousands demonstrated throughout Maine and encore April 19th

Echo opinion letter published in the Penn Bay Pilot, circulated in Midcoast Maine - Rockland, Camden and Thomaston: 

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Augusta Maine Hands Off! 2025 

Cloudy skies and threat of rain did not prevent or overshadow thousands of Mainers from turning out for the Hands Off! Rally and protest March that took place in Augusta, Portland, Brunswick and many other locations in Maine on Saturday, April 5.

It was heartening and galvanizing to be part of a crowd of around 4,000 at the State Capitol in Augusta, who showed up to be seen and be heard in protest against the Republicans, and Trump and his henchpeople with a loud and clear message: Hands off everything that matters and stop with the whole scale destruction of our democracy, government institutions, and the global economic order!

It was inspiring and uplifting to be among people of all ages holding their creative, clever, and compelling signs, with messages such as "It's Not Right or Left; It's Right or Wrong"; "Gut Fish, Not People!", and "The only minority destroying this country are the billionaires".

Many thousand cheered loudly and waved signs in response to calls for action by speakers such as Representative Vallie Geiger.

A few agile people who were risk averse protesters climbed up into the trees with their signs to get a better view. There were many flags - American, Canadian and Ukrainian - being proudly carried. Musicians playing trumpets and other instruments accompanied raucous renditions of singing "We Shall Overcome" and other protest tunes.

Participants with cowbells, drums, buckets, and other rhythm makers helped to energize the peaceful protest march.

As we walked, folks with megaphones led chants of "Tell me what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like!" and "Hey-hey, ho-ho, Trump and Musk have got to go".

Hands off April 5, 2025 in Augusta Maine

The police on duty helped to direct traffic and, along with the volunteer marshals, helped ensure the safety of the thousands of us marching. Across the State, the country, and the world, We The People showed up and peacefully, powerfully, and persuasively made our voices and demands heard.

As the Greek poet, Dinos Christianopoulos wrote, "They tried to bury us, but they didn't know we were seeds."

From:  Karin Lockwood lives in Rockport, Maine 

Elon Musk has a dangerous free pass to destroy our government but he is an unqualified-unelected South African immigrant !

Making America miserable again?

Echo opinion letter published in the Penn Bay Pilot, published in Rockland Maine. 


We are only seven weeks into the Trump Presidency, and most of what he promised on the the campaign trail is evidently all lies😝😡😱❗

Instead of a stronger economy, the markets are crashing in response to Trump's tariffs, inflation is up 3%, and jobless claims are up 242,000.

Instead of improving the health and safety for U.S. citizens, there is an unprecedented and deadly measles outbreak, 36 million Americans' health insurance is at risk due to GOP Medicaid cuts, and both airline safety and critical weather forecasting are threatened by DOGE cuts.

Instead of protecting U.S. veterans, veteran services, jobs, and healthcare are under attack. Instead of protecting the elderly, Social Security checks are at risk of interruption.

Meanwhile, Trump has played golf on 13 of the 48 days he has been back in office, costing U.S. taxpayers $18 million.

And Musk has had a free pass to destroy and reconstruct Government Agencies in ways that result in expanded contracts with his companies — Tesla, SpaceX, and Dogecoin — enhancing Musk's personal fortune manifold.

Waste and fraud, you say❓

From Karin Lockwood lives in Rockport Maine

#FireElonMusk❗

Letter to Senator Susan Collins from constituent- Follow the example of Margaret Chase Smith of Maine

Stand up❗ Senator Collins

Opinion letter published in the PenBay Pilot (Penobscot Bay Pilot), in Rockland, Maine.  Dear Senator Collins:

As we well know, Senator Margaret Chase Smith stood up to Senator Joseph R. McCarthy and brought to a close his unjustified, unconstitutional witch hunt for Communists which he suspected lurked everywhere. 

McCarthy's bullying ruined the lives of many Americans and scared even more. Senator Smith's leadership is lauded today, over 70 years later, and Maine is proud to claim her as one of ours.

Now it's your turn.

Our country is in turmoil. Trump has threatened and is carrying out retribution. Federal employees are being fired for doing their jobs while their important government agencies are being taken over by individuals with no ability, experience, or expertise whose goal seems to be to gut or close the agencies entirely. January 6th Criminals convicted of storming the Capital have been released from prison without serving their sentences; many people wonder whether the rule of law even stands any more. 

Others wonder if this country is going to continue fulfilling the promises of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The people calling for these actions don't seem concerned about the repercussions - national or international, intentional or otherwise.

It's now your turn to show the entire country, and Maine in particular, that you put our country before your party.

You need to show everyone that you can't be intimidated into voting for unethical, immoral, inexperienced and downright absurd people to head various departments.

More than that, you need to stand for what's right and just and against the outrageous and often unconstitutional actions of Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Your challenge is to be your most courageous self and lead others to be the same.

In the past you have often attempted to find middle ground. I don't think that's appropriate here. You need to be "all in" in order to turn around this attempt to gut our country.

I believe you have it in you to do all this, and I believe that should your most courageous self prevail, you will be remembered in Maine and throughout the country, as is Senator Margaret Chase Smith.

From Mary Orear,  in Rockport Maine