Local Residents Come Out To Resist Current Presidential Agenda

A kickoff meeting for a new local organization formed to resist current agenda items set forth by President Donald Trump has gained momentum in our area.

According to the organization, more than 300 people attended the Indivisible Lower Bucks meeting, forcing organizers to relocate last week’s meeting from a Yardley pizzeria to the Sheraton Hotel in Falls Township.

Indivisible, which has over 5,000 chapters across the country, was formed in December 2016 to allow those frustrated with the current presidential administration to come together locally. The group champions itself on communicating their stance on various issues in a grass-roots way to their senators and representatives. The group also focuses on being “vigilant, vocal, respectful, and non-violent,” according to a recent press release.

The Lower Bucks chapter, which was started by four Lower Makefield women, has stressed that group members must “be in it for the long haul.”

“The current presidential agenda explicitly targets immigrants, Muslims, people of color, LGBTQ people, the poor and working class, and women.  Indivisible groups pursue diversity and solidarity at every stage,” said group officials. “Guiding principles are that the current administration is eroding American values, taking the country backwards, and must be stopped.  To work together, we must model the values of inclusion, tolerance and fairness.”

Sofia Ali Kahn, a Lower Makefield resident for over twenty years ad a Muslim and public interest attorney, spoke at the kickoff meeting about attempting to reach out to detainees at airports and lists of Muslims being collected for years.  She presented a draft of a resolution which residents can present to local townships and boroughs to establish a ban on discrimination of the above groups.  

Former State Rep. Steve Santarsiero, who also lost in the race for the Eighth Congressional District against Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, also spoke briefly at the group’s meeting last week. Santarsiero has since become involved with the One Bucks organization, which was formed in response to the nonpartisan gathering of over 500 people at his event in November. 

The group, which has ‘Hate has no Home Here’ yard signs available for purchase, will be donation proceeds beyond production costs to the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center. Signs are also available at the Peace Center in Langhorne.

Locally, several peaceful demonstrations and events have been held in reaction to Trump’s agenda, which many find to be controversial. The president’s first weeks in office have been filled with demonstrations, nearly all without major incident, around the nation and globe.