League of Women Voters stages protest in KY, urges Congress to ‘protect your constituents’
Against a backdrop recalling the suffragist movement’s work in securing women’s voting rights, the League of Women Voters staged a protest ahead of President Donald Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night.
The nonpartisan organization wanted to “provide a space of community for people to not feel so alone and reconnect with hope,” Jennifer Jackson, president of the League of Women Voters of Kentucky, said in an interview.
“People may have taken for granted their rights,” she said, and now, many are feeling overwhelmed by “the erosion of government institutions that we’ve relied on for many years.”
The League of Women Voters of Kentucky hosted three Light For Our Democracy protests around the state Tuesday night, and similar events were held around the country.
The Lexington protest was staged in front of the suffragist statue at Mill and Vine streets.
During the event, excerpts were read from a Feb. 14 letter the national League of Women Voters sent members of Congress, calling on them “to exercise your authority to protect the rule of law, defend the Constitution, and end the overreach by the executive branch of government, which is surely leading to harm for millions of Americans.
“We demand that you honor your oaths and protect your constituents.”
They cited the Trump administration’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, the reduction in the federal workforce, pausing the distribution of federal funds already allocated by Congress and giving non-elected citizens access to government systems as examples of executive overreach.
“So far, the League has seen limited action or response from members of Congress to assert its constitutional authority under Article I to protect our system of checks and balances, the rights of Americans, or democracy itself. Congress must do its part to ensure that our great democracy is preserved and safeguarded,” the letter stated.
Dikiea Elery, pastor of East Second Street Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), told those in attendance that it seems as if “with every stroke of the pen, more calamities befall us.”
“We are interconnected, and what happens for one always circles the block” and affects everyone, she said, adding later, “Let us not give in to fear, discrimination and injustice. ...I believe that love will win.”
Jackson urged attendees to register to vote, volunteer at the polls and advocate for policies protecting democracy by contacting their elected representatives.
“Democracy is not a guarantee. It is a right that must be defended,” Lexington artist Erica Tilford told the crowd, as they raised candles high.
Tilford said democracy fails “when the people forget their power.”
“Let us go forward with courage, with purpose and an unwavering belief that ... democracy is worth preserving.”
