Brunswick Area Indivisible Newsletter #28
|
"We are a grassroots organization of concerned residents of Brunswick, Topsham and Harpswell” Newsletter for July 12, 2026 Brunswick Area Indivisible Action Calendar: Saturday, July 18, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m., Brunswick Town Mall, John Lewis “Good Trouble” Rally. Keynote speaker is Shay Stewart- Bouley (blackgirlinmaine.com). You won’t want to miss her! Mark your calendar now to show up and honor the legacy of John Lewis. Volunteers are needed! Email us: action.bai.me@gmail.com: We need marshals and help to set up before and take down after the event. We are asking for donations to cover the fee for our key-note speaker. Please bring a check, made out to the lead of the the Brunswick Area Indivisible Action Team: Sheryl Search or cash. Parking is available in the public lots off Maine St at Elm and off Maine St between Bank and Center Streets, and along surrounding side streets. There is also a public Park and Ride lot near the corner of Cedar and Spring Streets, about 3 blocks from the event. The Brunswick Mall is accessible to wheelchairs and strollers, with sidewalks and nearly level approaches to the lawn in front of the Gazebo between Pleasant and Elm Streets and along Park Row. Recurring Events (Brunswick) Tuesdays, 5:30 pm Brunswick Maine Street Route 1 Overpass Rally - Bring your signs and flags. Wednesdays, 12:30 pm Brunswick Town Mall Cosplay protest. Meet at the Gazebo- costumes optional Saturdays, 11:00 am to 12:00 Brunswick, Maine St. on Rt 1 Overpass. Bring banners, signs. Mark your calendar: BAI Book Discussion to be scheduled in October. Details to follow in August. The next title in the discussion series is You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: A Personal History For Our Times by Howard Zinn. For More actions and events, visit Activate Maine and Mobilize Replacing a Senate CandidateAs this edition of the newsletter is being published, Graham Platner has announced the suspension of his campaign, and the Maine Democrats have posted about a process to choose another candidate to place on the ballot. The Maine Coalition for Fair Nominations, a group of Platner volunteers, municipal and county Democratic party members and grassroots organizers is concerned about the process. They have asked that BAI share a petition with members. BAI is a non-partisan organization, is not a member of the Coalition, and has not endorsed any particular course of action. There are a lot of questions about the process to nominate who will replace Graham Platner on the ballot, and who / how the nominee will be selected.
We do not have answers just yet. As we speak the State Democratic Committee is meeting and making decisions behind closed doors. We are calling upon our Democratic voters to demand that the process is open, democratic and reflects the values of the grassroots movement we have built, and to not make the same mistake made in 2024. A group of grassroots organizers, here in Brunswick and across the State have just finalized an open letter to the Maine Democratic Party State Committee asking for a truly open nomination procedure — open, transparent, including a public comment process. You are invited to add your signature. This is a big ask and we need to move fast — like today fast. The open letter to the Maine State Democratic Committee can be found here. https://forms.gle/Np8RnS8xxdB814gS8
In Solidarity.
-Geo, Holly & Elizabeth on behalf of our grassroots movement
Independence Dayby Cat Whitaker Brunswick Area Indivisible commemorated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the birth of our nation on July 4th. In a parade in 87 degree heat in Bath, along with Lincoln County Indivisible and Sagadahoc Indivisible, BAI did 'Signs of Democracy,' called for 'Liberty and Justice for All', and sang "Yankee Doodle” and “America the Beautiful" with gusto. We did not give up the bridge brigades! Invited to participate in the Sagadahoc bridge protest, we had members with protest signs on the Congress St. overpass calling to defend democracy, as folks in cars made their way to the Heritage Days festivities. The carpools returning from Bath made their way past the Maine St. overpass in Brunswick, to honk because they are NOT in the Epstein files. A group of committed BAI folks stood with signs of encouragement to the Brunswick community and tourists passing through. In the meantime, heinous abuses were happening under the leadership of Donald Trump. Hourly military flyovers took place at the Capitol, shutting down Reagan National Airport for 15 hours. 850,000 fireworks exploded over the Potomac in DC. It was reported to be the most pollution ever generated from fireworks. Traditionally the busiest boating day of the year, the 4th of July, the Potomac was closed to recreational boating. Emboldened by Donald Trump, Patriot Front, the full-frontal-masked white supremacists, demonstrated their cowardice marching around D.C. The same group responsible for violence and death in Charlottesville, VA shouted, 'reclaim America' while waving confederate and fascist flags. As patriotic people fighting for democracy are arrested for examining floating paint chips, hate groups are permitted and lauded while running amok in DC. In the NY Harbor, the US Coast Guard under Trump evicted the 'Clearwater' sloop from the 'Sail 4th 250' event, for displaying advocacy signs for racial justice, clean water, and indigenous rights. The Coast Guard used to be the good guys. Many of them had jobs protecting and defending the ecosystem. Since when are they removing vessels for expressing their first amendment rights? US Air Force Major Jason Watson was arrested by the Capitol Police. First he read the US Air Force Oath of Enlistment, pledging to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic. Next he listed some of the crimes of the Trump regime and called for the impeachment of Trump and Vance, while in uniform, unaccompanied on the Capitol steps. The Capitol Police declined to press charges. They immediately released Major Watson to Air Force custody and Pete Hegseth. He will likely face court martial, lose rank, pension and possibly lifetime healthcare. This man showed great courage to carry out his oath to protect the US Constitution. He did this act of bravery and sacrifice for all Americans. He's now in custody at Bolling Air Force Base under a gag order. We should all honor Watson’s bravery and continue our own efforts to stand up and speak out. We stand for democracy, our constitution, and justice for all. We must not tolerate oppression of others and recognize that our country, built by our ancestors were themselves immigrants. We will not allow the KKK to stand in America unchallenged. We will pay attention to science and climate change, and do everything we can to preserve our ecosystem, including preserving American public lands. We will continue to stand on bridges, sing our songs, and hold signs to let people know they are embraced, and we will not surrender. We must promise to keep moving forward. Worth Followingby Dan Meyer Many in BAI follow Heather Cox Richardson’s substack ), but another similar resource is Robert Hubbell’s which he started in 2017. When the 2026 resistance was picking up steam he started posting images sent in by readers, such as photos of overpass signs like those BAI uses every Tuesday and Saturday and the best homemade signs folks around the country have used at rallies and regular weekly sidewalk protests (see image, and look closely at the headdresses!) Freeport Indivisibles have appeared a number of times as well, so maybe we could submit a photo or two from the July 18 Good Trouble rally? One other important, time-sensitive item from Hubbell ’s July 7th substack is that we all should submit a comment on the proposed OMB rule that would put politics before science. This one is dear to my heart as a retired behavioral scientist who sat on federal review panels. Scientific merit, not political or personal biases, should be the guidance…we are certainly suffering from RFK’s twisted, uninformed take on vaccinations. This federal proposal could affect science, public health, education, and other programs our communities rely on. These changes could make it easier for political priorities to outweigh evidence in decisions about funding for research and public programs.The good news is that the public has a chance to speak up. Anyone can submit a comment, and those comments must be considered before the proposal is finalized. Check out this short video for an example of what’s at stake if politics overrides expertise. Please consider submitting a comment like I did…the deadline in July 13! The National Council of Nonprofits provides a good source of why and how to comment. Winners and LosersWith the endless barrage of Trump's debauchery in the news we often forget that occasionally he doesn't succeed in his attempts to wear away the entire fabric of what is good about this country. As Trump tears up the White House, denigrates minorities and women, picks fights with our allies and starts unnecessary wars we are left ringing our hands in frustration, anger and an over all sense of dread. Unfortunately even when he is eventually held accountable he has inflicted tremendous damage that will take generations to correct. Let's take a look at the good, the bad and the ugly. The Trump administration suffered a defeat when the Supreme Court dismantled Trump's expansive tariff agenda. The justices ruled that the International Emergency Powers Act does not grant the executive branch boundless authority to impose unilateral trade levies. Congressional approval is needed to make major economic decisions. While it is considered a win, the damage done while the courts caught up to him, has been catastrophic around the world. The combination of economic ruin for many along with ill will towards America will not be soon forgotten. The independent monetary policy survived a direct assault in Trump vs Cook. The Supreme Court ruled against Trump's firing of Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors.This decision established that the president cannot weaponize employment terminations to compromise the nation's financial system. However he continues to denigrate the Federal Reserve and will soon be appointing a new Federal Reserve Chief so we are not out of the woods. He will continue his attempts to undermine our financial system until it meets his and his gangster buddies' needs. Beyond policy, the Supreme Court delivered sharp personal rejection to Trump by leaving substantial legal vulnerabilities fully intact. The justices refused to intervene in a $5 million civil judgement for defamation and sexual abuse, highlighting his lack of total immunity. While it is good to know that even the president is not allowed to sexually offend people, perhaps that same thinking could be applied to the Epstein Files once they are fully released. This Flag is Your FlagEver since Donald Trump literally wrapped himself in a column of American flags and declared that he ‘loves the flag’, we have witnessed this revered symbol, the one we pledged allegiance to every morning during our school days, downgrade to an emblem for the anti-democratic/pro dictatorship MAGA to brandish at their rallies, beat cops with on Jan 6th, plaster DJT’s visage all over, swan around dressed in it, and stuck on the backs of their pick-up trucks Taliban style. As a result of our flag being co-opted by this group there is of course much confusion around what our flag means now and who is flying it. Republicans are claiming the ‘Democrats hate the American flag’. A recent poll says 71% of Republicans display the flag and only 31% of Dems do. We just had Memorial Day, July 4th, and our 250th Birthday but according to this article in the Press Herald, sales for flags which usually spike at this time, stayed flat. Democratic Party people are reluctant to fly flags for fear they will be mistaken for a Trump supporter. If that is an indicator of how patriotic people are feeling, that is not a good sign. Our flag is meant to symbolize a unified country and it is for all of us. Trump and MAGA have managed to politicize it and turn it into something else entirely. While claiming they are patriots who love their country, they are complicit in the destruction of everything the flag stands for including the unity part. The misguided souls have been flying the American flag next to the confederate flag and American flags with Trumps image and name but according to Title 4, U.S. Code Chapter 1, The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature. Also, it should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. Democrats must reclaim our flag even if we don’t exactly feel like we love our country at this moment in time. We should uphold the flag for the majority of us who will not allow our country to be handed over to fascists. Carry an American flag at protests. Slap a flag decal on your car window. Hang one up beside your door and don’t forget the flag stands for The United States of America, the place we still believe in. Working Group News - MembershipOur initial attempt at tabling at Farmers' Market on Fridays got rained out. Our new dates are July 10th, 17th and August 21st, weather dependent. Our focus is to have a BAI presence and to talk about the importance of voting, especially this November in the midterms. Tabling will increase in September and continue up to the election. Onward together! Working Group News - GovernmentBrunswick's Town Council meeting showed the two topics that generated the most interest were the continued and refined moratorium on rent increases for mobile home parks and the proposed development to upgrade the Public Works facility. The Council is putting together a task force to consider the Public Works project as it has raised many concerns. Councilor Thieme urged the Council to consider Brunswick's long-term needs and think about whether the current location will still be able to accommodate our needs in 10 to 20 years. -Brunswick Area Indivisible As always, if you have an upcoming action, article, legislative issue or story that you want to go out on the Brunswick Area Indivisible email list, send it to communications.bai.me@gmail.com Have you missed a newsletter, want to look back, or want to share a past issue? The most recent 6+ newsletters can be found on the BAI Posts page. Want to support BAI? We welcome your time and talents. Contact communications.bai.me@gmail.com for volunteer opportunities. Donations are welcome at our meetings and online through ACT BLUE.
|