Blog
I do not consent.
The Declaration of Independence states that the government must derive its “just powers from the consent of the governed.”
I do not consent.
I do not consent to closing our nation’s doors to refugees and asylum seekers and opening new doors of entry for wealthy people willing to pay $5 million for a “Gold Card.” I do not consent to shuttering foreign aid programs that have been lifelines for the poor and suffering for generations.I do not consent to stripping transgender Americans of their basic rights and employment protections.I do not consent to turning civil rights legislation on its head so that it becomes a tool for doing the opposite of what it intended.I do not consent to abandoning Ukraine in their righteous and courageous defense of their freedom and sovereignty. I do not consent to bullying our friends and allies and aligning our interests with despots and tyrants.
What do all of these things have in common? They are recent acts of the President that explicitly punish those who are already afflicted and oppressed.
A true and wise leader uses power for good: to lift people up. Only a bully uses power to pick on someone weaker and add to their misery. We all know the difference.
This difference was made even clearer to me recently when I was invited to attend a “Know Your Rights” event hosted by one of our grantee partners. “Know Your Rights” events provide information and pro bono legal services to folks in our community who lack permanent legal immigration status.
To be clear: this doesn’t mean that they came here illegally. Approximately 40 percent of individuals in the United States who lack permanent legal status came through legal doors: seeking asylum, with Temporary Protected Status, as recipients of Humanitarian Parole, etc. In every case, these are people who have risked and sacrificed everything to make their way to our country seeking safety, security, and opportunity. The President and his allies are in the process of empowering Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain and deport millions, including those who came through these legal pathways.
In the face of this threat, many parents came to this event seeking pro bono legal services to set up Powers of Attorney for their children: legal documents that designate a legal guardian for their children in the case that they are detained and/or deported by ICE. This threat is real. I cannot overstate how inspired and moved I was by the courage and conviction of these parents in the face of such a threat.
I also cannot overstate how grateful I am for the work of our grantee partner, which I am not naming here for the sensitivity of this work. They, and all of our grantee partners, are working under the most challenging circumstances to embody the love, care, and solidarity that our world requires right now.
The contrast is clear: On the one hand, we have a President and a submissive Congress that are implementing an agenda of cruelty and seeking to fundamentally reshape who we are and what we stand for. On the other hand, we also have a strong and vibrant network of community-based organizations and leaders who are demonstrating who we are every day through their work.
Now, more than ever, we need folks to stand with us and with our grantee partners. This is my invitation to you: Visit the new MaineShare giving platform, our new online hub for you to learn about, be inspired by, and support our grantee partners – more than 80 community-based organizations that are on the front lines of the most important work happening in our communities.
Your support is crucial. Now more than ever…
In solidarity,Phil
