On Sunday, February 23, 2025 FCCPR hosted our largest mass meeting since 2017 at the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield. 120 members, new members and curious members of the public came together to discuss and strategize about how our collective energy can have a positive impact in the difficult times we are living in.
Dave Cohen, an FCCPR leader, as he always does, presented a cogent political analysis of the moment, as well as our financial status. Coordinators from our current Task Forces – Education, Single Payer Healthcare, Climate, Immigration, Reproductive Justice and the FCCPR Progressive Blueprint for Greenfield gave brief & exciting summaries of our solid and varied ongoing work. All task forces welcome new members.
Two invited guests shared the many different ways individuals can be part of the opposition to the Trump 2025 Agenda without making enormous time commitments. Beth Lev of Indivisible Northampton/Swing Left Western Mass explained the importance of engaging in the Wisconsin election for their state Supreme Court, whose democratic majority hangs in the balance. A win in that race could lead to flipping several seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Beth hosts a weekly phonebank to Wisconsin. Contact beth@in-slwm.org. For postcarding, contact eje227@gmail.com. Jenn Atlee is one of the coordinators of a new Montague Center neighborhood resistance group. They engage in discussions, potlucks, sharing resources and building community, and hope to be a model for other neighborhood resistance groups.
Open discussion followed, with lots of good suggestions. Here are just a few:
All out to publicize our Town Hall on March 18 with Rep. Jim McGovern
More rallies, marches, creative actions
Reach out to friends around the country who have Republican congresspeople
Check out: “5 calls.org” to make your voice heard in the U.S. Congress and Resilient Greenfield for other ways to get involved.
Prepare to defend the post office against a hostile Trump Admin takeover
Be welcoming as Trump voters get disillusioned & are looking for somewhere to go
EVEN AFTER 90 MINUTES OF ENTHUSIASTIC DISCUSSIONS, QUESTIONS & MUSIC, the audience was not done: Here’s more the FCCPR crowd called for:
** More frequent General Assembly meetings to think and work together
** Willingness to chip in to help FCCPR rent an office in downtown Greenfield
** Join FCCPR for the minimal annual dues of $10.00 (extra donations always welcome)
The Assembly ended a little early so people had time to continue their lively conversations and to peruse the literature table. We welcomed 25 new first time dues-paying members to FCCPR.