GREENFIELD — A new group of liberal-minded residents responded with plans for action following last week’s election.
Continuing the Political Revolution hosted a meeting on Sunday at the Guiding Star Grange in Greenfield, where members discussed their thoughts post-election and began the work of organizing and advocating for progressive policies in Massachusetts.
According to David Cohen, one of the organizers of the group, the meeting grew out of the local Pioneer Valley for Bernie group, which campaigned for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential run.
Many who spoke at the meeting of about 50 were distraught in the days after the election and looking for a meaningful way to move forward.
“If Hillary had won we would still be organizing for many progressive issues, but with Trump winning, and the Republicans having complete control of the House, Senate and Executive Office, we know we’re going to have extra fights, and we’re going to have to defend our Civil Liberties,” Cohen said. “We’re going to have to fight and demonstrate for those who are going to be targeted by a Trump administration.”
Some at the meeting expressed that they were frustrated with the Democratic party in light of the election and wished that Sanders had been the party’s nominee.
Nearly everyone who spoke at the meeting mentioned their initial shock at the results, but said that a Trump presidency has created a resolve to get back to work advocating for causes the group members care about.
Mike Novak attended the meeting with wife. Both were frustrated with the current political situation, but optimistic about the work to be done.
“We’ve been active since the ’60s, so being defeated is not new,” he said. “But we’ve got to keep fighting.”
The group, which was mostly middle-aged and older save for a few people in their teens and twenties, also called for the participation of millennials in the political process and grassroots activist work.
One woman who spoke said she was a lesbian, and this was the first time in a long time she feared for her rights. When another member said he was more concerned with the policies and views of Vice President-elect Mike Pence, many in the group nodded and agreed.
The meeting also included the election of a steering committee and those in attendance broke out into smaller policy groups to work on specific items like single-payer health care, education and climate change.
“We shouldn’t just consider protesting when things happen,” Cohen said. “We should be considering making laws in Franklin County and in Massachusetts that will counter and oppose any federal acts that promote racism, anti-immigrant hysteria, homophobia, trying to take away women’s rights. We have to look at taking our power and making it into law.”