Poem from protesting MBDC Member
March 2025
Fellow MBDC member went to a protest in February in Los Angeles fighting for the rights of brown people. Their mom is an immigrant so this made them really mad. When the administration started ending DACA, they had to speak out, especially since they were born in California.
“Rise, Brown Souls”
In streets of fire, where justice calls
Brown bodies gather, standing tall
Their voices echo, a chorus so grand
Demanding freedom, in this promised land
From ancestors’ struggles to present-day strife
The fight for equality, a constant, burning life
Against systemic chains, they raise their fists
Refusing to be silenced, their spirits persist In every corner, a story unfolds
Of resilience, courage, and hearts that never grow old
From farmworkers’ fields to city streets so wide
Brown people unite, side by side
Their protest is a symphony, a rhythm so bold
A cry for human rights, a story to be told
Of freedom, justice, and equality for all
A dream that’s yet to come, but will not fall
So let their voices be heard, their message clear
For brown people’s freedom, they will persevere
Through every struggle, every tear, every scar
They’ll rise, united, near and far.
– Eva Barrios, MBDC Member and native Californian
MBDC Members protest with their PEN!
Holly Hart responded to article:
Mountain News 3/12/2025
Executive Decisions: The Trump Administration
By Karen Zhou
News Editor,
Writing in response to Karen Zhou’s discourse request… In relation to the executive order for the elimination of USDA food safety committees, including the National Advisory Committees on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF) and the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI.) The data collected by these committees is directly applicable to the study of H5 bird flu, which has escalated to tens of millions of egg-laying chickens dying at farms all around the country. This is just a small portion of why these committees were established. If allowed to continue research in confluence with the CDC, instead of eliminating these committees altogether, there would be no need for the next executive order: an investigation into high egg costs. Ms. Zhou stated that the Justice Department has opened an investigation into what might be causing the increase in egg prices, and whether top producers have conspired to increase them. The cost of eggs is in direct relation to the availability of egg-laying chickens. We are in the midst of one of the worst bird flu outbreaks in recent history. Opening an official investigation into egg costs in the face of glaring evidence is superfluous. Why eliminate a committee that exists to help find a way to solve this egg conundrum? The “conspiracy” is obvious. It’s the same old game of “look over here” while doing tenebrous things over there… in hopes that American citizens aren’t fast enough to track which cup the ball is under.
Who knows if they’ll print it… I hope so but I have found this particular newspaper to be quite biased.
Looking forward to attending the next meeting and introducing myself. Thanks for allowing me to be a part!
Holly Hart
MBDC Members protest with their PEN!
John and Susan Lovell McLaughlin responded to article:
Mountain News 3/12/2025
Executive Decisions: The Trump Administration
By Karen Zhou
Dear Editor,
Thank you so much for Karen Zhou’s March 6th essential piece on President Trump’s executive orders. Those fifteen different communiques, varied as they are (or were…some have been ruled illegal, unconstitutional, or withdrawn), reflect the aim, purpose, and state of mind of the current administration and its supporters and inner circle.
Hopeful that others may also write to you on a particular ex.decision or governmental action step, we strongly support and request that the Mountain News might include a weekly piece on Mr. Trump’s administrations’s positions, (just the facts). In doing so, your readers who purchase the Mountain News might receive clear and honest information, not opinion per se, such as recently published by Ms. Zhou, and be induced to send opinion letters, as well!
The two primary issues we’d like to respond to, are the following:
1. “MASSIVE LAYOFFS AND TAKEBACKS AS PART OF RESTRUCTURING:
– Rhetoric: laying off or firing federal workers will save the government costs from salaries.
-Facts:
a. Even if 100,000 federal employees were terminated, the total federal savings would be .01%, one hundredth of one percent, (extremely small) of the U.S. budget. This percentage would be an insignificant amount compared to, for example, 13% for the Dept. of Defense, or 1% for the Dept. of Education.
b. In eliminating federal employees through the United States Civil Service rules, such reductions are required to be “for cause” (poor performance or conduct), even though many individuals recently evaluated by their supervisors as “excellent” have been terminated, e.g. National Park Service, scientists at NIH, and experienced employees at USAID, (the State Department)
2. SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION DOWNSIZING:
– Rhetoric: The Social Security Administration initially announced plans to reduce its work force by 7,000 employees, and decrease the number of regional offices from ten(10) to four(4). This reduction appears to be part of the broader effort to cut expenses for the government.
– Facts:
a. Included in this reduction, there are several hundred technology employees who operate the comprehensive computer system that maintains all SSA records. The work that these federal employees do ensures that monthly checks are sent electronically to the approximately *73,000,000 persons (seventy three million) who are legally eligible for such benefits.
b. For those who are receiving earned benefits, including seniors and disabled citizens, an initial attempt from the Trump administration was made to eliminate telephone support services. This attempt was recently retracted due to strong negative responses from the public. This particular service is necessary for those persons with either no internet or because of disability to utilize electronic systems other than the telephone.It appears that we need to continue as citizens to put pressure on the administration for these essential and valuable systems to enable financial support. *40% of U.S. citizens who receive Social Security are totally financially dependent on these benefits. You can check this statistic at * www.ssa.gov.
Respectfully,
John D. McLaughlin
Susan Lovell McLaughlin
