The dangers of Project 2025 and how we can respond to it

[Larry Dansinger]

To those concerned about a loss of democracy and individual freedom as advocated by Project 2025 AND PLEASE PASS THIS ALONG TO OTHERS IN YOUR GROUP(S) OR COMMUNITY:

You may be starting to hear about threats to democratic processes of our federal government and to individual freedoms as part of a Project 2025 900+page “playbook” of recommendations from the Heritage Foundation. Because of the dangers of Project 2025 to our civic institutions and our personal freedoms, we are beginning to organize opposition to these proposals, (some of) which could be implemented depending on who is elected president on November 5, 2024. 

I am including several resource pieces to help you and others learn more about Project 2025 and how it could harm our government and our human rights. Please reply to Larry Dansinger with other useful pieces, and they will sent out to you and others as well.

This email includes three items (two attached, one to click on below) to help you learn more about Project 2025 and responses to it. (1) A relatively short article from Vox just describing minimally what Project 2025 is and what it does or does not contain. Other similar articles are available online. (2) An analysis of Project 2025 and how it could adversely affect many in this country by Marjorie Cohn, published by Truthout. And finally (3) a longer (128 pages) handbook/toolkit (“A Toolkit for Community Organizers”) of ways to push back against a seizure of power by the executive branch and attempts to take away human rights and freedoms.  

That third report is from www.stopthecoup2025.org and is available there. Altho the toolkit is long, it is divided into 13 sections; you can just pick one section (like “reproductive rights” or “climate change” and focus your concerns and opposition on that one area. You don’t need to feel overwhelmed by the size of this toolkit; just look at ways you can be part of the resistance and pick one or two issues from the list.

As a way to mobilize that opposition to Project 2025, we are intending to initiate a zoom call in August or certainly by early September, among those in Maine/Wabanaki Territory, individuals and organizations. This could be done through the Maine Coalition for Democracy (a suggested name that can be changed). If you feel an urgency about moving this process forward ASAP, please reply to Larry Dansinger (contact info below) and we can begin to take action sooner rather than a little later.  If you have questions or want more information about the Coalition, contact Larry Dansinger, lar...@myfairpoint.net or (207) 262-3706 (land line). The call will help us to identify what we can do to oppose and stop attempts to seize more power in the executive branch and to take away rights and freedoms we take for granted.

This Maine Coalition for Democracy effort is not connected to any campaign to urge you to vote for or against any candidate. It is entirely nonpartisan. It is intended only to focus on and oppose recommendations from Project 2025 that will concentrate executive power and/or take away the rights of many USers. 

You may feel that democracy is on the ropes and what we do have could be lost. Or, you may feel that whatever democracy we might have had long ago has already disappeared. Either way, I think of the title of a book by Astra Taylor, “Democracy May Not Exist, But We’ll Miss It When It’s Gone.”  

We can use this situation to create and build on movements in Wabanaki Territory/Maine to democratize our government and our communities. This movement needs to be broad-based and representative of all those living in this state/territory. There is room for many of all genders/orientations, skin colors, economic classes, ages, abilities, etc. (including those who are left-handed).

Please learn more about Project 2025 and how it could impact us all. If you have information to share or want to begin planning for action, contact Larry Dansinger.

Larry Dansinger

Bangor, ME 04401

lar...@myfairpoint.net or (207) 262-3706 (land line)