Elders Protecting Our Constitution

Not a day goes by that there isn’t a new disturbing report about changes implemented or approved by the new presidential administration. One only needs to see the mostly downward trend in the stock market, numerous reports of a recession on the horizon, inflation continuing unabashed, significant layoffs across the federal workforce, and associated negative effects on local communities and businesses. Already approved federal funding across multiple federal agencies is being stopped. Previously eradicated measles is on the rise. USAID has been disbanded, there is a potential interruption in social security benefits, and decreased access and long delays in contacting the Social Security Administration. The Department of Education is being closed. Immigrants are being taken away without due process, and subsequently there are reports of inhumane treatment in detention facilities. Etc., etc., etc.

Well, I have become aware of one local group that has been formed to push back on many of these issues, and it was not anyone I would have expected.

At Wallingford’s University House retirement community, a large group of residents have gotten together and formed “Elders Protecting Our Constitution.” Wallyhood was approached by this group, so I agreed to attend their bi-weekly meetings to get a better sense of what they are all about and hope to accomplish. I was introduced to the group by steering committee member Patty Abrahamsen, who provided me with a statement about EPOC:

“Elders Protecting our Constitution (EPOC) was formed by a group of residents at University House, a retirement community in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. EPOC is based on the tenet that we, as elders, remember what we learned in Civics classes and from Watergate, and declare our opposition to Donald Trump’s violation of the constitutional limits to the power of the president. EPOC is an ‘in-house’ effort to mobilize resistance that we hope can serve as a model for other groups and organizations.

“EPOC’S purpose is to take on tasks to counter the illegal, negative, and harmful actions of the Trump administration. Tasks have included writing the President and our elected officials expressing opposition to the executive actions, participating in marches and demonstrations, and doing public outreach among our neighbors. We are invested in educating ourselves about the issues, we are learning from similar efforts around the country, and we are mounting an offensive to speak out against what we see as a serious threat to our constitution, our democracy, and our way of life.

“Among our residents are those who lived through the Great Depression, World War II, the Holocaust, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. We have been in the streets for a long time—before many of your readers were born. We were active during the Vietnam War, have fought for civil rights, voting rights, women’s rights, a living wage, equal pay, nuclear containment, Medicare and Medicaid, environmental protections, safety regulations, world peace, the list goes on. To see these achievements being illicitly and irresponsibly dismantled by the Trump administration mandates we return to the streets, wheelchairs, walkers and all.”

You may have noticed groups of these elderly residents holding signs and handing out flyers around 45th and Stone Way weekly. These folks are doing what they can to increase local community awareness of what is happening all around us. The flyers include contact information for our local senators and representatives.    Residents Gail, Don, and Laureen have been out Mondays handing out flyers and engaging in conversations with passers-by.

They have participated in multiple protests around the city including, but not limited to:  International Women’s Day march, Friday Protests at the Federal Building, and even at the Hands-Off Rally at the Seattle Center on April 5th. For those residents who were not able to attend the event at Seattle Center, a large group of residents were seen on the corner of Stone Way and 45th in an impressive display of right for free speech. 

In addition to participating in peaceful protests around the city, this group has established internal focus groups made up of concerned University House residents involved in areas of Free Speech, Education, Government Overreach, and New Initiatives.    The groups have set up a letter writing campaign in the form of flyers with contact information for our congressional representatives, including Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal.

To increase awareness around the community, the group is looking at forming collaborations with other local senior living centers.

I strongly encourage people to read the Constitution to better understand what this local group is fighting for before it is too late. You have to admire the initiative and courage taken by this group of seniors to increase understanding of issues which affect all of us.