From the Big Bend Democrats
FORT DAVIS — Big Bend Democrats, 50 strong, celebrated Labor Day with a protest in support of American Laborers.
Labor and labor unions have built, grown and made America strong with a once prosperous middle class for most of the last century. Many handmade signs at the protest Monday spoke to this message, and music from many eras of protest in the U.S.A. kept the two-hour gathering lively.
People from Marfa, Presidio, Alpine and Marathon came out and let their voices be heard. Women would not have the vote if it were not for protests. The war in Vietnam would never have ended. Voting rights for all would not have been protected without the nonviolent Civil Rights protests.
Though Democrats are not in power in Jeff Davis County today, they did receive 38% of the vote in 2024. In the 142 years that there have been recorded votes in Jeff Davis County, Republicans have cast the majority of votes for 59 years, while Democrats did for 68 years, according to the Handbook of Texas.
The survival of our democratic republic depends on the resistance of many good and patriotic protestors to prevent tyranny and authoritarian oligarchic rule. We need the rule of law, respect for the Constitution, checks and balances between the three branches of government, and the freedom to assemble, speak, read and hear factual, truthful media. Also vital are public education, a free press and elections — without which the U.S. as we know it will not survive.
Many future protests are planned to carry on this patriotic American tradition until the ongoing destruction by this regime of our sacred institutions, due process and our personal safety ends.