While the big thinkers are plotting action against Trump and his minions (or pulling their hair out) on Feb. 4 about 100 residents of Hunterdon County, N.J., challenged their very Republican county board to stand up to the Trump ordered ICE raids, like the one in Newark, where people were detained without warrants, including an American from Puerto Rico and an Army veteran
The county greeted Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and leaders of the Hunterdon County NAACP who presented the county commissioners with a request to write a resolution in opposition to the ICE raids and to commit that Hunterdon county law enforcement would not support the federal raids, which they said violate the constitutional right against unlawful search and seizure.
Hunterdon County is an interesting place for such a gathering. It is very rich – the 13th richest county in the U.S. and very Republican.
In 1776, Trenton, where Washington ambushed the Brits, was part of Hunterdon County.
The Hunterdon commissioners are not a bad governing body. It has a lot of money to play with – the property values upon which they base their taxes rise by a millions each year. It is a county government with no debt, and which over the past two years used $24 million from Biden’s American Rescue Plan to help nonprofits and municipalities with numerous projects.
The county also built its first all-inclusive playground and planned a second.
Then, for old times sake and habit, they voted for Trump and the entire GOP team.
Two of the commissioners who faced the residents on Feb. 4 a up for re-election this year and were counting on floating to victory on the crests of the great Trump economy .
Then came the raids, and Trump firing the FBI and USAID, closing down medical and science websites, releasing insurrectionists from Jan. 6 and starting what even the Wall Street Journal called the dumbest trade war ever and allowing Elon Musk and his crew to illegally mess about inside the US Treasury and government personnel files.
So, even then, came the residents.
Wives of immigrant husbands. Husbands of immigrant wives. Jewish granddaughters of Holocaust victims. Business owners whose families came decades ago for the American dream. Business owners afraid for their immigrant workers. Mothers of school kids afraid for their dark skinned friends. Grandsons of Italian grandparents who were harassed and discriminated against because they didn’t speak English. Sons of parents in nursing homes whose staff are hiding. Gay mayors; Hispanic borough councilmen; LGBTQ advocates.
Americans.
Crying, pleading. Resolute.
And angry
Angry
Angry.
Angry at what they see their country becoming.
Angry enough to act.
Angry enough to tell their commissioners to do their job: Live up to their oath of office that had them swear to uphold the constitution.
Do your duty, or maybe, just maybe, quit.
One small meeting in one small town.
But Concord was a small town.
So was Trenton.
And so is Flemington, N.J.
They came to stand in the old courthouse and said, loudly, NO.
The word that starts revolutions.
