Locals pen more than 200 postcards voicing frustration with Trump
Photo by Tevin Stinson
BY TEVIN STINSON
THE CHRONICLE
The old saying goes, the pen is mightier than the sword, and earlier this week, the Forsyth County Democratic Party invited the community to put that theory to the test.
On Tuesday, Jan. 31, residents filed into the party’s headquarters on Burke Street to fill out postcards voicing their anger and frustrations toward President Donald Trump’s actions in his first week of office. According to event coordinator Kristin Kelly, more than 200 postcards were filled out and will be sent state senators and representatives.
Kelly, who attended the women’s march last week in Washington, D.C., said the postcard writing party is just the next step in the ongoing fight for justice.
“We want our federal and state representatives to know that we are here and we want to be heard,” said Kelly. “There are other ways to express our concerns like tweeting and social media, but we felt like this was a more genuine way to make sure our elected officials are looking out for all their constituents.”
While proofreading her stack of postcards addressed to President Donald Trump, Rep. Virginia Foxx and other local state elected officials, Maureen O’Rourke said while most people believe the art of a handwriting letters and postcards is long gone, she believes that sitting down and writing postcards is more personal.
“This gives you a chance to be thoughtful and really think about what is going on in our country today,” said O’Rourke. “On social media, most people just put what comes in their heads first, but with events like this you really have to think about what you are writing.”
Although this was her first postcard writing party just like many others in attendance during the event O’Rourke is no stranger to fighting against injustice. Ahead of the 2016 election she registered over 100 voters.
Just one day after he helped organize the protest on Trump’s refugee ban at the Piedmont Triad International Airport, local school teacher Peter Wilbur said protesting is great but it’s the small events like the postcard writing party that keep the movement going.
“We are very pleased with the turnout we have here tonight,” said Kelly. “We are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that our state and federal senators and representatives to know that we are here and we want to be heard.”
Kelly said there might be more postcard writing parties. For more information, visit the Forsyth County Democratic Party official Facebook page.