Patricia DeMarco Ph.D.

"Live in harmony with nature."

Tag Archives: justice


by

A Dream of America with Justice, Equity and Inclusion: in Honor of Rev. Martin Luther King

On this day commemorating the life of Rev. Martin Luther King, I reflect on his dream of a better America, where the country would be “…true to what you said on paper in the Constitution…honoring the Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press. All assuring the Constitutional right to protest for what is right!”[1] His words ring true for us today in so many ways. “When people get caught up with that which is right and are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping the outcome short of victory.”[2]  In the depths of the civil rights movement in 1962, he described the days of challenge to make America a better nation. His words and his passion for justice roused the conscience of our nation, and the world because he spoke to what is universally recognized. We are more alike as humans than different in race, religion, culture or even political persuasion. 

            Rev. Martin Luther King lifted up  the need for strengthening the moral fiber of society to recognize and act on the racial injustice and  poverty as a policy choice and war as an instrument of oppression. 

            There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific      and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have          become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea             like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.[3]   

[1] Martin Luther King  speech to the Memphis Refuse Workers. April 3, 1968. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/07/1228320048/black-history-mlk-speeches-martin-luther-king

[2] ibid

[3] Martin Luther King. Nobel Prize Lecture. Netherlands. December 11, 1964.  https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/lecture/

See the full essay here:

1-19-2026 A Dream of America with JusticeDownload


by

Government of the People, by the People and FOR the People- now under attack!

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

I have just read in full the enclosed Memorandum  on “Countering Domestic Terrorism and Organized Political Violence” issued by President Trump on September 25th.  https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/

Wrapped in legal-sounding language, this memorandum asserts the intention of the President to quell dissent by defining those who disagree with his policies as terrorists.  Followed by his charge to the gathered military generals last week, this, to me, is a declaration of civil war against those who oppose the policies and positions of this President.  Evidence of retributional practices toward his detractors was made plain with the barring of Congressionally authorized funds specifically from states with Democratic leadership and his intent to target “Democratic favored programs” for layoffs and reductions. https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2025/10/03/government-shutdown-senate-cant-end-standoff-will-continue-through-weekend/ This includes environmental protection, any climate, renewable energy or emissions reduction actions, and any “diversity, equity and inclusion” programs. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/white-house-cancels-nearly-8b-in-clean-energy-projects-in-blue-states

Federal agents clash with demonstrators outside the ICE Detention Center in suburban Chicago. (Dominic Gwinn/Getty Images)

 This is not “Government for the People under any interpretation of the law! I Implore those with power to act to assert sanctuary in our State, County and Borough.  I ask for Resolutions of objection to this perversion of American values. I ask my fellow citizens to speak out to your elected officials at all levels to object to this divisive violence and ask for justice. I am not willing to stand silent while fellow citizens are hauled away in the dark of night, even children, with no notice of charges, refusal of legal representation, or refusal of communication.  This is not the America my Father fought for.  This is not the America I have served for over 50 years. The greatness of our country is not weighed by the number and fame of its billionaires but by the wellbeing of the least of its citizens- the children, the elderly, the infirm and the poor. Living in fear destroys our communities, our quality of life and our future.  We must restore the sense of confidence in the rule of law, in securing liberty and justice for ALL. 

It is time to call ENOUGH! to this abuse of power, corruption and terrorization of our communities.  Is “Innocent until proven guilty” no longer the law here?  Is the right of due process no longer applicable in America if your Governor is a Democrat? Have we lost the basic freedom of speech in the First Amendment of the Constitution that protects the public expression of opinions? Are peaceful protests now to be subject to tear gas, arrest and incarceration, as occurred in Chicago, Portland and Los Angeles? 

This kind of evil will only prevail if good people stand by and say nothing.  We should flood the White House with Resolutions of Objection, signed by the millions who seek to preserve our representative democracy, or the  “government of the people, by the people and for the people” may indeed perish from this Earth in our time.

Patricia DeMarco

Live in harmony with nature