Our Pledge to Protect American Freedom and Democracy

We, the undersigned, sound the alarm to our fellow Americans that President Donald J. Trump may represent a new and fundamental threat to the freedom and democratic ideals of America that we all hold so dear. We refuse to ignore the disturbing trend of actions that violate our freedoms and democratic ideals that occurred throughout the campaign and have continued post-election.

As Americans, we know our freedom and democracy are precious and, like all democracies, fragile if not vigorously protected by its people. Tyranny destroys a democracy by a thousand cuts. Therefore, we declare that we shall remain steadfast to protect freedom and democracy. We shall rise in unity to oppose any such threats by the new administration, Congress, or other opponents of freedom and democracy, if they act in any of the following ways:

• Any attacks on or the erosion of our rights under our Constitution and Bill of Rights, such as the freedom of assembly, right to peaceful protest, freedom of speech, and freedom of the press;

• Any violation of basic human dignity by our government or others;

• Any violation of our country’s rule of law by our government;

• All violent acts against vulnerable minorities or political opponents by our government or if such acts are conducted and are insufficiently protected by our government;

• Any violation of our rights to due process and the right of innocence until proven guilty, including the scapegoating of entire racial or religious minorities.

While we dearly hope we are proven wrong, if the peril that we believe faces our Republic is real, we draw great courage from all those who came before us and rose to create and then expand our freedoms and democracy. We draw inspiration from the courage, wisdom, and fortitude of the people who struggled to form a more perfect union. Now, we take our place and stand together, ever vigilant, to protect our Republic, our freedoms, and our democracy.