On March 28, 2026, I stood with thousands of patriots on the grounds of the Connecticut State Capitol at Hartford’s No Kings Rally. Above me, carved in stone, were statues of Connecticut men who built and defended our democracy. I couldn’t look away — nor stop fearing that our democracy is eroding from the very ideals for which these men fought and sacrificed.
Connecticut history is inseparable from the story of American democracy. Thomas Hooker led his followers through the wilderness in 1636 to build a colony where the people — not the church, not the crown — held authority. He preached that government rests on the free consent of the governed. Roger Sherman, the only person to sign all four of America’s founding documents, helped forge the compromises that made our Constitution possible. Jonathan Trumbull stood alone among colonial governors in supporting the Revolution, sending food, clothing, and supplies to Washington’s freezing army. Joseph Wadsworth hid our Royal Charter in an oak tree rather than surrender self-governance to a king’s governor. These ideals were not abstract to these men — they were worth every sacrifice they made.
Eight million people rallied across this country on March 28th — from Kotzebue, Alaska to Puerto Rico — because we feel, deeply and personally, that democracy is not guaranteed. We must actively resist the assault on it from our current administration.
The stone statues on the Capitol represent the halcyon days of a young democracy, yearning to bring freedom to all. Will we honor our Founding Fathers by showing up at town meetings, speaking truth to power, and voting for candidates who champion democratic ideals? Time will tell. But the future is not a far-away place; it is the child or grandchild we hold in our arms right now.
— Barbara Mechler
Southbury, CT
The Southbury Record 