Write a comment“This is not about politics,” said organizer Paul McKinney. “This is about saving our country and our democracy from the ground up.”
That was the kickoff message for Indivisible Oswego County’s public meeting this afternoon at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Fulton. The group is part of the national organization, Indivisible.org, which aims to support democracy in America by starting right here in our community. Local community members involved in the group expressed concerns about the current direction of the federal government regarding their approach to Ukraine, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and the proposed Congressional budget, among other issues.
The group’s meeting two weeks ago consisted of 10 people in someone’s living room. A week later, that number grew to 40. Today’s meeting was a standing room only crowd at the Prince of Peace Lutheran church in Fulton, with approximately 75 people in attendance. Most of those in attendance heard about the meeting through word of mouth.
The room buzzed with energy as folks spoke up with questions and tips about the best way to contact representatives, organize, and spread the word about the organization. A common theme among attendees was a fear for their physical safety and a fear of being harassed for participating in protests or speaking out against the current administration while living in a red county.
While not directly focused on policies of the major parties, Indivisible Oswego County’s activities are inherently political by nature. The group is focused on grassroots organizing activities that include community programs, protests and demonstrations, town hall meetings, contacting elected officials, and similar items. The goal of each of these activities is to bring attention to issues impacting democracy, both at national and local levels, and to build a sense of local community.
“We welcome Republicans here,” McKinney said to the crowded room. “We are here for anyone who wants change, who is unhappy with what is going on, whether with Ukraine, DOGE, or other democracy-related issues.”
One of the organization’s current goals is to hold a town hall meeting with Representative Claudia Tenney during Congress’s March recess. Tenney voted to pass the House budget resolution, which has the potential to create massive cuts in Medicaid, Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs.
According to data from the House Committee on the Budget, over 107,000 children and seniors in Tenney’s district (NY-24) rely on Medicaid for healthcare, while 114,000 people use SNAP to put food on their table. The Food Bank of Central New York has previously noted that as many as 1 in 4 people in Oswego County struggle with food insecurity.
After McKinney finished presenting a slideshow outlining the main points of what the organization is trying to do and how, the meeting broke up into small groups organized by areas of interest. Group topics included protests and rallies like Line the Bridge and the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day Parade, community support, county meetings, town hall meetings, and social media/ outreach.
“We need to normalize protesting,” said Chris Weisenburger of DAWN, which is coordinating with Indivisible Oswego County on the Line the Bridge protest happening March 8th. “Get out there with your signs and let people know we want change.”
For people interested in getting involved in Indivisible Oswego County, you can subscribe to their newsletter by emailing soutienamerica@gmail.com or by attending one of their upcoming protests.
