Veterans united Yountville with ‘Hands Off’ event on April 5
Handmade signs were on display throughout the crowd of more than 100 people who gathered in Yountville’s Veterans Memorial Park to take part in the nationwide “Hands-Off” protests against Trump administration policies on April 5.
It was organized locally by Vietnam veterans David Boone, Jeff Williams and Brian Goder, who all live at the Veterans Home of California in Yountville and are concerned about the loss of critical U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) services.
Pathways to the park welcomed attendees with red sandwich-board style signs reminding citizens of the preamble of the United States Constitution: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Signs carried messages such as “Hands Off,” “Stop Felonious Musk,” “Hands Off my Healthcare, Freedoms, Education,” “Hands Off Our Social Security, Veterans & Human Rights,” “When Injustice Becomes Law, Resistance Becomes Duty,” “Save Our Due Process,” and “Don’t Trust Trump.”
The program began with a recording of “The Star Spangled Banner,” the Pledge of Allegiance, and a moment of silence accompanied by a live horn rendition of “Taps” in remembrance of fallen veterans.
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson said, “This is incredibly important and something that is taking place across the country.” He had already attended rallies in Sonoma and Napa and would head to Santa Rosa after stopping in Yountville.
“This is every place, not just in blue states, but in red states, in red congressional districts across the country, because people are fed up,” Thompson said.
“You could refer to these as ‘unity rallies’ because of all of the people who have been unified,” he went on to say, referencing mean, evil and stupid actions coming out of the current presidential administration.
“Hands off our Social Security, hands off our most personal financial data, hands off our most private medical data, hands off our 401Ks, hands off women’s reproductive rights, hands off Medicaid funding,” Thompson said as the crowd cheered.
Referencing the vast cuts proposed for Medicare, Medicaid, and veterans’ health care, he said, “Hands off the security that we’ve been able to establish for veterans in this great country. Veterans, men and women veterans, put their life on the line for our country. And we’ve been working hard to make sure that we provide the health care that they — not need, not deserve — the health care they’ve earned.”
“This is an important step; this is taking it to the streets. This is making sure our voices are heard. This is turning up the heat,” Thompson said. “This is what works, when the people rise up, and the people let their elected officials know what they want, and, in this case, know what they don’t want, and know what they won’t stand for, and that’s what you’re doing.
“Don’t stop. Keep it going. Let’s make sure we return sanity to the White House, to the Congress and to our great United States of America,” he concluded as the protestors applauded.
Yountville Town Council member Pam Reeves said, “The veterans are asking for us to operate with them, to make sure that all of our rights are upheld…Being part of the change is important.”
Co-organizer Williams spoke about general concern for his fellow residents at Yountville’s Veterans Home, “Almost all of us are up there on one kind of VA pension or another. If they cut those off, we’ve got no income; we’ve got no way to pay for our rent. It’s a major concern. They’ve already laid off, nationwide, more than 1,000 health workers.”
Co-organizer Boone added, “It’s going to be the Vietnam Veterans that are fighting against cuts to the VA Social Security. It will be more than just veterans. It needs to be everybody. We’re a part of it, yeah, but it’s got to be more than just veterans. We need to rally the whole country. We’ve got to start somewhere. So, what better place than in our own home? And go from there. What it comes down to is votes. If you want something to change, you’re going to have to vote.”
Napa County Supervisor Anne Cottrell told the crowd, “A huge reason that it’s important to gather right here in Yountville is because of the wonderful connection that this community has with the Yountville Vets Home, so speak loudly about the importance of veterans’ benefits and everything that we need to do to support our veterans in this moment.” She also discussed the cuts to federal grants from FEMA for wildfire protection.
Napa County Library Commissioner for Yountville Myrna David called for support for public library funding, which is likely to be slashed. “There is an institute for museum and library services that has now been gutted by the federal government,” she said.
“We are looking at some reduction in funds” that this will impact resources, such as the Napa County literacy project, she said, adding that fundraising for library services could be coming and she hopes that the library can count on the community for support.
According to NPR more than 1,300 Hands Off events took place across the U.S., organized by Indivisible, a grassroots movement of thousands of local groups with a mission to elect progressive leaders, rebuild democracy and defeat the Trump agenda.
Danielle Wilde of the Calistoga Tribune and Napa Valley News Group contributed to this story.
