Leaders: Profiles in Courage and Cowardice
Profiles in Courage
🗳️ “We Can’t Just Sit Back and Watch,” De Niro Says
May 13, 2025
Upon receiving the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Robert De Niro said the U.S. is “fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted.”
🤝 Worcester, MA, Leaders and Citizens Resist ICE Efforts to Detain Family
May 8, 2025
Courageous citizens in Massachusetts collectively resisted the detainment of a local family by a team of ICE agents, at one point forming a human chain around family members. Local school committee candidate Ashley Spring was actively involved in the resistance, along with numerous others.
Sen. Cory Booker
May 5, 2025
Senator Booker delivered a historic 20-hour speech on the Senate floor opposing the Trump administration’s assault on voting rights and civil liberties. His sustained presence and unapologetic critique brought renewed attention to federal overreach and democratic backsliding.
Harvard University
May 5, 2025
Harvard refused to comply with sweeping demands from the Trump administration, which threatened nearly $9 billion in funding. Instead, the university filed suit, citing infringements on academic freedom and the First Amendment. Their resistance represents institutional courage at a critical time.
Profiles in Cowardice
Columbia University
May 5, 2025
Facing pressure from the Trump administration, Columbia agreed to demands that included overhauling protest policies and academic oversight, in exchange for the reinstatement of federal funding. Critics argue this sets a dangerous precedent for academic autonomy under political duress.
🤝 Minnesota Hospital Assists ICE in Worker’s Arrest
May 5, 2025
Hospital leadership in Marshall, MN cooperated with ICE in a deceptive arrest of a longtime immigrant employee by luring him to a fake meeting. The Minnesota Nurses Association condemned the action as a betrayal of medical ethics and patient trust.