Volume LXXI, Number 52
May the New Year Bring You Health and Happiness and Bring Us All One Step Closer to Peace on Earth ———
Readers’ Choice Awards Winners, and Runners-Up . . . 18, 19 The Bells Are Ringing for It's A Wonderful Life . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . 15 Cinema . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Classified Ads. . . . . . . 30 Clubs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Music/Theater . . . . . . 13 Obituaries . . . . . . . . . 29 Police Blotter . . . . . . . 20 Real Estate . . . . . . . . 30 Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Service Directory . . . . 32 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Town Talk . . . . . . . . . . . 6
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Wednesday, December 27, 2017
National Politics Inspired a Year of Protests Much of the news in Princeton in 2017 arose in response to actions and initiatives emanating from Washington. It was a year full of political activity, with rallies and demonstrations taking place in Princeton almost weekly. Immediately following the inauguration of President Donald Trump on January 20, a number of Princeton residents, including at least three Council members, joined more than 6,000 marching in Trenton for women’s rights, civil rights, and other issues. Many in Princeton also expressed concern for arts and education, with cuts threatened for the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump’s executive order in his first week in office attempting to close U.S. borders to immigrants and others from seven majority Muslim countries and to refugees from throughout the world drew a strong, immediate response from the Princeton community. “Recent executive actions on immigration issues are cruel, counterproductive, and contrary to the values we hold dear in Princeton,” Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert and Princeton Council wrote in a statement. Describing “the overwhelming outpouring of compassion from our fellow Princeton residents,” the statement continued, “we are a welcoming community that recognizes and celebrates the diversity that makes our town such a special place.” Princeton University President Christopher L. Eisgruber and Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) Director Robbert Dijkgraaf also issued statements expressing their concern regarding the federal executive order. Princeton University has always “depended on America’s ability to attract and engage with talented people from around the world,” Eisgruber said. “Princeton today benefits tremendously from the presence of extraordinary individuals of diverse nationalities and faiths, and we will support them vigorously.” Dijkgraaf similarly affirmed IAS’s values and commitment to uphold those values in support of its scholars. “From our founding the Institute has welcomed academics from around the world, irrespective of race, gender, and creed, with the simple requirement that they be dedicated to advancing scholarship,” he said. “Bringing leading scholars from all the world’s countries and regions and supporting their unfettered academic research, wherever it may take them, are
among our core values. This was true in the 1930s when faculty like Einstein, Weyl, and von Neumann came from Europe to the Institute, and it is true today as we welcome faculty and members from more than 30 countries.” Princeton Human Services and the Latin American Legal Defense and Education Fund (LALDEF) quickly moved into high gear, supporting community members. “In light of recent executive orders, LALDEF is working diligently with community partners to ensure that our clients have access to all of the services that they need,” said LALDEF Executive Director Adriana Abizadeh. The Princeton-based Coalition for Peace Action (CFPA) also took up the charge, co-sponsoring a rally on the steps of Trenton City Hall in early February ”Against the Muslim Ban and Bigotry.” And Princeton University ratcheted up its resistance, with Eisgruber joining 47 other American college and university presidents in a letter to Trump urging him to rectify or rescind his executive order, and followed up with an amicus brief on February 13 against the immigration order. A coalition of University student groups, led by Princeton Citizen Scientists and
Princeton Advocates for Justice, made sure their voices were heard, staging a series of teach-ins, workshops, and panel discussions exploring issues of human rights, the environment, international peace, and security. Their “Day of Action” on March 6 was supported by more than 1,000 members of the University community, including more than 100 faculty members. On April 22, Earth Day, thousands of local residents, in solidarity with the March for Science taking place in Washington D.C., gathered in Hinds Plaza and marched to the Princeton Battle Monument, with a focus on supporting climate science and science education. In August violence in Charlottesville brought a crowd of about 250 to Palmer Square for an anti-hate rally in support of the victims and to stand up against white supremacy, domestic terrorists, and hate groups in our country. Two additional initiatives from the White House created consternation and fear in the Princeton community in the late summer and fall. The CFPA and its executive director, the Rev. Bob Moore, reacted forcefully and directly to Trump’s threats against North Korea, issuing statements
and staging a number of rallies throughout the fall for “diplomacy, not war.” Condemning Trump’s threats to unleash “fire and fury like the world has never seen” against North Korea, Moore said “such reckless and bellicose threats make a horrifying situation far worse, and greatly increase the risk that the U.S. will slide into another war, possibly nuclear.” In early September the immigration controversy was ratcheted up further by the Trump administration’s announcement that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that shields undocumented young immigrants from deportation would be ending by March 2018. Again the community, local institutions, groups, and individuals rose in opposition and in support of immigrant groups, in this case the DREAMers, with Eisgruber sending letters to congressional leaders urging them to pass legislation to provide protection for DACA participants. “Ending DACA is a cruel decision that will tear apart families, undermine our economy, and betray our values,” said Lempert. The pace of political activity in Princeton did not abate as the year drew Continued on Page 5
STANDING IN SOLIDARITY: In a year characterized by protests and urgent affirmation of core values, about 250 people gathered in Palmer Square on Sunday, August 13 to show their support for the victims of Charlottesville and make their voices heard, taking to heart the words of Martin Luther King Jr., quoted by Assemblywoman Liz Muoio: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” (Photo by Charles R. Plohn)