Standing outside the Nevada State Capitol in Carson City yesterday, Laurie Martin (in the right in photo) adjusted her T-shirt, which read in bold letters: “Vote as if your granddaughter's rights depended on it.”
For this ten-year Reno resident who made the 40-minute drive to Nevada’s capital city, activism is not just confined to elections; it is an everyday responsibility.
“We vote every day with our feet, with our voice, with our money,” Martin, a retired schoolteacher, said.
Her concerns stretch further than a single issue. Education reform, environmental protections, and human rights are all causes she has supported in the past.
But yesterday, her frustration centered on what she sees as a dangerous delegation of power.
“The elected president has put the fate of our country into the hands of someone, Elon Musk, who does not have the support or the right to make the decisions he is making,” she said.
Martin’s activism is not just about demonstration; it is about principle. Holding a personal copy of the Constitution, she pleaded for national sanity. “May we support and uphold the Constitution,” she said.
During the protest, she kept repeating what her sign said.
Musk, the world's richest man, who has been named a “special government employee,”
is leading a White House situated team called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Despite its name DOGE is not an official cabinet agency but still operates with a stated purpose “to reduce wasteful and fraudulent federal spending, and eliminate excessive regulations.”
Reporting and photo by James Perez shared with Our Town Reno
