Hands off 2025 Speech

Ladies and gentlemen,

Senator Cory Booker addressed the Senate—and the nation—for 25 hours. It was not simply to break a record, but to remind us that democracy does not sustain itself. It requires persistence, sacrifice, and an unshakable belief that voices raised together can change the course of history. His speech was about more than endurance; it was a challenge to us all.

It challenged us to acknowledge that we cannot wait for the tide to raise all boats. It tasked us with being the tide—the force that lifts others, challenges the status quo, and refuses to accept injustice as the norm. Change does not come because we hope for it; change comes because we make it—and it becomes inevitable.

It is easy to believe that history moves forward on its own. That progress is inevitable if we simply wait. But Senator Booker’s speech reminds us that history does not write itself; it is shaped by those who refuse to stay silent. Every movement, every revolution, every breakthrough has come from people who understood that waiting was not an option - people who remained steadfast, raised their voices, and became the force that reshaped the future.

In the spirit of Senator Booker’s action, let us turn our eyes to the future. On May 3rd, the tide will rise once more in Wauseon, and with it, so will our voices. We will come together—not merely to protest, but with purpose. We will be the tide that washes away injustice, the current that carries forward the voices of those who refuse to be silenced, and the surge that carries change through the heart of our nation

This is our moment. This is our movement. Do democracy today.

Thank you.