In Brattleboro on November 3 there will be a rally to call on congress to remove Trump from office. Among his likely crimes are sexually assaulting women, failing to pay taxes -- Trump is a billionaire -- and using taxpayer money to bribe leaders of foreign nations to help Trump get re-elected. The rally starts at 2 p.m. at Pliny Park at the corner of Main and High streets. As of October 30 about 30 people had RSVP'd. Details are at:

www.facebook.com/events/2960179400874665

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Lawyer Bill Newman runs the Northampton ACLU. "We're working to cut the prison population in half," he told the Valley Post in a phone interview on October 26. No nation keeps such a high percentage of its people in prison as the USA. Europe's rate is a third of ours. Newman said, "According to a survey, 40 percent of people in Massachusetts didn't know district attorneys (D.A.s) are elected. The ACLU began a public education campaign. As a result we had more contested D.A. races last year in Massachusetts than we have had since the 1980s. Thousands of people across the state were involved, going door-to-door and calling people to get out the vote."

Many people in prison have never been convicted of a violent crime. Portugal decriminalized all drugs in 2001. The result has been less violent crime, fewer people dying of overdoses, and less people in prison. Newman said, "This summer we sent letters to every sheriff in Massachusetts. We told them they're required to provide medication to help people in jail get over their addictions. We won several court cases that made this requirement happen. We held rallies that helped lead to the legalization of marijuana."

Newman said the Northampton ACLU needs donations and volunteers. 

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In Greenfield on October 24, more than 100 people attended a protest outside a building where the sheriff of Bristol county, Massachusetts was giving an anti-immigrant speech. The sheriff's office is about 100 miles from the Valley. He is such a strong supporter of Trump that the president invited the sheriff to the White House. Two of the protesters in Greenfield were Otis Wheeler and Tim Dolan. Both are members of the Greenfield city council.