“For the most part we get a positive response from people. We get a lot of thumbs up, a lot of people honking, people stopping by to talk to us…and every now and then an inarticulate finger gesture.””

Gussie Walter

NEDERLAND - “I try to be careful about how much I let in per day, and who I listen to,” said one of the members of Mountain Women Move Mountains (MWMM), a new local activist group.

“But what’s most concerning to me is the dismantling of the government, and all the science-based studies, and that we’re no longer going to be a player in that world.” 

“It’ll take decades to undo this damage,” another said as the conversation grew, before being passed on to the next member with concerns regarding the latest news to come out of Washington, D.C. 

In the Caribou Village Shopping Center on a busy summer Sunday, the MWMM came together at Augustina’s Winery to discuss, to vent, to commiserate, but also to learn and to get involved.

“It was mainly just getting together and bemoaning everything, and then Joe Biden got elected and it was like ‘well, that’s the end of that madness; now we’re fine.’ ”

Gussie Walter explained to The Mountain-Ear how a snowball of local activism began rolling in 2020, when seven women from Gilpin County traveled together to be a part of the Women’s March. 

More recently, for Winter Solstice, Walter set up colored icing for gingerbread cookies shaped like President Donald J. Trump, to decorate “voodoo cookies” complete with a sickly green to give Trump’s skin a tint of gangrene, and give local Democrats and Progressives a fun and cathartic exercise. 

“Then we decided to try something a little more organized,” Walter went on. She described how MWMM grew from the political turmoil surrounding Trump’s second term, as the need for an organized positive and productive response became more prevalent. 

“This past December we sent letters of encouragement and notes and emails to all of our representatives, to Jared Polis and also to Warren Hern, who actually called to say thank you,” Walter said. “These people are on the front lines of this mess.” 

Since the start of the new year, MWMM has been organizing more often, gathering support and new members from the community, hosting meetings at the winery to let people escape the echo chambers online and converse face-to-face. They also needed to turn that angry and aimless energy into actionable output.

“We all want to take action, but we don’t always do it on our own,” Walter continued. “But when you come here and you see someone writing a card or making a call, it motivates you to get involved.”  

MWMM encourages those who are interested to come to a meeting and vent their frustrations about the current state of the country, and then do just one action for the cause.

“You can make just one phone call, or send one email, write one thank you card, and if you’re feeling cranky we have Shame cards that we also send out,” Walter said as she pulled out a solid red postcard with the word “Shame” written on it in bold white lettering. 

Some members expressed annoyance with Republican representatives who wouldn’t face their constituents, which limited access and transparency. 

“We can get into their district to drop off the postcards, though,” one member said with a defiant smile. “I dropped off an envelope of Shame cards right at Gabe Evans’ door one day.”  

As Trump’s policies continue to affect the most vulnerable people in our communities, from immigration “reform” and aggressive deportation to the cutting of government funding and aid, Democratic and Progressive groups have been organizing in the streets, rallying and protesting, and MWMM has been right there with them. 

“For the most part we get a positive response from people,” Walter said. “We get a lot of thumbs up, a lot of people honking, people stopping by to talk to us…and every now and then an inarticulate finger gesture.”

Walter and the other members of MWMM detailed how the nature of the Trump presidency requires the need to address any and all perceived injustices, not just one central cause.   

The group of activists describe themselves as being passionate about “democracy, the constitution, and specific critical issues like due process, the safety of our immigrant brothers and sisters, support for education, and belief in science.”

“Different people have different focuses because of their lives,” MWMM member Joan Isaacs said. “She’s a scientist, for example.” Isaac pointed to a fellow member, who briefly described her frustrations with the current administration. “And I’m an attorney, so the Supreme Court infuriates me….”

“And I’m just pissed off,” another member chimed in. 

At each meeting of the MWMM, held at Augustina’s Winery on Sunday evenings starting at 5 p.m., after each member discusses the topic of government news that has made them the most upset or concerned, the group then moves into action, dividing tasks that involve, among other things, writing praise or shame to lawmakers who made the headlines that week.   

One member offered to write to Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, to thank her for her proposal to provide cash assistance to immigrants who missed work due to raids by ICE. Another member offered to send praise to the Pittsburgh City Council for giving additional protections to their LGBTQ+ residents.

In addition to divvying up productive action and brainstorming the organization’s next protest signs, a big part of each MWMM meeting is sharing news, information, and resources, including  information from Red Wine and Blue, and from Indivisible, who provides training for protesters on how to remain prepared and safe. 

“Some of us have also been attending civics courses about how our executive, judicial, and legislative branches are actually supposed to operate,” Walter added.

Before the end of their interview, the members of MWMM extended an invitation to those likeminded individuals who may be feeling the need to take action, offering that activism with their organization does not need to be a full-time commitment.

“We can’t tackle it all,” Walter said. “But if you want to do one small thing a week, or every now and then, we have cards, we have postage stamps, we have supplies and resources. This is what we do.

“It is important now to make more and more noise and we need more people doing it,” Walter stated. She was sure to note that the political climate in the country is a deterrent for people of color and of non-Christian beliefs who would want to attend protests and rallies, but that Boulder County’s predominantly white population could serve others as a shield.

“Depending on who you are, it may be scary, but for most of us it’s not; we are a protected group,” Walter said. 

“We live in a safe space,” Isaacs added, “and we need to use that.”   

With that look into local Democratic activism, continue to follow The Mountain-Ear and the Peak Report to see what Republican activism looks like in Boulder County.  

For those interested in getting involved with Mountain Women Move Mountains, visit https://redwine.blue/troublenation/ and search the group directly, or visit Augustina’s Winery at 20 Lakeside Drive on Sunday at 5 p.m., or email: mwmmcolorado@gmail.com .