Beth Davidson and Tom Abinanti speak at Peekskill town hall and rally
March 22, 2025 - Speeches to the overflow crowd from the Town Hall without Mike Lawler in the historic Dramatic Hall.
Beth Davidson
Beth Davidson is a freelance writer and editor. She has served as a Rockland County Legislator since January 2024. She was a trustee on the Board of Education of the Nyack Union Free School District from July 2017 until July 2023.
Video and transcript link: Beth Davidson at Peekskill Rally - March 22, 2025
I'm a Rockland County Legislator. I'm a two-term school board member watching an unelected billionaire take out the Department of Education. I'm a mother of a teenage daughter with fewer rights than I did at her age. And like you, I'm mad as hell, and I'm not gonna take it anymore.
That's right. I'll be brief. You may have heard or seen in the news this week that Mike Lawler when he was getting heckled, said, "They're just mad that they lost an election."
We're activists. We know. You win some, you lose some. That is not why we are out here. We are out here because 44 percent of residents in my county, Rockland County, who depend on Medicaid for their health care are poised to lose it. That's why we're out here. That's why we're out here.
We're out here because kids who depend on specials aid service, excuse me, special needs services and college loans through Pell Grants are going to lose them. That's why we're out here.
And what do we need to lose next? Our representative, Mike Lawler.
That's right. Mike Lawler has got to go.
What are we going to do next year?
Vote him out. Vote him out. Vote him out. Vote him out. Vote him out. Vote him out.
If you're ready to take a stand against unelected billionaires, Donald Trump's and Mike Lawler's agenda, which is not for us, you have a home in my campaign Beth Davidson for Congress dot com.
Tom Abinanti
Tom Abinanti is an attorney and advocate for people with disabilities.. He served as a Greenburgh Town Councilman twice (1980–1984 and 1990–1991), a Westchester County Legislator (1992-2010), and a New York Assembly Member (2011-2022).
AMERICANISM
AMERICANISM is our governing philosophy.
Not Communism, Socialism, Populism, Capitalism, Fascism, Autocracy, Plutocracy, or Monarchy.
Americanism is built on the structure of a democratic republic – a government of, for, and by the people.
We believe in doing what is FAIR, JUST, and RIGHT.
Americanism is designed to be self-protective with a separation of powers. It is expected that the executive, legislature, and judiciary would jealously protect their own powers – resentful of another’s overreach.
But today the executive seeks to over-power all others and seeks retribution for perceived slights – actually his own failures which his narcissism can’t admit. He has replaced the goal of diversity, equity, and inclusion with his own “DEI” ....
Destroy Everything Immediately ...
or ...
Deception/ Exclusion/ Intimidation.
Deceive them – tell them what they want to hear.
Exclude everyone who might restrain his power.
Intimidate everyone into submission.
It’s the Dictator’s playbook. It is un-American. It foreshadows the fall of Americanism. It must be stopped before it can’t be.
It is NOT FAIR, NOT JUST, NOT RIGHT.
The courts are doing their part and under attack for properly applying the law.
Where is Congress? This is not about voting for a continuing resolution. This is about the majority in Congress failing to uphold the law.
Those who don’t uphold the law are themselves lawless.
In our 17th Congressional District – the ultimate swing district – the Congress member Mike Lawler is Lawless. He was elected on the promise that he would be a check on extremism.
In Westchester, he talks like a moderate. In Congress, he walks like a MAGA.
After receiving Elon Musk’s huge campaign contributions, MAGA Mike Lawless has been selling Musk Oil — defending the destruction of government.
Now even Westchester’s Social Security office is targeted for closure.
Thank you MAGA Mike Lawless.
MAGA Mike Lawless says he will not cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid benefits – only waste & fraud.
Is there a budget line that reads waste? That reads fraud?
With his red hat pulled down over his eyes, how will he see the difference?
They are so sure waste is there – they will destroy everything to be sure they get it all.
It is NOT FAIR, NOT JUST, NOT RIGHT.
To effectively reach those in the middle, we who care need to develop a simple coherent message.
I suggest: The Republican proposals are
NOT FAIR, NOT JUST, NOT RIGHT.
We need to use simple everyday terms.
Don’t say “unconstitutional,” or “DEI” or “Birthright citizenship.”
Tell it like it is in everyday words:
It’s only fair that everyone deserves a chance.
It’s right and just that if you were born here, you are a citizen here.
It’s not right that a rich angry old man should take medical care from sick kids and social security from seniors.
It is NOT FAIR, NOT JUST, NOT RIGHT.
Tell MAGA MIKE Lawless – tell all Congress members – It is UN-AMERICAN.
It is NOT FAIR, NOT JUST, NOT RIGHT.