Local Senior Group Protests Project 2025 in Columbia
In a nationwide wave of demonstrations against the conservative policy initiative known as Project 2025, a small group of older adults in Columbia staged their own protest Wednesday. Unable to travel to Jefferson City for the larger rally, the group, calling themselves “The Concerned Seniors,” gathered at the intersection of West Nifong Boulevard and Bethel Street.
Project 2025, a comprehensive policy blueprint developed by the Heritage Foundation, outlines a transformative agenda for the federal government aimed at the “next conservative president.” This 900-page document has sparked controversy and opposition from various groups across the country.
Doris Lackey, co-chair of a local Current Affairs Club, played a pivotal role in organizing the Columbia protest. Inspired by a Facebook post urging citizens to demonstrate at their state Capitols, Lackey and her peers decided to express their dissent closer to home. “We’re seniors — we’re 80 and 90 years old — and we thought it would be pretty hard to get to Jefferson City today,” Lackey stated. “So we thought we could show solidarity and do our own protest here in Columbia.”
The group, composed of about ten members, expressed their opposition by holding signs crafted by Lackey’s granddaughters. Their demonstration was part of a broader movement opposing the policy agenda.
Among the demonstrators was John Rudder, a veteran and former Department of Defense employee, who emphasized his commitment to the Constitution. “I took the oath I made to the Constitution seriously then, and take it very seriously now,” Rudder declared. He expressed concern over former President Donald Trump’s influence, stating, “(President Donald Trump) is turning that on its head. I just don’t see how anybody can stand by and watch this happen. It’s just not American.”
The protest in Columbia was one of many across the United States, as citizens voiced their concerns over the implications of Project 2025. For more on the nationwide protests, visit this article.
