Regrettably, these are not my words. They are the words of my friend for whom I have the greatest admiration and respect. He has more courage than most, including me. Because I was not brave enough to say these things myself, this seemed like the least I could do. Agreeing to have his poem republished here, Todd notes: “People seem to be responding to it positively. It’s basically a laundry list of everything Trump and his people are trying to make me afraid to say. We had 4500 people for ‘No Kings Day’ Saturday.”
Affidavit
June 14, 2025
I, Richard Todd Saddler, 10/10/64, Citizen of the world, being of sound mind,
do hereby testify that:
Climate change is real
Immigrants are not destroying America
A rape committed by a president is just as bad as a rape perpetrated by an immigrant
The State of Israel is perpetrating the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza
The United States government is complicit in this genocide
Christian Zionism is not Christian
Christian Nationalism is not Christian
I will not debate within a framework of lies
I will not say, even though it is true, that Hamas committed a horrible crime on October 7th
nor will I say, even though it is also true, that I am not being antisemitic when I oppose this genocide
All people are created equal
Gay and transgender people are created equal
People who are not born in the United States of America
are equal to those who are born here
History happened
The genocide of Native Americans was neither good nor necessary
The enslavement of Africans was neither good nor necessary
I will not pretend it did not happen so that I can feel good about keeping the fruits of their dispossession
Corporations are not people
Money is not speech
The Supreme court is wrong
Joe Biden did not steal the 2020 election
Donald Trump did commit the crime of insurrection
Up is up, down is down
Truth and lies are not worthy of equal consideration
Lies are not owed equal time
Diversity Equity and Inclusion is better than Conformity Inequity and Exclusion
Democracy is better than autocracy
Monarchy does not deserve another try
Fascism does not deserve another look
Scapegoating is not OK
Donald Trump is intentionally creating an atmosphere of fear
Every question of truth is being converted into a question of power
Every question of law is being converted into a question of power
Every question of policy is being converted into a question of power
Love is greater than fear
An unjust law is no law
A law used unjustly is no law
No one has a duty to cooperate with a crime committed under color of law
An officer who arrests or detains an immigrant, protester, or elected official without due process of law, commits the crime of kidnapping under color of law
No one has a duty to wait for courts or leaders to sort this out
The competent authorities are not competent
The US Constitution is violated
The social contract is broken
Things are not going well
America is not great
The rule of law is over
The rule of fear is established
No one is safe
We will decide what to do with our fear
I will not be silent
I will use the word Fascist to describe the administration of Donald J. Trump.
I will not conceal my sentiments
I will not tone down my language
I will not censor my speech
I will not cooperate
I will not comply
I will not use the pronoun ‘we’ when speaking of the acts of governments, cops or billionaires
I will not stop resisting injustice because I am complicit in it
I will resist it all the more because I am personally responsible for my part in it
I will harbor the oppressed
I will harbor immigrants
I will interfere with crimes committed under color of law
I will extend hospitality to all people
I will nonviolently resist injustice even if someone else chooses to use violence
I will not quit America
I will not run
I will not hide
I will not hate as I am hated
I will not threaten as I am threatened
I will not harm as I am harmed
I will not cease to bless as I am being cursed
I will knock at your door
with these words
until you choose to open it
Now you will take my hand
and dance with me.
Signed, Richard Todd Saddler
Witnessed
Notarized
Delivered by US Postal Service Certified Mail
and submitted to whitehouse.gov
