The writer is the local organizer of NALC Branch 37.
BRATTLEBORO-On Sunday, March 23, a Protect USPS from Privatization Rally will take place at 3 p.m. at the Brattleboro Main Post Office, 204 Main St., hosted by Branch 37 of the National Association of Letter Carriers, in coordination with NALC branches nationwide.
Our United States Postal Service is enshrined in Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, in which Congress is given the task of "establish[ing] post offices and post roads."
A postal system has been operating since before these states became united, and the founders of this nation knew that an educated public is foundational to a functioning democracy. Our postal service is still used to share news, information, and ideas, to educate voters, and for so much more.
The universal delivery standard means that all people in the United States are able to receive postal services equally, and, since 1970, USPS has paid for itself. The postal service is not funded by federal taxes.
Privatizing our postal service by selling it off or shifting the service from congressional oversight to executive control by placing it under the Commerce Department - as has been suggested by President Trump - would be unconstitutional.
The dismantling of USPS would be devastating to 640,000 postal employees, some of whom work in every big city and small town across the nation, to those employed by the $1.92 trillion mailing industry, and to all persons in the nation - especially those in rural areas like ourselves - who rely on the postal service.
Don't take your public postal service for granted. It is under attack right now. Please come stand with postal employees and others who care about this important function of our democracy.
Viv Woodland
Brattleboro
The writer is the local organizer of NALC Branch 37.
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