Hello,

Last week’s assassination of Charlie Kirk was a horrific act of political violence.

But in the aftermath, instead of coming together to heal, some have chosen to weaponize this tragedy, targeting educators for their personal opinions, doxing them, and seeking to limit their First Amendment rights. That is wrong. It sends a dangerous message that undermines civil discourse and our democracy.

Why are teachers under attack? Because authoritarians fear what educators do every day—teach critical thinking; welcome all students, not just some; create opportunity so every child has a shot at the American dream; and build strong unions that make our economy fairer. I outline this in my newly released book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers. In it, I write about why fascists throughout history have feared teachers—because public education is essential to freedom, democracy and opportunity. So at this inflection point, we must do two things at once: denounce political violence and de-escalate, while also refusing to let tragedy be used to erode constitutional rights or silence educators. You can read an excerpt of the book in Rolling Stone and can learn more about it at www.WhyFascistsFearTeachers.com.

We’re going to continue to stand together and keep fighting forward. Yesterday, we launched a nationwide campaign, “Higher Education: Saving Lives, Building Futures, Powering the Economy.” It’s a national movement to protect higher education from political and economic attacks. And we continue to fight against the funding cuts to public education being championed by the Trump administration and its MAGA allies in Congress. In addition to stopping imminent cuts to healthcare brought on by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, some Republicans in Congress want to cut funds for National Institutes of Health/National Science Foundation research grants, TRIO and GEAR UP, and other student loan programs designed to help students from disadvantaged backgrounds succeed at college. We also need Congress to take a stand and tell the administration that it cannot hold up or cut funds on its own.

At the same time, we’re fighting President Donald Trump and Dr. Mehmet Oz’s efforts to cut Medicare and let artificial intelligence models restrict what healthcare seniors can receive. That’s another way rights and dignity are being eroded. You can send a letter to Congress about AI and Medicare here.

Finally, remember to mark your calendars for next month’s No Kings day of action! On Oct. 18, we will organize and mobilize to protect our kids and communities. We must meet this moment by fighting back—in Congress, through the courts, at the ballot box and in the streets. Click here to learn more.

Together, we can stop the march toward authoritarianism. We can reclaim the promise of America and build a better future for working people.

In unity,
Randi Weingarten
AFT President