Each of us must join in the march for justice

First, it was the Muslim ban. Then it was the gutting of public sector unions. Now, Justice Kennedy has announced his retirement.

Quite literally, the future of civil and human rights in our country is at stake. Justice Kennedy was a conservative jurist on many issues. But whether it was the rights of children, women, or the LGBTQ community, he was a fierce defender of the constitutional values of liberty and equality. We shudder to think who President Trump — a man who values neither — will try to appoint in his place.

With a compliant Republican Senate, President Trump has already been filling the lower courts with hard-right ideologues. We cannot allow him to stack the Supreme Court with similar jurists who would reverse decades of progress.

For the sake of future generations, we must unite and resist threats to our liberty. Each of us must join in the march for justice.

None of us can stand on the sidelines.