by Martin Green

As we have come to this last day of June, 2025, and now prepare to celebrate in a few days the two hundred and forty-ninth year of our independence from the tyranny of Great Britain, I am profoundly grateful for several of the remarkable events that took place this month:

 -The third anniversary of the monumental Dobbs decision.

-The imminent defunding of our tax dollars from the abortion behemoth Planned Parenthood.

-President Trump’s four-minute televised speech describing how our US military had just successfully destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

After twenty-four consecutive weekends of precipitation in Vermont, June 21, the first day of summer, was a spectacularly beautiful day in which many joined together to celebrate the monumental Dobbs decision at our state capitol. 

Part of what made this day so wonderful was not just the fact that long-awaited summer in Vermont is a time of sunlight, warmth, new growth, productivity, and fruitfulness, but that these qualities are some of what Dobbs symbolizes for the pro-life movement as the darkness and chilling long winter of the pro-death culture is retreating.

We are living in unprecedented times. And in the midst of the darkness and woke lunacy we have seen for the past nine years in Vermont and the United States, hope is very much alive and well here, as Guy Page eloquently reminded us beneath the shadow of the Golden Dome on Saturday, June 21st.

We are often accustomed to perceiving that something “suddenly” happened: the first asparagus stalk, apple on the tree, tomato on the vine, or blueberry on the bush “suddenly” pops out. Anyone who has grown fruits and vegetables knows that “suddenly” is really just the first visible evidence of lots of sweat, calluses, hard work, and diligent cultivation, often over the course of many years. 

Although it might appear so, the changes and victories we’re beginning to see in Vermont are not “suddenly” happening. What we observe now as emerging and visible is really the fruit of decades of the hope, faithful prayers, and diligent labors and perseverance of those who have been cultivating righteousness in the cultural and political soil, and fighting in the spiritual and earthly trenches, most often in the midst of insanely hostile opposition. 

On June 21st, we gathered at the statehouse to celebrate and commemorate the day three years ago that common sense and the rule of law prevailed in America when the Supreme Court of the United States essentially overturned its egregious Roe decision, which invented out of thin air a constitutional “right” to kill preborn babies. Just as the Supreme Court admitted its error when it overturned the infamous Dred Scott decision, another terribly wrong decision based on current popular sentiment which dehumanized another group of persons—Black Americans—the Dobbs decision might have seemed like one of those “suddenlies,” but was really the fruit of the prayers and godly, heroic, sacrificial action of the pro-life community for fifty years.

Later, on the evening of June 21st, President Trump and his team acted with courage and decisiveness to destroy the nuclear capabilities of the fanatical Muslim terrorist leadership of Iran. This was a radical departure from the impotent cowing, bowing, apologetic leadership, and empty rhetoric we’ve seen displayed by several former presidents. The fact that President Trump did what he did, not only in support of Israel, but really in the best interests of the Middle East and the world, was remarkable enough. But what made his actions and his words even more extraordinary is what he said. Although many US presidents may have felt similar sentiments or have even given credit to God, either perfunctorily or genuinely, Donald Trump said what no president has ever said publicly.

“I just want to thank…in particular, God. And I just want to say, we love You, God. We love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East, God bless Israel, and God bless America.”

Who does this? Who says this? Who, let alone an American president, publicly proclaims this before the entire world? 

Only a man who has faced more deranged, hateful, and vicious opposition than any president in history, but has refused to stop fighting, not for his own selfish and petty political ambitions, but for the good of all the citizens of our beloved country. Only a man who knows it is God who saved him when he came within a fraction of an inch of being murdered and had another attempt on his life narrowly thwarted. Only a man who knows he has been raised up for bold, decisive leadership at this moment in history to help tear down the high places of wickedness and perversion erected by his predecessors. Only a man who has chosen to devote his life to serving our country and honoring God, and who is in the process—just like you and I—of being sanctified and transformed to become more and more like Jesus.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” – Proverbs 14:34

The founders and fathers of our great republic, and the heroes of the American Revolution were an extraordinary confluence of personalities, talent, experience, wisdom, and genius—the building material, if you will—that was available for God to use at that moment in time. None of these leaders, founders, architects, and builders was perfect, but was simply willing—flaws and weaknesses notwithstanding—to live into his or her identity, calling, and destiny with faith, love, and courage. 

Here in Vermont, we have a modern confluence of heroes who are diligently working/have worked to see truth, love, righteousness, and justice prevail: Guy Page, Mary Beerworth, Sharon Toborg, Renee McGuiness, Lynn Caulfield, John Averill, Tom Kelly, Vicki Strong, Art Peterson, John Klar, Alison Despathy, Cindy Tabor, Jeanne Marie Davis, every godly Vermont pastor and legislator who has not been duped by nor bowed down to the sinister woke agenda, and every righteous foster and adoptive parent, to name but a few.

What makes these folks heroes in my eyes? The way they live into God’s calling on their lives with faith, love, and courage. For most of them, it has been many decades.

I apologize to all those not specifically mentioned here, but God sees and knows every person who is not named. And He honors you as you honor Him with Your faithfulness to fulfill His word and assignments on the particular patch of earth He has called you to occupy.

“For God, the Faithful One, is not unfair. How can He forget the beautiful work you have done for Him? He remembers the love you demonstrate as you continually serve His beloved ones for the glory of His name.” – Hebrews 6:10

“The Lord replies, ‘I have seen violence done to the helpless, and I have heard the groans of the poor. Now I will rise up to rescue them, as they have longed for Me to do.’” – Psalms 12:5

“Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, ‘Look, we didn’t know.’ For God understands all hearts, and He sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve.” – Proverbs 24:11-12 

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed. Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice.” – Proverbs 31:8-9 

And as is the case with true heroes, not one of you will see yourself as one. You will simply regard what you have done and what you do as only that which needed to be done. But you have shown up, stepped up, and spoken up. And from God’s perspective, that kind of faithfulness to simply carry out the assignments He has given you is the measure of success. Thank you for your excellent and inspiring example.

At times when I need encouragement to persevere, I am often inspired by the following quote from President Theodore Roosevelt’s “The Man in the Arena.” I would also also like to encourage all those who are in the fight, or are about to be, and so I feel it is appropriate to finish with these words from his speech entitled, “Citizenship in a Republic”:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.“

God bless you!

God bless Vermont!

And God bless America!

The author is a Morrisville resident.