Celebs endorse #USPSProtests as people snap pics of mail box removals
The pressure to halt Donald Trump's ongoing campaign against the U.S. Postal Service went into overdrive on Saturday and Sunday.
The string of events that brought us to this point amount to a long story. But the short version is that Trump isn't a fan of the USPS, probably because he's deeply unpopular and he knows that widespread mail-in voting (or absentee voting if you prefer – they're the same thing) during the 2020 election means he'll probably lose.
So Trump has spent time in recent months casting doubt on election results in November that are expected to lean heavily on mail-in votes. At the same time, the May 2020 appointment of Louis DeJoy to the job of postmaster general has ushered in a variety of changes that have made the day-to-day work of the USPS less efficient and more susceptible to errors. (DeJoy notably has a financial interest in several USPS competitors.)
There's a lot more to the "why" here, so you should really take the time to read and get the full picture.
All of which brings us to the current weekend. In the days leading up to it, reports emerged that postal boxes were being removed and some 671 sorting machines were being taken out of service. Then, on Friday, we learned that the USPS sent letters to 46 states warning that it couldn't guarantee timely delivery for November's mail-in ballots.
For all the long lines and package delays we love to yell about, the U.S. Postal Service happens to be the most popular U.S. government agency. So as alarm grew over the weekend, various public figures and interests took to social media to express their support and get #USPSProtests trending.
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Celebrities getting behind popular movements on social media is about as performative as Twitter gets, but the current situation with the USPS is raising alarm in all quarters. People across the country have sprung into action to support the USPS, document any visible service changes, and stage protests – including outside of DeJoy-owned residences.
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UPDATE: Aug. 19, 2020, 2:12 p.m. EDT A tweet showing a viral picture of a pile of mailboxes behind a chainlink fence has been removed from this post because the context of the photo has been brought into question. It's unclear if the postboxes were decommissioned as part of USPS rollbacks, as suggested on social media, or in line to be refurbished by a USPS contractor, as suggested by a photojournalist.
Topics Activism Social Good Politics
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
