Rona Hitlin-Mason is afraid for the future she leaves behind for her grandchildren.
Hitlin-Mason and over 50 other residents or friends of residents at Woodleigh Chase — a retirement community off Braddock Road in Kings Park West — took to the streets on Saturday (April 5) to join in a day of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump.
The “Hands Off” protests were held in 1,200 locations across every state, from a huge gathering in D.C. to local gatherings like the Woodleigh Chase “pop-up rally,” as Hitlin-Mason called it.
“Many cars that went by honked in support and that was lovely,” Hitlin-Mason said. “It was very upbeat. People were very glad to do something.”
Hitlin-Mason said she was in college during the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century but said she’s generally “not a big protestor” and has never frequented rallies.
“This feels like something where I can’t sit around and do nothing,” Hitlin-Mason said.
According to Hitlin-Mason, many of the residents at Woodleigh Chase are immediately concerned with the Trump administration’s impact on the Social Security Administration (SSA), which has seen dramatic job cuts in recent days even as the administration promises there will be no benefit reductions.
According to the SSA, nearly 60 million retired and disabled workers receive Social Security benefits, and many beneficiaries 65 and older rely on the monthly payments for at least half of their income. One analysis found that Social Security keeps approximately 22 million adults and children out of poverty.
While residents at a senior living facility in Fairfax — the fifth richest county in America — likely won’t be the first in dire straits, Hitlin-Mason says many residents are concerned for others around the country and for their grandchildren.
They worry that their efforts to invest and save money to ease the financial burdens of caregiving on their children now won’t be enough, she said.
“I’m afraid,” said Hitlin-Mason. “During the financial crisis in 2008 there were experts in the government to help us get through that. I don’t feel that now.”
Unlike the Women’s March, which was organized after Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 and mostly focused on criticizing Republican leadership, Hitlin-Mason said the “Hands Off” protest is a message for Democratic leaders as well as Republicans.
“This is about pushing Democratic leadership and some Republicans,” Hitlin-Mason said. “What I’ve been struck by personally is when Republicans were in the minority during the Biden and Obama administrations, I kept hearing nothing could go through because Republicans were stopping it. When the Democrats were the minority, all I’m hearing is ‘we’re the minority, we can’t do anything.'”
Hitlin-Mason said she’s been impressed by the leadership of Democratic leaders like Cory Booker — who broke a Senate record last week with a speech criticizing federal funding cuts — and Jamie Raskin — who spoke at the main “Hands Off” rally in D.C.
However, she was more critical of leaders she worries are sitting back and waiting for the next midterm elections.
“My fear is we do not have two years,” Hitlin-Mason said. “I have grandchildren, so I’m very concerned about the country’s future.”
