Those who know me are aware that I have a strong sense of justice and the words to express it. Even as a child, I would take note of what was ‘not fair’. Throughout my life, I would come to the defense of those being picked on and bullied. I became a social worker (go figure) as a result with the intention of putting a degree (MSW) behind it. I joke that the degree Master of Social Work should really be called Master of Saving the World. Sometimes I am just delusional enough to think that I can singlehandedly do that. Now I know that it is a collective ‘we’ called on to do that and not just a singular ‘me’.
Yesterday was one of those times and experiences when people of good faith (not necessarily religious) came together all over the world to express vehemently that we will have no king ruling over our country. I think that the movement could be better served by calling it ‘No Dictators’ since that is a more apt description of what is issuing forth from this administration. He makes it clear that he has dictatorial intentions and feels he is unstoppable, unconstrained by silly laws. He wants another country; he’ll go after it. He wants to call reporters rude and demeaning names; he spews them. He feels threatened by anyone; he trash talks them and threatens retribution. He gets called out for words he has said and decisions he has made; he tap dances around them and deflects. I wonder about the hold he has on his adherents in government. Is it political, financial, reputational, safety? What secrets does he have to hold over them?
The current title gives rise to people on social media poking fun of those of us who are standing up for all of our rights; the disparagers included. Of course we don’t have a king here. We know that. Comments such as ‘the only King is Jesus’ and ‘Elvis is the King’ and ‘what about Burger King?’ are common on line. It only serves to make the folks who say it sound completely disconnected from what is occurring right in front of them.
The No Kings Movement began in 2025 after Tr*mp catapulted into office for a second time. It was seen as a way of showing up, standing up and speaking out about the atrocities that were unfolding. The need for these events has never been greater for those whose eyes are open and whose despair is being transformed into hope and empowerment. For those who have not attended a peaceful protest, these feel like a reunion of kindred spirits, all ages (from babies in strollers to elders with walkers and canes), skin hues, gender presentation, hair color (I rock purple hair), faith traditions, socio-economic background, and professions. There were canine protesters decked out in their own clever signs.
The disparagers call out our age, our mental health status, our hair color, our intelligence. Many of us who are in my demographic never thought we would still be doing this in our 60s and beyond. I am 67, relatively sane, with the aforementioned purple hair, not sure about my IQ, having not taken a test, but I have an advance degree and am an ordained minister, having attended seminary. I stay informed with news from all sides; articles, books, podcasts and interviews. I must have some smarts going for me. I also have a high EQ (Emotional Intelligence) with compassion and empathy in excess.
We are asked what good the protests do since he is still in office and isn’t it just performative to make ourselves feel better? At our event in Doylestown, PA the benefits included community building, bringing awareness to the problems that plague our nation, information tables with ways to contact legislators, voter registration, donations of non-perishable food and toiletries that are donated to local programs. There were speakers and musical performers to inspire the crowd. This is not a one-off. It is a marathon, not a sprint.
I volunteered (and yes, we are all unpaid despite the fake news about being compensated) to be an iridescent yellow vested Peacekeeper/Marshal whose job it was to keep people out of the streets and on the sidewalks or grassy area, to provide a safe and peaceful presence and to intercede if there was a ruckus from counter protesters. Blessedly, there was none. The only disturbance I witnessed was a man with a skeleton face mask driving a Jeep several times through a busy intersection with the top down, hands waving (meaning not on the steering wheel), middle fingers extended as he greeted us. Although there was a solid police presence (thanks to our local PD), no one was there to see it and pull him over. As I was standing on a crowded sidewalk, I noticed a few teen boys, boldly walking through, smirks on their faces. One was wearing a red and white hat that had the name of his hero on it. I smirked back and shook my head and the kid asked, “You don’t like Tr*mp?” I shook my head and they kept walking. We were not supposed to engage so I said nothing. If circumstances had been different and I had seen them out in the wild, I would have asked why he did like the man who was stealing his future. It could have been a teachable moment. No longer am I willing to simply listen. I feel the necessity to educate if I can and to plant seeds for change of mind and heart. I don’t name call. I don’t shame. I welcome them to join us.
Final numbers are not in, but the estimate is that at least 9 million people attended the protests in large cities and tiny towns in our country and in others who stood in solidarity. What happens here impacts the entire world, so their support is encouraging. The message is clear that he is not respected or beloved there either.
Protest movements have ushered in the 19th amendment that granted (white) women the right to vote in 1920 which was four years before my mother was born. They helped to end the Viet Nam war and boost Civil Rights. The first Pride fest was a protest (Stonewall). These were not all peaceful. I was relieved to hear that there was no violence at protests yesterday. Not sure about other locations, but in Doylestown, there was no uniformed ICE presence.
One of my favorite peace anthems from my youth, “Get Together” by Jesse Colin Young and The Youngbloods is a clarion call that we need in this pivotal moment in history. “Everybody get together, try to love one another right now.”
Pleasantly wiped at the end of a fulfilling day. My shirt reads “When hate is loud, love must be louder.” And so it is.
