A few hours ago, we were standing at the edge of Battlefield Green in Lexington, Mass., where the American Revolution began. This time, it wasn’t King George we were fighting, but the man whose obsession with destroying everything that makes America great is crushing the life out of our democracy. We stood with a large crowd, in one of the countless No Kings rallies being mirrored in cities and towns across the country. It was completely peaceful, and in a quiet way, uplifting.
An important study shows that democracies can stand strong when just 3.5% of a population nonviolently protests authoritarianism in a sustained manner. That is, taking to the streets, peacefully, for as many times as it takes. Three and a half percent. It is time that the true patriots and believers in the common good do just that. Stop the madness! No more fascism.
Here are some views of the Lexington No Kings rally. Let’s hope this is just the beginning.
Frances Giuffre
Thanks for standing up for freedom, Jeff. Some great signs too!
Lis Carey
Wonderful signs! And wonderful pictures!
I can’t for long enough, or cope with large crowds long enough, so I just couldn’t do it. I’m thrilled so many could.
Juergen Kreuels
Keep going and fight this clown in the white house.
Whoever I talk to in Germany can’t believe that he can continue any further with his bullshit and his lying. Just to see news the next day telling us more of the nonsense he is doing.
He has harmed that many things already.
Steve
I honestly and with all due respect…don’t understand this. No one batted an eye last year when Democrats performed a coup on a sitting President, installed their own hand-picked candidate without one single vote from the constituents (one that was previously soundly rejected in the primaries). This President also ignored Immigration laws, allowing increased child sex trafficking and humanitarian abuse across the border.
Talk about “King”.
We have a President trying to enforce our Federal Law…his SWORN DUTY. But HE…is The King?
These are…violent riots. Costing citizens and business owners millions of dollars…a lasting sometimes permanent effect. Jan. 6 protestors spent years in solitary confinement for less.
Protesting a country you illegally came into by waving the flag you fled from?
I just do not understand it.
Steve
There is a sign up there that says “make lying wrong again”. Where were you when Biden lied?
“Afghanistan was a complete success”
“The border is secure”
“There is no inflation”
“Inflation is transitory”
“I don’t know anything about Hunter’s business dealings”
Just for starters. But now suddenly…you are concerned about “lying”.
I just do not understand. Someone help me.
Pam Phillips
I heard there was a great turnout on Lexington. Glad you’re part of it.
Steve
I apologize if this is a double post. I think I put in a bad email. But here goes. Thank you for letting me offer my opinion.
honestly and with all due respect…don’t understand this. No one batted an eye last year when Democrats performed a coup on a sitting President, installed their own hand-picked candidate without one single vote from the constituents (one that was previously soundly rejected in the primaries). This President also ignored Immigration laws, allowing increased child sex trafficking and humanitarian abuse across the border.
Talk about “King”.
We have a President trying to enforce our Federal Law…his SWORN DUTY. But HE…is The King?
These are…violent riots. Costing citizens and business owners millions of dollars…a lasting sometimes permanent effect. Jan. 6 protestors spent years in solitary confinement for less.
Protesting a country you illegally came into by waving the flag you fled from?
I just do not understand it.
Jeffrey A. Carver
If you don’t understand why people are angry, and why they see the parallels to the rise of Hitler in the 1930s, you really are not paying attention.
I do not agree with everything the Democrats have done, nor do I say they’ve never lied. But there is no comparison to Trump. He believes he is the law, and he is literally destroying institutions that helped make America great. Why? Because he can, and because it strokes his ego to do so.
Isolated instances of violence in the streets do not constitute rioting. The police are there to deal with that. To tear up the Consitution and send in the U.S. military is the worst conceivable response.
Okay, I’m not going to get into a debate about this. It’s Father’s Day, and I’m not going to ruin it. If you disagree, fine. But I leave it to others to argue with you.
Steve
No intention to argue. It’s not going to change anything. I was just expressing my confusion about this very REAL rioting nonsense, and objection to holding up federal law (Like Obama did in record numbers) which still persists due to lack of any insightful meaningful explanation. I’d wish for more discourse, for which I think these musings are intended, but peaceful disagreement will have to do.
One of the reasons we’re in this situation is people can’t discuss things. So we just walk away. Not sure that’s a good process.
Jeffrey A. Carver
Okay, one reason it’s hard to discuss this is that you post “facts” that are anything but. What rioting are you referring to? If you mean L.A., I have seen nothing to suggest that there was anything but some very localized violence, which the police dealt with. There was, however, considerable peaceful protest over ICE’s Gestapo-like tactics in grabbing people off the streets, from their places of work, etc., and trying to deport them without due process of law. It’s happened here in the Boston area, too–masked agents piling out of unmarked cars and assaulting people–I mean, literally smashing the windows on their cars, in the presence of children, to snatch away family members. Grabbing people as they are coming out of lawful immigration hearings. Deporting with no judicial process. This is Gestapo work. This is Nazi tactics. And sending the Guard and the Marines in without the authorization of the governor, on the pretext of an invasion or uncontrollable uprising. Total horseshit, designed only to display his power. Immigration is a difficult problem, and Biden didn’t solve it. But it’s not going to be solved with a sledge hammer.
How about shutting down or eviscerating valuable government agencies that were created and funded by Congress? How about turning that lunatic Musk loose–to do as much damage as he could to government functions? Giving him access to private Social Security data? What about the vendetta against Harvard, trashing billions of dollars of valuable scientific and medical research, purely on a whim because Harvard wouldn’t bend the knee to him the way Columbia did? There is no enforcement of law in that; there is only an autocrat using antisemitism as a complete pretext for destroying an institution he doesn’t like.
I could go on. Trump rules by fear and meanness and intimidation, not by law or–heaven forbid–by cooperation and respect. Trump has made it clear he wants to wield the kind of power that his favorite dictators wield, and he is well along the road to establishing a fascist government in the U.S. That is why so many people oppose him.