“The most important political office is that of private citizen.”
… Justice Louis Brandeis
On Saturday, June 14, 1,900 No Kings protests (including one in The Villages) will be held in cities and towns throughout the country. The purpose is to combat the rise in authoritarianism and corruption of the Trump administration. The aim is to mobilize peaceful mass protests against Trump’s excesses of power and his threats to the democratic values of our country.
The Declaration of Independence is worth revisiting because it provides the justifications for the colonies to reject the power of the British throne, and replace governing through the rule of law, as defined by the people, not a king. These protests are patriotic. It is a sacred right guaranteed by the Constitution. It is, in fact, the basis on which this nation was founded.
Here’s that partial list of grievances, delineated by the Founders, which served as the basis for declaring independence from the King. It’s worth comparing the wrongs, which the Founders defined as tyrannies, with these of the present.
• Trump and his administration have usurped the role of the people. He has taken over the rule of law, bypassing Congress, the people’s house, and ruling through Executive Orders.
• He has obstructed the administration of justice by sending swarms of federal troops to intimidate and harass the people.
• He has used standing armies, Marines and National Guard, without coordination or consent, as specified by law.
• He has refused to render the military independent of civilian power by conflating both.
• He has broken the law by assuming the role of Congress in setting tariffs. As an aside, he is also, himself, a convicted felon, found guilty of fraud and sexual assault.
• He is depriving citizens and non-citizens of the right to due process and by making unproven criminal accusations.
• He is transporting citizens and non-citizens beyond this country for unproven offenses.
• He is instigating and exacerbating domestic conflict through the use of extreme military force.
• Like a king, he demands total obedience by rewarding those who offer fealty and punishing those who dare to disagree.
Protests are patriotic. They are the essence of this country’s DNA. Americans are repelled by Trump’s abuse of authority. The more laws he breaks without consequence, the less constrained he becomes. Americans are repulsed by his hollowing out of agencies through the indiscriminate firing of thousands of civil servants, without cause, and against the law. Their expertise is lost forever, putting our safety, health, security, education, and environment at risk. He’s announced plans to eliminate, by fiat, agencies that exist through congressional action and which only Congress has the right to disband. He is attempting to change history by ignoring it and by punishing those who attempt to teach it. He is denying food and health assistance to millions in countries suffering from drought and war by disbanding USAID. Through his actions he has stopped critical research that could cure cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. His Big Beautiful Bill will provide tax relief to those who least need it at the expense of those on Medicaid and other assistance programs provided by law.
Trump is an existential threat to Americans who believe in the promises contained in the Constitution.
The “No Kings” protests serve as an important step to redress grievances. Those who participate through non-violent actions, and other support, are following in the footsteps of the Founders. Trump is not a king, and no parade will make him one. He is an elected official responsible to us—all of us—regardless of political party. We have an obligation to honor the Constitution, and unlike Trump and his lackeys, We The People will do just that.
Marsha Shearer is a resident of The Villages and the author of “America in Crisis: Essays on the Failed Presidency of Donald J. Trump.”