I am a 75 year old retired military officer and I also went to my first protests this year. The idea of using the military against American citizens like this is unconscionable. No Kings.
Wow! Before Trump the last protest I went to was over the Vietnam war. And that was for different reasons. The current regime is out to destroy democracy, The would-be-king is dumber than a ditwad and being lead by his evil taskmasters, Bannon, Miller, et. al. We all need to act immediately and strongly to avoid disaster. Democratic leaders need to show some backbone. The old men in the legislatures are hiding behind boulders to avoid responsibility. It's time for strong leadership. It's time for strong action. The Republicans are in the gutter. The Democrats are nowhere to be found.
I have you beat by 15 years. Why did I go to my first protest in 73 years? Many reasons, but here's the most egregious: Armed, masked, unidentified thugs are handcuffing people, shoving them into unmarked vans, and spiriting them off to God knows where -- all of this sanctioned by top government leaders. Where is this happening? North Korea, El Salvador, Russia? NO: Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. This is an America I don't recognize. It's intolerable.
Absolutely on target! I am a lifelong Democrat who cares about a lot of issues, but none of them are worth dividing a “save democracy” coalition. (I can quietly protect and advocate for those who are vulnerable, while noisily defending our democratic experiment.) I gathered with 15,000 in Milwaukee last Saturday and loved the positive energy and spirit of strength and hope. My one criticism was that we had almost two hours of speakers before we finally marched. Instead of a laser-like focus upon the “No Kings” theme, organizers seemed to feel they needed to cover every conceivable social justice issue the Democratic Party has ever stood for. I tried to imagine how it would feel to be pro-democracy, but not necessarily aligned on other issues. I’ve found no way of offering this feedback to the organizers. I’m hoping that some of you who have a larger megaphone - especially former or disenfranchised Republicans - can get this message across.
Excellent piece- as a former Republican, loved the comment, “They’ve traded the Constitution for Trump’s incoherent, semi-literate, all-hat-no-facts feed of grievance-soaked gibberish on Truth Social.” Also, perfect timing when it seems some do want to bring past grievances into play. It is DEFCON 1 for Democracy, it’s boots on the ground, can’t afford to loose one pro-Constitutional soldier go time! Thank you.
Cheeto Jr(JD Vance) showed up in LA to make a case for the his Nazi Gestapo tactics in terrorizing immigrant communities in Southern California Let’s remember that the underlying take away from the current Nazi regime is that EVERYTHING THEY SAY IS A LIE
Also remember that Cheeto Jr has said that in order to rebirth the country the Nazis will have to “burn it all down and start over” Yarvin his compadre in fascism has said that people will just have to get over their “dictatorphobia” And then there’s Cheeto Jr financier Thiel who oversees the Palantir software, playing the role as participant in trying to turn the US into the Third Reich
Now Cheeto Jr shows up in an LA presser to disrespect Senator Alex Padilla who was handcuffed by ICE and called him Jose Padilla(BTW convicted terrorist) to do “political theater” and an obvious racial slur Of course he called LA as a hell hole filled with criminals and rapists and thank God for the Nazi regime to round all these “terrible terrorists” up and protect federal buildings with troop deployment The Nazis need to protect Americans which is the basic problem
This was not serious Cheeto Jr was in LA to push the Nazi PROPAGANDA, a classic Cheeto Sr tactic
💯 Americans need to remember the basics of what America is about!!! The fundamentals is what WE THE PEOPLE need to focus on - freedom, rule of law, the constitution!!! We have NO kings here!
Visual numbers count. Perhaps our media won’t mention it as much, for fear of offending ‘the great leader’, but people around the world will and hopefully it conveys to them that we all haven’t sided with the fascists.
I’ve seen protests my entire life. I grew up in the 1960s. Yeah. But it is hard to do it right. Ghandi and MLK, Jr understood that the strength of non violent protest is that it takes power away from those you are protesting against. Unfortunately, there are just enough bomb throwers to cast a taint on all of us. We need to ostracize them, make it understood that they do more harm than good, and that they need to stay away.
A few years ago I realized that the hard fought progress we’d made through the 1990s was at risk, and that we all need to stand up for what we have rather than crying out for more, more, more, no matter how righteous those other items may be. If we can’t hold the line where it already is, we sure can’t get any further down the road. Everybody wants a pony, but let’s make sure we got leather on our feet first to walk that first thousand miles.
Thank you thank you thank you. My husband, a life-long Republican, now Democrat, protests with me and has a knack for making creative signs. We need everyone regardless of party, religion, etc, to put ourselves on the front lines of saying NO. Thank you for stating so well (and funny, too) what we are facing. We simply must make this into something that will save us; we have learned that only we can do it.
Bravo! More engagement, less lets play nice. But between corporate media and corporate dems the public needs to stand up continuously. Corporate media, including MSNBC, hardly mentioned No Kings protests. A Substack writer indicate MSNBC mentioned the No Kings rallies about 70 times during an entire week of broadcasting! Most of the corporate media is busy trying to curry favor with trump by bribing him with millions so trump doesn't yell at them. That is why independent media, such as Meidas, is so important in getting out the truth and pushing the narrative that American democracy, the rule of law and the constitution are at risk and worth saving fro the fascist, maga, cult.
Dems are truly disappointing though. Besides the occasional news bite actions of Newsome and the pressure tactics of the wonderful Crockett, AOC, and Bernie, dems are still playing patty cake against Godzilla. Dems need to be calling out the trump kill bull, the TACO two-week plans, the number of people who will die in order to give the wealthy more money, and the death cult mentality of the murder bill on an hourly basis. One member of congress should be on the steps of the Capitol each day telling people the damage contained in the GOP kethak legislation. No more strongly worded letters from dinosaurs like Schumer. 18 dems voted for trump's crypto scam bill, including Alex Padilla! While we do not need purity, we need consistency, and what Padilla did is consistent with corporate dems. Congressional dems want the people to put their situations at risk and hit the streets while they write letters and cower in corners hoping not ot offend anyone.
The people are the resistance. But as trump's kill bill policies and EOs start to crush the financial lives and safety net of the maga cult, maybe a light might finally flicker in their dark brains that they have been lied to, conned, scammed, and treated as fools, rubes, and chattel to a cause that harms them and their families. The pain for them, and the rest of us, is just beginning. maga may want a king, but they will not want to be his subjects. The louser the voice against the king stunt regime, the sooner a better outcome is possible.
I love the idea of sending out one member of congress every day to call out bullshit! At first, it may escape notice. In time, it could signal strength and resilience.
trump spouts BS all day. everyday, and the media flock to him like crows to a dumpster. Dems could at least make minimal efforts to counteract the ramblings of a pathologically lying, incompetent, carnival barker. Yes, it might be a stunt for dems to take the podium outdoors to criticize the trump regime on a daily basis, but the media like clown shows and will be there for the free popcorn. Of course, that would force some dems to get off their lazy butts and perform an act of civic engagement.
As I said a few days ago, I am only one person. But if another “one person” joins me, we can make a difference. Thanks for this post, Jeff, and upward we go!
I am a 75 year old retired military officer and I also went to my first protests this year. The idea of using the military against American citizens like this is unconscionable. No Kings.
Well said. We need to focus on the most threatening, common enemy.
We rejected a King in 1776, we can do no less in 2025!
Wow! Before Trump the last protest I went to was over the Vietnam war. And that was for different reasons. The current regime is out to destroy democracy, The would-be-king is dumber than a ditwad and being lead by his evil taskmasters, Bannon, Miller, et. al. We all need to act immediately and strongly to avoid disaster. Democratic leaders need to show some backbone. The old men in the legislatures are hiding behind boulders to avoid responsibility. It's time for strong leadership. It's time for strong action. The Republicans are in the gutter. The Democrats are nowhere to be found.
I have you beat by 15 years. Why did I go to my first protest in 73 years? Many reasons, but here's the most egregious: Armed, masked, unidentified thugs are handcuffing people, shoving them into unmarked vans, and spiriting them off to God knows where -- all of this sanctioned by top government leaders. Where is this happening? North Korea, El Salvador, Russia? NO: Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. This is an America I don't recognize. It's intolerable.
Absolutely on target! I am a lifelong Democrat who cares about a lot of issues, but none of them are worth dividing a “save democracy” coalition. (I can quietly protect and advocate for those who are vulnerable, while noisily defending our democratic experiment.) I gathered with 15,000 in Milwaukee last Saturday and loved the positive energy and spirit of strength and hope. My one criticism was that we had almost two hours of speakers before we finally marched. Instead of a laser-like focus upon the “No Kings” theme, organizers seemed to feel they needed to cover every conceivable social justice issue the Democratic Party has ever stood for. I tried to imagine how it would feel to be pro-democracy, but not necessarily aligned on other issues. I’ve found no way of offering this feedback to the organizers. I’m hoping that some of you who have a larger megaphone - especially former or disenfranchised Republicans - can get this message across.
Excellent piece- as a former Republican, loved the comment, “They’ve traded the Constitution for Trump’s incoherent, semi-literate, all-hat-no-facts feed of grievance-soaked gibberish on Truth Social.” Also, perfect timing when it seems some do want to bring past grievances into play. It is DEFCON 1 for Democracy, it’s boots on the ground, can’t afford to loose one pro-Constitutional soldier go time! Thank you.
Cheeto Junior Arrives in LA to Spew Propaganda
Cheeto Jr(JD Vance) showed up in LA to make a case for the his Nazi Gestapo tactics in terrorizing immigrant communities in Southern California Let’s remember that the underlying take away from the current Nazi regime is that EVERYTHING THEY SAY IS A LIE
Also remember that Cheeto Jr has said that in order to rebirth the country the Nazis will have to “burn it all down and start over” Yarvin his compadre in fascism has said that people will just have to get over their “dictatorphobia” And then there’s Cheeto Jr financier Thiel who oversees the Palantir software, playing the role as participant in trying to turn the US into the Third Reich
Now Cheeto Jr shows up in an LA presser to disrespect Senator Alex Padilla who was handcuffed by ICE and called him Jose Padilla(BTW convicted terrorist) to do “political theater” and an obvious racial slur Of course he called LA as a hell hole filled with criminals and rapists and thank God for the Nazi regime to round all these “terrible terrorists” up and protect federal buildings with troop deployment The Nazis need to protect Americans which is the basic problem
This was not serious Cheeto Jr was in LA to push the Nazi PROPAGANDA, a classic Cheeto Sr tactic
Welcome aboard. Glad to have you protesting with us💕💕💕
💯 Americans need to remember the basics of what America is about!!! The fundamentals is what WE THE PEOPLE need to focus on - freedom, rule of law, the constitution!!! We have NO kings here!
So glad after decades of supporting voter suppression and exclusionary policies, you finally noticed the WE THE PEOPLE.
Visual numbers count. Perhaps our media won’t mention it as much, for fear of offending ‘the great leader’, but people around the world will and hopefully it conveys to them that we all haven’t sided with the fascists.
I’ve seen protests my entire life. I grew up in the 1960s. Yeah. But it is hard to do it right. Ghandi and MLK, Jr understood that the strength of non violent protest is that it takes power away from those you are protesting against. Unfortunately, there are just enough bomb throwers to cast a taint on all of us. We need to ostracize them, make it understood that they do more harm than good, and that they need to stay away.
A few years ago I realized that the hard fought progress we’d made through the 1990s was at risk, and that we all need to stand up for what we have rather than crying out for more, more, more, no matter how righteous those other items may be. If we can’t hold the line where it already is, we sure can’t get any further down the road. Everybody wants a pony, but let’s make sure we got leather on our feet first to walk that first thousand miles.
Thank you thank you thank you. My husband, a life-long Republican, now Democrat, protests with me and has a knack for making creative signs. We need everyone regardless of party, religion, etc, to put ourselves on the front lines of saying NO. Thank you for stating so well (and funny, too) what we are facing. We simply must make this into something that will save us; we have learned that only we can do it.
Bravo! More engagement, less lets play nice. But between corporate media and corporate dems the public needs to stand up continuously. Corporate media, including MSNBC, hardly mentioned No Kings protests. A Substack writer indicate MSNBC mentioned the No Kings rallies about 70 times during an entire week of broadcasting! Most of the corporate media is busy trying to curry favor with trump by bribing him with millions so trump doesn't yell at them. That is why independent media, such as Meidas, is so important in getting out the truth and pushing the narrative that American democracy, the rule of law and the constitution are at risk and worth saving fro the fascist, maga, cult.
Dems are truly disappointing though. Besides the occasional news bite actions of Newsome and the pressure tactics of the wonderful Crockett, AOC, and Bernie, dems are still playing patty cake against Godzilla. Dems need to be calling out the trump kill bull, the TACO two-week plans, the number of people who will die in order to give the wealthy more money, and the death cult mentality of the murder bill on an hourly basis. One member of congress should be on the steps of the Capitol each day telling people the damage contained in the GOP kethak legislation. No more strongly worded letters from dinosaurs like Schumer. 18 dems voted for trump's crypto scam bill, including Alex Padilla! While we do not need purity, we need consistency, and what Padilla did is consistent with corporate dems. Congressional dems want the people to put their situations at risk and hit the streets while they write letters and cower in corners hoping not ot offend anyone.
The people are the resistance. But as trump's kill bill policies and EOs start to crush the financial lives and safety net of the maga cult, maybe a light might finally flicker in their dark brains that they have been lied to, conned, scammed, and treated as fools, rubes, and chattel to a cause that harms them and their families. The pain for them, and the rest of us, is just beginning. maga may want a king, but they will not want to be his subjects. The louser the voice against the king stunt regime, the sooner a better outcome is possible.
I love the idea of sending out one member of congress every day to call out bullshit! At first, it may escape notice. In time, it could signal strength and resilience.
trump spouts BS all day. everyday, and the media flock to him like crows to a dumpster. Dems could at least make minimal efforts to counteract the ramblings of a pathologically lying, incompetent, carnival barker. Yes, it might be a stunt for dems to take the podium outdoors to criticize the trump regime on a daily basis, but the media like clown shows and will be there for the free popcorn. Of course, that would force some dems to get off their lazy butts and perform an act of civic engagement.
As I said a few days ago, I am only one person. But if another “one person” joins me, we can make a difference. Thanks for this post, Jeff, and upward we go!
Alright! Let's all get out there and FIGHT!