Check the King

The last time I posted on this page was way back in April and far away in Tucson; but if the place was different today — Westport, Connecticut —the subject was the same: a protest against President Trump and his administration. Today’s theme was “No Kings,” a reference to Trump’s increasingly autocratic governance, the centralizing of political power in the executive, and even illegal or questionable actions, such as deploying military assets to tasks that ought to be handled by law enforcement. 

In other words, we might as well refer to him not as President Trump but as HRH Donald the First. An exaggeration, but not that much of one.

No Kings rallies were held all over the country on Oct. 18, The one Leslie and I attended  looked to have drawn around 3,000 people. They stood  two or three deep on the bridge spanning the Saugatuck River, Everyone was on best behavior, no rocks or firebombs in evidence, and the chants sometimes echoed those from the 60s (Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go). Signs were carried of course, some flat and matter of fact, some with clever slogans (Put the Wannabe on his Throne and Flush; (I Like My Democracy neat — no ICE).

How much this sort of thing will accomplish, if it accomplishes anything, is anyone’s guess. It does show that there’s some life left in the body politic, as opposed to the neutered or totally dead  legislators who represent them. This country will celebrate its 250th birthday next July 4, making it ( I think) the longest-lived democracy in history. But that  democracy is now in trouble, serious trouble; we have turned our political lives and fate over to a would be demagogue. Let’s take them back.