On this Saturday, Oct. 18, in communities throughout the U.S., we gather in mass, nonviolent protest to again say “No Kings in America.” Mass nonviolent protest has been effectively used world-wide for generations to demonstrate resistance and refusal to those who would disallow the will of the average folks: the people to be the sovereign power. Prior to the birth of American democracy, majorities of people had been ruled by those with wealth and thus all the power. at that time, the rich and powerful were the sovereigns. The American experiment in democracy sought to flip that model; over centuries the resulting policies promoted by the people made life better for many. Do we still believe in the possibility of democracy of and by people that can deliver for the people? If you think “yes!” please show up.
In recent decades we could and should have used mass nonviolent protest to defy the many ways democracy in America was intentionally eroded by those seeking to displace the power of the people with the power of the wealthy few…today’s billionaires, and now a would-be king. Few of us could see how trade deals and offshoring decimated our industrial base, the ability of workers to have a living wage, humane hours and bodily protections. How one senator could torque the norms of governance to hand-pick a U.S. Supreme Court that would increasingly concentrate power around white supremacist ideals and a king figure. How it could come to be that today in America that wannabe king is commandeering our tax dollars away from necessities like Medicaid so he can deploy armed troops to patrol cities he doesn’t like, normalizing in America a power play of dictatorships.
Local opportunities to join the No Kings Day protests on Saturday include: Morrisville (9:30 to 11 a.m.), Hardwick (10 a.m. to noon), St. Johnsbury (10 a.m. to noon), Waterbury (10 to 11 a.m.), Newport (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.), Wolcott (11 a.m. to noon) and Montpelier (noon to 2 p.m.).These are among the thousands of locations nationwide where people will gather in peaceful, joyful solidarity, to express at the 3.5% level, our resolve that there are no kings in America. Political scientists’ research shows that an authoritarian regime may be thwarted when 3.5% of a population are engaged in active, peaceful nonviolent protest. Visit nokings.org to register for a gathering nearby, bring a sense of humor, joy and three friends.
Anne Hanson
Craftsbury
