#NoKings #protests #PeacefulProtests #MinnesotaShootings
Millions of people stood on the streets and public plazas this weekend with a simple message: “No Kings.”
They say the numbers signify a movement, but they also showed that we all still have agency, and our opinions mean something.
That same Saturday, two state legislators and their spouses were shot in Minnesota. One legislator and her husband died, the other couple survived.
The “No Kings” protests are an example of how Americans SHOULD behave. The shootings show the opposite.
The country was founded on the principles of democracy, separation of powers and rule of law. Standing up for that is what citizens should do. Taking lethal revenge on those who don’t think as you do is un-American.
There is much work we must do as citizens to reclaim our country. We must elect representatives who stand for democracy, separation of powers and rule of law. That means everyone who is eligible must vote when elections roll around.
When no election is imminent, we must let those in power know how we, as citizens, feel, whether those in power want to hear it or not.
That may mean, in some places, standing in protest as an eligible voter if someone says you are not.
It also means the return of respected institutions to their full and upright capacities. That means bringing back facts and knowledge when some would discard them.
That means bringing back bona fide research that some wish to replace with conspiracy theories.
It means not letting a would-be king overwhelm our power as citizens.
Democracy, separation of powers and rule of law may not be for every nation. But this nation was built on them, and we shouldn’t let anyone take them away from us.
Democracy, separation of powers and rule of law were given to us by our forebears. It’s our job now to protect them.
As we protect these virtues of our self-governance, we do so peacefully, unlike the Minnesota shooter. Guns may show hard power, but peaceful protests show soft power.
We must leave the areas at which protests are staged just as we found them. We must ensure that no one gets hurt by our message delivery.
Even if those who resist us may try to hurt us, we must not hurt them. We must only deliver our message loudly and clearly.
So, if you don’t like what is happening in our country, you can work to change it. You can do so peacefully. You can do so in many ways that make clear how you stand.
It took much work and time to build this country as we want to see it. It can take remarkably little time to tear it down. We, as citizens, must stand in the way of that.
Peter