#NoKings - Thoughts Before The Event
"Don’t let a few bad actors define the whole story—remember the chorus of voices calling for justice, not the noise of a few trying to drown them out."
I am disappointed that a few bad actors associated with the protest activity in Los Angeles are distracting people from the bigger picture. There are always a few people who take things too far, but that doesn’t mean the whole movement is violent or wrong. Despite some misgivings I had about the April “Hands Off” event here in Portland, I intend to participate again in the “No Kings” event here in Portland tomorrow, Saturday, June 14th.
Why am I participating?
The issue at hand is resistance to the erosion of democratic norms, checks and balances, and civil liberties. Again, I do not believe these are either Democrat or Republican issues. They are American issues.
There are some background issues that I’ve written about, including:
Politicizing the justice system by pressuring the DOJ to investigate political opponents. I’ve written about how Trump initiated the investigation of Chris Krebs’ tenure at CISA through executive order, simply because Krebs called the 2020 election “the most secure in American history.” This Trump executive order bypassed normal DOJ independence. Moreover, there were over 60 court cases where judges, including judges appointed by President Trump and other Republican presidents, looked at the evidence in many cases and said there was not widespread fraud.
Erosion of checks and balances. I’ve written about a terrible stage that was set through the weakening of the legislative branch, partisanship in the judicial branch, and money in politics. Still, Trump has taken this erosion of checks and balances even further by removing oversight through firings of inspectors general. Trump has also refused to comply with court rulings, utilizing a technique called “legalistic noncompliance” which University of Michigan law professors Leah Litman and Daniel Deacon describe as “an array of specious legal arguments to conceal what is actually pervasive defiance of judicial oversight.”
Attacking freedom of speech. I’ve also written about how the Trump administration is utilizing the FCC to suppress free speech in the press, with the notable example of the case against CBS and 60 Minutes. We can also see how this suppression of free speech is happening through attacks or threats on universities, our lawyers, and the rest of our private sector.
Profiting from the presidency. I ask again, why is it OK for the president to profit from the issue of his own meme cryptocurrency? I wrote that post about fairness well before Trump accepted a $400 million jet from Qatar.
Of course, the catalyzing factor with this No Kings protest is coincident with Trump’s 79th birthday, where he’s ordered a military parade that will cost US taxpayers $25M-$45M.
An escalating backdrop
Of course, the No Kings protest of this military parade is now happening in a backdrop of other issues:
Broad cost-cutting efforts, due to the tax cuts imposed by the new Trump tax cuts, or OBBBA (“One Big Beautiful Bill Act”), reinforce the perception that the country can’t afford this parade. Even with the cost-cutting efforts, including $793 billion in Medicaid through programs that increase the number of uninsured by 7.8 million people, the OBBBA is projected to increase the federal debt by $3 trillion. According to an AP-NORC poll, 60% of Americans believe that the military parade is not a good use of taxpayer funds.
Federalizing 4,000 soldiers in the California National Guard without the input or consent of the state governor. There is currently a pause on the court ruling to return control of the California National Guard to the state, but this issue, as of today, remains largely in contention.
Deployment of 700 U.S. marines for law enforcement on US citizens. Already, the marines have temporarily detained an army veteran, restraining his hands with zip ties, at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles. The man was on his way to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Utilizing U.S. military personnel to enforce domestic policy in the United States is restricted by the Posse Comitatus Act.
Trump issued a warning in the White House Oval Office, "For those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force." On its surface, this statement could lead to violations of civil rights.
Some mixed feelings
Of course, there are mixed feelings about protesting this military parade in light of the protest activity in Los Angeles. I totally get why people are upset about what’s happening in LA. I wish that people wouldn’t destroy property and get into conflicts with law enforcement. Seeing images of chaos or hearing about violence is really disturbing — I feel that too. I also get why there are people who feel a desire to honor the US military.
Still, I’ve been trying to look at the bigger picture, which is a need to reinforce checks and balances and the rule of law. I see that most of the people out there are protesting peacefully. They’re not trying to cause trouble — they are standing up for their communities, for due process, and for rule of law. Of course, there are always a few who take things too far, but that doesn’t mean the whole movement is violent or wrong.
Just as with the “Hands Off” protests, I also acknowledge that many of the speakers at the protest events may bring up other issues. I may not agree with everything that’s said, but I’m not going to let that stop me from standing up for what I believe in. I have now come to the realization that no protest is likely ever going to be 100% aligned with my views.
My aim
For tomorrow’s protests, the main message of the protests is clear to me. No kings. The key message here for me is that there must be checks and balances, where the president must obey the courts and the rule of law. Again, this isn’t a pure Democrat versus Republican issue.
This adherence to court rulings and the rule of law remain an issue that the vast majority of Americans, both Democrat and Republican, believe in, too. According to Pew Research, most Americans say the Trump administration would need to stop an action if a federal court ruled it illegal.
Source: Pew Research Center
This message must be reinforced. Let’s make sure that it is heard.
I know that if I only show up when everything is perfectly aligned, I’d never show up at all. I have realized that I’d rather be a part of something that is imperfect but meaningful than stay silent.
I just hope we can keep listening to each other, even when we don’t see things completely the same way.
If you agree on the importance of our democratic norms, checks and balances, and civil liberties, I hope you can make it out, too. Here’s the link to the events.