The unabashed joy experienced among the over eight million Americans who turned out for “No Kings” demonstrations across the U.S., was joy of the common humanity experienced by all, with no questions asked about political affiliations as long as one stood with a “No Kings” sign among the hordes of others assembled in so many different urban and rural places.
It was, indeed, an uncommon human solidarity moment, or hour or so. This is what it is like when a portion of the 99 percent of us who are not part of the ruling elites, get together and agree on something. For all the billions the one percent at the top of our society spend trying to divide us, to cancel our political impact by such means, whenever a breakthrough occurs and our millions of people (rather than dollars) get a taste of what it is like to pull together, there is nothing that the ruling elites fear more. And the joy on our side is palpable.
Driving up and down the main street in my little home town, with everybody cheering, yelling, honking and waving their homemade signs, as I tried to document the occasion with picture taking, the overwhelming power of it all made me a bit, as they say, verklempt. A great sense of hope arose in my heart. It was beautiful.
It is what all our national holidays and gatherings are supposed to be like in tone and feeling. Ah, but to have this become true again for America! When we are in a generous and happy mood, we have so much to contribute to the good of humanity.
Just maybe it is fate’s plan to use the overreach of our would-be emperor and his team to draw the good out of the rest of us.
But I would caution against such a sentiment if only because the excesses of this foul regime at the top of our society right now has such heinous intentions yet even just for this year by obstructing, if not cancelling, this November’s midterm elections.
If anyone needed evidence of how deceitful and foul-spirited these forces are, one needs look no further than the campaign by pro-Trumpers to prevent the passage of a referendum on the ballot in Virginia to counter Trump’s redrawing of congressional districts across the U.S.
The “Yes” on the special election ballot, seen as a temporary move to counter Trump’s despicable efforts in Texas, North Carolina and elsewhere, is being opposed by pro-Trump forces who are using the most egregious lying and misrepresentations to confuse and disenfranchise voters, especially minority voters.
They claim in a widely-used TV ad that the “Vote Yes” forces are trying to attack civil rights and the legacy of Martin Luther King. Nothing could be more the opposite of the truth!
More than anything, this case shows the abject moral depravity of the Trump forces.
The state NAACP was slated to hold a press conference in Richmond this week to call out the outrageous misrepresentations in the ad.
But this shows the depravity of the Trump forces is breathtaking. They have been, and will, stop at nothing to get their way.
In an op-ed in the New York Times this week, Virginia’s U.S. Senator Mark Warner wrote the following:
“According to recent reporting… allies of Mr. Trump’s working in coordination with people close to the White House have circulated a draft executive order that would declare a national emergency based on false claims of foreign interference in the 2020 election. That declaration would be used to unlock sweeping presidential powers over how Americans vote… There is no legitimate basis for such an emergency. That is not the point. The point is that the Trump administration could manufacture an impression of an emergency, creating a pretext for intervention.”
For all the joy of last weekend, the sobering reality remains. Doing what it will take to stop Trump will require more than most of us have ever had to do in our lives so far.
