American youths, at least in public schools bound by the First Amendment, grew up reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, a statement of loyalty to the United States and its flag. So embedded is the pledge in our memories, that decades later when spontaneously called upon at a sporting or school event, the words just come.
“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,
The U.S. House and Senate begin their daily businesses reciting the pledge, facing the flag, right hand over the heart, to express a commitment to our country, our flag, our democratic principles and constitution, all under grave attack by the sitting president of the United States.
The Herald’s editorial board believes this cannot stand.
Neither does the Indivisible movement, a nonpartisan nationwide collective of local groups of citizens that in southwest Colorado includes Indivisible Durango, Pine River Rising, and Indivisible Montezuma, all working to safeguard democracy, our system of government that vests political power in the people, not kings.
No Kings Day, a national day of defiance, a nonviolent movement that rejects authoritarianism, and aims to show the world what democracy-in-action looks like, is scheduled for Saturday in over 2,000 towns and cities across the country. The event is planned to counter Trump’s military parade and “made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday,” reads the NoKings.org website. “Real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else.”
The 1776 Declaration of Independence, the founding document of the U.S., includes as one of its principles the right to abolish oppressive governments, namely the British government led by the King of England.
We’ve learned (the hard way) that the experiment in American democracy requires constant tending. Those, like Trump, who seek authoritarian rule seek to limit political freedom, civil rights, and suppress dissent. “For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force,” Trump warned potential protesters of Saturday’s military parade.
Except, the right to peacefully assemble is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is the foundation of democratic participation that enables citizens to voice opinions, advocate for change and hold leaders accountable.
Standing up and speaking out peacefully is what Americans do, and we are encouraged by the hundreds of citizens that have been participating in days of action, rallies and marches largely organized in Durango by Indivisible, first established in January 2017, in response to some of the same actions we’re seeing now present during Trump’s first term.
Since Trump took office, more than working to suppress free speech, he has been trampling the entirety of the U.S. Constitution – the supreme law of our land he swore to uphold – defying judges and our court system, arresting and deporting Americans and migrants without due process, overriding Congress, and slashing and burning federal agencies, jobs and services. There is nothing great or legal about these actions.
And we’ve been watching what’s been going on in Los Angeles with Trump sending in the National Guard and deploying hundreds of Marines at the objection of Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor, Karen Bass.
On Thursday, California U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, after identifying himself as a U.S. Senator, was forcibly removed by FBI agents at a news conference held by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem at FBI Headquarters in Los Angeles as he attempted to question her. He was pushed, shoved to the ground and handcuffed.
“What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty. Your silence. To be complicit in this moment,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday. “Do not give into him.”
No Kings Day starts at 11 a.m. at College Drive with a march up Main Avenue to Buckley Park, and features speakers and action tables designed to educate citizens and activate participation. “For Indivisible, it’s not just issues like health care access, tariffs, immigration, public lands, and women’s rights,” said Karen Pontius, Indivisible coordinating committee member, “Indivisible is now a means to see how the rest of the world is being threatened by authoritarianism. It’s a worldwide struggle,” she said.
For more information about Indivisible, attend their next meeting at the Durango Public Library July 19, from 3 – 5 p.m. and visit indivisibledurango.org.
