On June 14, the day of the military parade Donald Trump demanded, it was my honor, my privilege, and my duty to attend the “No Kings” protest at the University of Utah. Nobody there was drinking the toxic MAGA Kool-Aid that has brought tyranny to our very doorstep. But there was a unified vibe of genuine patriotism that was electric and fortifying to the several thousand people there.
This president and his Cabinet and administration have initiated a full frontal assault against the rule of law and the Constitution, the courts, education, the environment, a free and independent press, public health, decency, science, and, most of all, truth.
Now, Trump’s most menacing action to date is to co-opt our nation’s military to use it against the American public in any manner of his choosing.
Thomas Paine wrote that: “Those who would reap the benefits of freedom must … endure the fatigue of supporting it.” That was right back in the 1700s and it is right now.
So what can we do? We can fight — not with fists, or rocks, or graffiti, or violence of any kind, (that’s what Trump wants) but with our thoughts, our words, and our spirit. Engage with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors. Passive resistance and shoulder-shrugging won’t do it. If you believe in our constitutional republic and its democratic values then support it, because it is being eroded, if not trampled by this rogue president every single day.
Larry Eldracher, USMC veteran, Salt Lake City
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