The Look of Democracy
We are in the aftermath of the so-called “No Kings” protests this past Saturday. Some were well attended, with people genuinely concerned about—and informed on—key issues.
But there were some issues. MSNBC apparently ran footage from a 2017 anti-Trump rally and portrayed it as being a live image from Boston. There was an issue where, when the clock struck noon in New York, demonstrators scattered—almost as if they were on the clock, and their shift ended. No sense giving the boss any freebies.
If folks want to protest, and do so while respecting others and property, fine by me. That is the concept of free speech, the ability to criticize government without fear of reprisal for what you say. Harming others, defacing property—that’s beyond the scope of protected speech.
I did find it humorous that many—including a couple of Democrat members of the U.S. Senate—resurrected the chant, “this is what democracy looks like.” Given that, and the age of many of the protestors, one could be forgiven for thinking we were back in the Vietnam War days.
But their use of the phrase was sort of out of touch…given that not even a year ago, Donald Trump won a historic national election. And not just by winning the electoral college, but also by winning the popular vote. In the light most favorable to Democrats, Trump won two of the previous three presidential elections, and did so in 2024 in striking fashion. At no point have I heard Democrats say the 2024 election was rigged, or the outcome was actually in doubt.
So in truth, this is what democracy looks like…a popular and electoral college win, with a president acting on the promises made that led such a significant number of people from all demographic groups to vote for him. You may not like it, and you may want to let the world know that—but a decisive free and fair election is truly what democracy looks like.
