No Kings, Now What?
The “No Kings” protests have surged across the country, with tens of thousands flooding city and town streets, their voices reverberating off marble facades, glass towers, and small-town intersections. On that crisp autumn day, Americans stood united, rejecting the slow erosion of democracy and the rise of unchecked power. It was a breathtaking moment, one that felt like a reckoning.
But here is the hard truth: without action, this moment will fade. If the energy in those streets is not channeled into strategy, the “No Kings” movement risks becoming a beautiful, fleeting memory, powerful in image, powerless in outcome.
Marches do not dismantle systems. Hashtags do not pass legislation. And outrage, no matter how righteous, means little if it does not translate into votes, policy, and sustained civic engagement.
So, the question is not what we are angry about; we know that. The question is: what now?
Is there a plan for the midterms? Are we cultivating candidates, not career politicians, but everyday citizens, who will carry the “No Kings” ethos into office? Are we building the infrastructure to turn protest into policy, to hold power accountable?
And what do we do in the meantime? Wait for the next election and hope for the best? Or do we build something lasting, something that cannot be ignored, bought, or co-opted?
History offers a blueprint. When colonists dumped tea into Boston Harbor in 1773, it was not for spectacle; it was a declaration. The Boston Tea Party ignited a revolution, challenging the idea that power could be inherited or unaccountable. It was bold. It was followed by action.
America was born from those who believed the people have the power. Today, as we march under “No Kings” banners, we stand at a similar crossroads.
Will this generation rise to the challenge, or let the moment dissolve into nostalgia? Will we forge a movement, or settle for a memory?
Because power yields nothing without pressure, slogans mean nothing without strategy. Marches mean nothing without votes.
If we believe in “No Kings,” we must act like founders of our own future. That means organizing locally, voting in every election, and demanding integrity from those in the U.S. Congress, those in power. It means building a movement that does not wait for permission.
“No Kings” is more than a chant; it is a call to reclaim democracy. The world is watching. History is listening. The next chapter is ours to write.
Eileen J. Marum, Marion
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