My ancestors came to this land to get away from a king. When geography alone proved insufficient, they used their rifles to make clear that kings were not welcome here.
Yesterday was Presidents' Day, to mark the occasion hundreds braved floods, snow and subfreezing temperatures to gather at the Capitol in Frankfort, Kentucky to remind some folks that America has no kings.
Curiously enough, that was also the name of the protest. The Democrats may be dithering, but the people are organizing. The protest was part of a nationwide day of action, taking to the streets in all fifty state capitals and Washington DC, along with countless other places. It was organized by 50501, (website) a grassroots movement that seems to have sprung from a reddit post and spread via social media.
It was Presidents' Day but the current incumbent(s) of the Oval Office have been acting as if they need a reminder that they are not kings.
The media was largely absent, guess it didn't fit well with their "The resistance is tired" narrative. This was the second set of nationwide protests organized by 50501 this month but coverage has been conspicuously sparse.
Sooner or later they'll have to pay attention. With the steady stream of outrages and illegal acts of the Trump/Musk regime, the growth of the movement seems in no danger of slowing.
Once the scheduled speakers were finished it was something of an open mike event, with folks in the crowd taking turns speaking in between rounds of marching and chanting to stay warm.
One speaker took the microphone to remind everyone to keep talking to folks, that she had voted for Trump in 2016 but a friend had taken the time to talk to her and explain and that had brought her there.
Donald Trump was even there in effigy.
That's enough for now, but there'll be plenty more to come I reckon. Until then, in the words of Joe Hill, don't mourn, organize!
