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Ideas, Actions, People, and Commentary in the City of Worthington

Join us: No Kings Day, a Day of National Affirmation

Written by David Robinson on . Posted in City Identity, Good Governance, History, Public Safety

Dear Reader,

If you read my blogposts on a regular basis, you know that the focus is on life in Worthington, Ohio.  Out of necessity, this post is different.  Yes, it is still about life in Worthington, but in the context of the inescapable national crisis now upon us.  Further, this post is not primarily a reflective piece.  It is an appeal to urgent, participatory action as citizens.    

Worthington is a most fortunate place, home to 15,000 souls (not counting the deer), quiet streets and lively schools, abundant trees and lush ravines, family and friends, pools and parades, flags and flowers, markets for all, with books and art and the love of learning, and a deep history bound to that of our nation.  It is a place where the promise of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” has taken actual form, as a lived work-in-progress in expanding the blessings of liberty for all.

We may take this for granted. We may forget, amidst our daily lives, that we owe so much to so many—nameless, countless, heroic strangers—who sacrificed immeasurably to make this good life possible, here and across this great nation.

These blessings are now at risk—here and now, in our lives, in this very moment—because of a rapidly escalating authoritarian threat.  I do not believe this is hyperbole.  In fewer than 150 days the Trump/MAGA administration/regime has consolidated its full control not only over the national Republican party, but over the central agencies of federal coercive power.  Threats, intimidations, and worse abound.  Elements of the military itself, once the most trusted institution in America, now appear to have been politicized.  The Congress, in GOP hands, is disgracefully supine.  The courts are a bastion of hope, but cannot be counted on and have no enforcement mechanism.  Civil institutions—media, legal, educational—are under assault and some have readily capitulated.  Resistance, or at least calls for moderation, is virtually nonexistent from corporate leaders.

What remains?  What’s that last, best hope?  We, the American citizens, we the people.  Hard to believe, but it’s true.  No one else will rescue us.  This is it.  You.  Me.  Our neighbors.  All of us.

Our forebears, the Founders, knew this—that everything we are and hope to be is ultimately dependent upon the “of, by, and for the people.”  They gloried in this cause and fought a world-transforming revolution for it.  The dream of freedom, at long last, where each of us can pursue the life we imagine, however imperfectly, as spirit and conscience impels and opportunity permits, without king or church or an oppressive majority telling us who we are and what we must do.  We are all endowed with rights that can never be taken away by human hand.  This ideal, this dream seeking to be made real, is why America has inspired the world, and liberated much of it.  This is now imperiled.

Are there enough American citizens today who are devoted to this cause, this cause of human dignity and freedom shared by all, to successfully resist and repulse a fascist threat?  I believe there are.  But we must prove it through our actions.  The further we allow the authoritarian assault to advance, the more costly will be the recovery and restoration of our democratic systems.  The time to act is now.

And so tomorrow (Saturday, June 14th), No Kings Day, will be a day of national affirmation in the form of public resistance.  Peaceful and principled, Americans across our county, and freedom-loving people around the world, will give a collective declaration that we refuse to be oppressed, to be subjugated, to allow another to declare themselves as superior.  We refuse to be demeaned and degraded, nor to become hateful and fearful.  We refuse to squander our birthright, nor our duty to safeguard it for those who follow.

Whether you have ever taken part in a public protest or rally, does not matter.  Whatever your walk in life, if you love your country, at its best, and all that it has meant and means as a refuge and inspiration, come and join your fellow citizens tomorrow, in common cause.  This is it.  No Kings.  E pluribus unum.

~

Close to home, there are many opportunities for you and your friends to join in No Kings events:

To find events outside of central Ohio, follow this link.

David Robinson

David Robinson lives in Worthington with his wife, Lorraine, and their three children—two who attend Phoenix Middle School, and one who is a graduate of the Linworth High School Program and Otterbein University. David is President and co-owner of Marcy Adhesives, Inc., a local manufacturing company. David has served on Worthington City Council since January, 2018, and is deeply committed to 1) advancing resident-centered policies, 2) supporting responsible development that enhances our unique historic character, 3) endorsing environmentally sustainable practices for both residents and city operations, 4) promoting the safety and well-being of all residents, and 5) preserving the walkable, tree-filled, distinctive, friendly nature of our neighborhoods.