What We Can Do to Defend Our Democracy: "NO KINGS!"

I gave this reflection at ICUJP today, and will be leading an adult study on this topic at Orange Grove Meeting on Sunday. Jill will be preaching at the First United Methodist Church this Sunday. Her topic: "Lady Wisdom and the Call to Housing Justice. We helped start a peace and justice committee at the Methodist Church that is thriving. We're pleased to be activists in two faith communities, the Methodists and Quakers, that have been working together for social justice for over 200 years!

"No Kings Day" Rally in Pasadena. Sat,  June 14. 2:00-4:00 pm. Lake & Colorado intersection in Pasadena 860 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena CA. Jill and Anthony will be on the southwest corner of Lake & Colorado if you want to join us and other people of faith. We will have a time of silent worship and hopefully singing! NO KINGS is a National Day of Action and mass mobilization in response to increasing authoritarian excesses and corruption in Washington, DC, including a military parade.  We're protesting crack downs on free speech, detention of people for their political views, threatening to deport American citizens, and defiance of the courts. If you can't make it to Pasadena, scroll down for a list of other LA County cities where rallies are occurring.

Adult Study, Sunday, June 15, at 10 am. Defending our democracy in trying times. What threats to our democracy are you most concerned about? What can we do individually and as a Meeting to support people and institutions who are under attack--immigrants, the poor, the LGBTQ+ community, federal workers, universities, our legal system, science and medical research, etc.? Anthony Manousos will facilitate a discussion and share a Quaker perspective on being a prophetic witness during these trying times. https://westernfriend.org/news/our-prophetic-voice-is-needed/ 

“We the People Have No King”:

What We Can Do to Preserve Democracy

The Bible makes it clear that it was not God’s intention that people be ruled by a king. According to 1 Samuel 8-21, the Israelites went to Samuel (a judge, soon to become a prophet) asking for a king so they could be like other nations. Samuel warned them of the dire consequences of having a king rule over them (such as war, exploitation, excessive taxation), but the people insisted, and God reluctantly granted their request. For the next 600 years, the Israelites were ruled mostly by bad kings, finally culminating in the destruction of Israel and the Babylonian captivity.  God also sent prophets to hold kings accountable, to remind them to show mercy, practice justice and be faithful to God’s commandments, especially to care for the poor and immigrants. That has been the role of prophets to this day.

Prophets are needed now more than ever. We are living at a time when 49.8% of Americans voted for a would-be king, a man who said he would be a dictator on Day 1 if elected, and who seems intent on ruling like an autocrat. On February 19, 2025, he even posted about himself on Truth Social: “LONG LIVE THE KING!” This message was reinforced when the White House recirculated it on Instagram and X with an illustration of Trump wearing a crown on a cover resembling Time magazine. The founders of our nation, who risked their lives to oppose kings and tyranny, must be rolling over in their graves!

Trump has made his autocratic intentions clear. He is aggressively seeking to take control of schools, universities and the media and crush any form of dissent. He has attacked our legal system, ignored the Supreme Court and cowed many major law firms into doing his bidding. He is sending the National Guard and Marines into our city. Finally, he is planning an immense military parade in Washington DC  to commemorate his birthday.

Millions of Americans have taken to the street to protest. Quakers in the Pacific Northwest recognized the need to be prophetic, with these compelling words: “We are called to live in the brave faith that our prophetic voice is the most powerful force available to us in our times.”

What can we do individually and collectively to be a prophetic voice for our times?

Here are some ways we can demonstrate a brave faith:

1)    Support organizations that are resisting assaults on our democracy like the ACLU and FCNL makes is super easy to write our elected officials simply by going to www.fcnl.org/act . They are our best defense until voters choose candidates who support democracy.

2)    Support progressive leaders who are launching a “fight the oligarchs” campaign. Rallies are what galvanized the Maga movement. When I go to rallies and see thousands of like-minded protesters, I feel a surge of hope and I strongly suspect that those in power feel uneasy (though they are loath to admit it). Tesla profits have dropped 71% since January, 2025, in large part because of protests. The documentary The Madman and Movement, produced by Quaker Robert Levering, shows that when millions protested in 1969, President Nixon gave up his plan to use nuclear weapons to subdue North Vietnam. In the Commons: Social Change website George Lakey has documented 40 cases in which mass movements have toppled dictatorships nonviolently. Those in power want us to feel we are powerless, but when we the people are united, we can overcome. Si, se puede!

3)     Stand in solidarity with those who are under attack: the LGBTQ+trans community, immigrants, the disabled, federal workers, and people of color.

4)    Choose to be joyful. Sing. Dance. Rejoice. Even if you feel discouraged or depressed! Freedom songs helped empower people during the Civil Rights and the anti-war movements of the 1960s. Take to heart the words of Dr. King: the struggle for a new world is long and bitter, but also beautiful!

     To act collectively and effectively, we need a vision. The far-right movement has a vision, embodied in Project 2025 and Project Ester; and they also have a plan to implement their vision. That’s why they are effective. As progressive people of faith, we need a vision for the kind of future we seek, and we need a plan for making this vision a reality. The Bible says, “Without a vision the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). The crucial question for us at this critical time is: What is our vision, and how can we come together to realize it?

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I am thrilled that young Quaker adults at Orange Grove Meeting have organized this and I plan to attend. I also plan to attend the "No Kings" event in Pasadena which will take place on the corner of Colorado and Lake Ave from 2:00-4:00 pm.