I recently posted to friends and family a photo taken of our cute five year old granddaughter standing with others at the Oakland, California “No Kings” demonstration. She is holding up a colorful handmade sign, “I WANT TO LIVE FREE.” It’s a simple and direct sentiment, but conveys a deep sadness – that living in a democracy, we shouldn’t have to say we want to live free.
This was a remarkable day of protests across America with an estimated seven million citizens peacefully making their views public. Meanwhile, Trump posted an A.I. generated video of himself wearing a crown and flying a jet labeled “King Trump” and dumping brown liquid poop on protesters in all the towns and cities. Stephen Colbert mocked this fictional A.I. Trump by saying, “Eat a vegetable, baby…you got a real problem,” referring to the liquid consistency of the poop he dumped out.
House Speaker Mike Johnson defended this video as “satire.” But I submit that my granddaughter’s sign captures the real truth of what we citizens are experiencing. And this truth comes with a warning. If we don’t protect our democratic form of government by making our voices heard, we may lose our ability to live free – to disagree with our leaders, to keep people safe, to pressure law makers to change unjust laws, to advocate for freedom of immigrants, to make sure our grandchildren inherit a secure and vibrant democratic life.
I’m Connie Seraphine, and that is my Perspective.
