You gave the man your eyes
so you could sleep at night
but you still hear their cries
you can't outrun this shame.
this land was yours and mine
until they bled it dry
history won't be kind
to those who turned the other way
~ Earth to Eve, "Have you heard the news" (addressing MAGA cult members)
Millions of Americans -- and people the world
over -- have not turned the other way. Indeed, as the
Trump regime doubles and triples down on its horrendous
overreach, fascist policies and actions,
and shameless attempts to destroy civil rights and shred the
Constitution, the resistance seems to be hitting its stride at last -- that is, if the massive turnout for today's No Kings protests is any
indication.
Here is a link on the Talking Points Memo site to a few photos and videos from just some of the
demonstrations. You can find much, much
more online with even a casual search.
And, just like the previous No Kings events on June 14, 2025, the
demonstrations today stretched far beyond the borders of the US.
Our wonderful but worried neighbors (or neighbours) to the North showed up by the thousands,
from Vancouver to Toronto to Montreal. The tone across Canada has
been one of firm support and shared purpose. Canadians are
clearly watching developments in the U.S. closely — and they’re
not staying silent. They're really, really worried about us. (And
I am too.)
Several major cities in Europe and the UK also participated in demonstrations.
Reportedly even Australia has rallied to the cause as well, from
Sidney to Melbourne to Brisbane. While turnout has been modest in
comparison to No Kings events elsewhere, it's good to know the
Aussies have our backs. I'll add a good link as soon as I can
find one; the link I'd intended to use has been 404'd. But I know
from communicating with my friends in Oz, and from reading posts
by Australian participants on social media, that they do indeed
have our backs.
Even some parts of Asia and South America have been reportedly
showing early signs of engagement in the larger movement. I think we can expect more as
the movement grows.
Contrary to the alarmist rants and warnings and outrageous lies from
the Trump regime, the demonstrations
today showed that the millions of participants have an abiding
love for America. Here's just one dispatch from a northwest
suburb of my beloved former hometown of Houston. I'm actually friends with the person in the frog
costume, who explained to the reporter that the demonstrators
were out in the wilting Texas heat because they love
their country.
Moreover the No Kings events today have been overwhelmingly
peaceful, with no major disturbances reported. There has been
significant law enforcement and in several areas National Guard
presence at demonstrations across the US, but while visible, they
have been non-confrontational. In fact police departments in some
areas coordinated with the organizers of the No Kings events to
help ensure peaceful demonstrations.
Due to a combination of personal circumstances, I was unable to
attend a No Kings event in my area today. But I was with all of
them in spirit. And seeing some of the photos and videos of the
massive crowds today actually brought tears to my eyes as I
realized that there still seems to be hope in the fight against
tyranny.
I'll leave you with a couple of videos. First, if you haven't
done so already, check out the song linked to at the head of this
post, by an amazing young talent going by the name Earth to Eve.
She actually composed a song specifically for today's No Kings,
but I don't yet have a link to a full version. For now,
"Have you heard the news" (here's
a direct link) sums up the state of
affairs under Trump very powerfully and eloquently.
And then there's Jasmyne A. Cannick, who, unlike our esteemed
leaders, said what needed to be said in
response to Trump press puppet Karolyin' Leavitt's declaration
the Democratic Party's main constituency is "Hamas terrorists,
illegal aliens, and violent terrorists." Forget "when they go
low, we go high." That never worked. Cannick shows that she
is willing to meet Leavitt in the basement. "You wanna find
America's terrorists? Check your own damn Christmas card
list!"
Stay strong, stay peaceful, stay safe, my friends, and do stay in
touch with the No Kings movement, which
has more events planned for the future.
Before you leave...
While money cannot make some
nightmares go away, be they political or personal, it can make
them far easier to bear. With my husband Ron's passing in
February 2025, I have experienced significant income loss and am
scrambling to find more work, but in an industry increasingly
being taken over by AI, it has been a challenge. And now that I
am making a major move, which is never cheap, donations are
urgently needed and profoundly appreciated. Here are some ways to
do it:
- New: Venmo -- username @Connie-Schmidt-42. Here is a direct link to the Venmo page.
- New: PayPal -- Here is a direct link to my PayPal page.
- Old but still good: You can click on the "Donate" icon that currently appears on the right-hand side of every page of this blog on the Web version. There's also a donation link at the end of many of my older blog posts. In the case of both the icon and the links on the older posts, as well as the link in this sentence, this is also a PayPal link, but it references the email account RevRon -- which is cool, because it all ultimately goes to the same place.
NOTE: If you are donating by PayPal, please
specify that your contribution is for "friends and
family," which will waive PayPal's substantial transaction
fee.
Whether you can donate or not, thank you for visiting this
Whirled.
