No Kings

It's been almost four months since my last blog post. In that, I grieved the direction our nation was taking and asked:

What is the future of our nation, the democracy heralded on that 4th of July 249 years ago?

What is my own calling in this strange, sad time? 

In the days since then I've been busier than ever with the work of Fair Districts PA.  I had already begun to plan a road trip to Erie PA to speak at the Jefferson Educational Society about redistricting reform. That trip expanded into ten days of travel, speaking in multiple counties along the way, marching in the Grange Fair Parade in rural Centre County, meeting with volunteers in homes, restaurants and coffee shots, talking with reporters, meeting with several legislators in their district offices. I stayed in volunteers' homes, and with a friend from college days, and managed to find time to swim in three new lakes along the way. 

While planning for that trip, i also found myself in the middle of alarm caused by President Donald Trump's instructions to Texas Governor Abbottt to "find five additional Republican seats" by redistricting Texas before the 2026 election. His public insistence on a Republican gerrymandered caused a ripple effect of compliance and resistance in states across the country. Since then I've found myself talking to reporters about how this impacts Pennsylvania, and drafting Fair Districts PA responses, including this webpost.

I've also been working overtime to address misinformation about the Pennsylvania Supreme Court's involvement in PA redistricting. Three PA Supreme Court justices are on the ballot for a retention vote on November 4. Those votes are intended as a chance to remove justices who are incompetent or corrupt, but huge amounts of partisan money are now being spent accusing those justices of overly partisan, even illegal actions. It hurts my heart to see how personal, partisan and deliberately deceptive much of that messaging has been. I've helped draft webposts talked with reporters , and participated in media interviews. 

In the midst of that activity, I found myself praying about the No Kings protest taking shape across the country. I was surprised to learn that the national League of Women Voters had become an official partner, posting guidance to League members and local Leagues: 

The League has consistently and boldly spoken up in the face of rising authoritarianism. This is an opportunity to put words into action and show up in defense of democracy and as an effective ally. 

League members are encouraged to participate locally in actions with partners on the ground in a nonpartisan manner. 

That meant that Fair Districts PA, as a fiscal project of the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania, would also be encouraged to participate and promote the protest. I raised the issue at one of our biweekly leadership meetings and found that while many of our team would participate, most weren't comfortable having our organization officially promote or participate. Their concern was that the events would be seen as partisan. We're a non-partisan organization, with a non-partisan goal, and our leadership team holds that value strongly. We agreed that volunteers could speak if invited, could share materials, could wear Fair Districts PA shirts or pins, but wouldn't promote the events. 

So again, I found myself praying about my own involvement. I already had an afternoon gathering to attend, a ribbon-cutting celebration for new offices for Scripture Union, the organization my husband Whitney lead for years and continues to support. Just one local protest was planned for that morning, in Pottstown, a 30 minute drive from my home and from the new offices in Valley Forge. 

What does it mean to say "No Kings"? 

Historically, a king was above the law. In countries that still have constitutional monarchies, that is no longer the case. In all but a small handful of nations, even kings are bound by law. 

My understanding of the No Kings message is that our national leaders must follow the law, and must act within the boundaries of constitutional definitions. A president is the chief administrator of the nation, co-equal with Congress and the US judiciary. Donald Trump has repeatedly flouted the law, and tramples the boundaries of executive function. 

My own short list of egregious examples:

• Withholding USAID money already allocated by Congress, and dismantling USAID entirely, illegally contravening an act of Congress. The result: grave losses for US farmers, and avoidable loss of life in many corners of the globe.
  
  
• Endorsing illegal ICE activity. Whatever one's views about immigrant activity, action by previous presidents, and the benefits or harms from immigrant presence, it's hard to imagine how one would condone the racial profiling, division of families, and unlawful entry of homes and workplaces without warrants. It's also hard to understand justification of use of force by unidentified, masked agents rounding up people of color, even as they insist "I'm a citizen" or are in immigration court following legal channels. 
  
  
• Illegal destruction of boats in international waters, and resultant extra-judicial murder of unidentified individuals. So far, nine boats have been attacked, leaving 43 dead, with no evidence to date that any were involved in illegal drug activity or endangered the US in any way. 

With those and other examples in mind, I went to the Pottstown No Kings rally, with a Fair Districts PA sign and a bag full of cards to share, some about redistricting, some about the PA judicial retention vote. I handed out over 100 of each, and talked at least briefly to scores of protestors. 

Some were veterans. Some were pastors. Some were in high school, others in college. Some had signs identifying themselves as Republicans. 

Most, when I mentioned judicial retention, said "VOTE YES!!!" energetically. A few asked for more explanation, and said they'd been confused by mailers they'd seen. 

Most of the signs I saw were handmade The few printed signs I saw said "Vote Yes! Retain our judges." 

The Pottstown organizer was new to organizing, not part of any other group, and had signed up with 50501, a new protest movement dedicated to upholding the US Constitution and preventing executive overreach. I've since talked with organizers involved in other No Kings events. One is a few years out of college, new to politics, new to organizing, worried about our country. One is a retired pastor, grieving that others who claim the same faith shrug at abuse of Christian refugees fleeing persecution in other nations. 

Many of my friends, and many from my church, attended the afternoon No Kings protest in West Chester, closer to my home. A reporter at that event captured the kinds of comments I heard in my own No Kings attendance:

Immigrant rights organizer Brittany told the crowd that they were not just there to protest, but to resist. “ICE does not keep us safe. . . Safety is found in community, not in cages. ICE doesn’t belong in a democracy, (or) in a just community.”

The Rev. Josh Gill, of Central Presbyterian Church of Downingtown, spoke about Carlos Della Valle, an immigrant who has been detained, who he wants to bring home to West Chester. . . He said that his Bible tells him to welcome the immigrant and to treat him like our own...

The Rev. Josh Gill, of Central Presbyterian Church of Downingtown, spoke about Carlos Della Valle, an immigrant who has been detained, who he wants to bring home to West Chester. . . He said that his Bible tells him to welcome the immigrant and to treat him like our own...

A junior in high school spoke and asked to give a voice to those who don’t have a voice.“Not doing anything is not an option,” she said. “Silence is violence.”

Wife and husband, Lucy and John Brakall, came from Pennsbury. “Trump is destroying our Constitution,” Lucy said. “He is breaking all the norms and rules of our country. . . . Her husband explained “I am obligated to protest against the injustice of the Trump administration."

No Kings protests are about protection of the norms of democracy, and protection of all who are harmed by unjust or illegal actions.

Both Old and New Testament provide repeated instruction to speak and act on behalf of the poor and oppressed, and to treat our neighbors as ourselves. Here are few listed on this World Vision Advocacy page

• Deuteronomy 27:19 Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.
• Psalm 82:3-4 Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.
  
• Proverbs 14:21 It is a sin to despise one’s neighbor, but blessed is the one who is kind to the needy.
  
• Proverbs 31:8-9 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy. 
  
• Jeremiah 22:3 This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
  
• 1 John 3:17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

As that advocacy page reminds us: "The Bible’s call to speak up for justice doesn’t come with an expiration date." 

That call also doesn't provide qualifiers: Love the neighbors who think like us. Protect the strangers who are here legally. Be kind to those who deserve it.

God's love and care extends beyond party affiliation, legal status, or ability to earn or pay our way. Jesus's parable of the Good Samaritan makes clear his followers will do the same. 

On November 4, PA voters have a chance to vote "YES" for PA Supreme Court justices who have done their best to provide fair maps and protect our rights when other entities have failed to do so. (Check PA Bar Association judicial ratings here.)

That same day, voters across the country have will vote on various levels for candidates who speak out for the rule of law and the rights of the poor and oppressed, or for those who will look away as the rule of law erodes, and hungry families suffer. 

Every day, there are things we can do, sometimes small, sometimes large, to insist that no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law, and no one, no matter how poor or weak, is outside God's love and care. 

One sign at the Pottsville No Kings event caught my eye, although I didn't have a chance to take a photo. It was attached to a cross, and said "No King but Jesus."

May the love of Jesus shape our politics, our protests, and our interaction with neighbors near and far. 

Photo by Evan Halfen, StateCollege.com