A Whole Lot of Honking Going On: Standing Up for Democracy Together
At 8 a.m. on Thursday mornings for the past few months my wife and I, along with about 30 of our friends and neighbors, have gathered on a busy street corner near our home in Washington, D.C., waving an assortment of “Stop Trump” signs at motorists heading downtown during the morning rush hour.
Most drivers honk their horns in unity, wave or give us thumbs up in support. The honkers include drivers in cars, city buses, commercial trucks, and once I noticed even a police car. It’s not just the drivers who see our protest. It’s also their passengers, those on buses and an assortment of bikers and pedestrians. Add in those who are told about us when the travelers get to their destinations and it’s a fair guess that our band of 30 is reaching close to a thousand others with our message.
Not everyone agrees with us. Some of those waves feature the middle finger. We don’t mind. It’s what America’s all about. Got a different view? Don’t worry about using words or hand gestures to express it. That’s the point. We’re defending democracy.
We aren’t the only sign wavers in the D.C. area. There are similar protest groups on different roads, on different days and times, in nearby Maryland and Virginia. And all over the U.S. In other words, there’s a whole lot of honking going on. Everywhere.
The Power of Peaceful Protest in America
Why do we do it? Because none of us can afford to give silent acquiescence to Donald Trump’s campaign to convert American democracy into one-man rule. Non-violent protests against authoritarianism need to be ongoing and visible. And what may seem pacifist in execution has a history of being powerful in results.
A seminal study of non-violent protests since 1900 found that protests engaging a threshold of just 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change—and that twice as many peaceful protests have succeeded as those that turned violent.
On Saturday, October 18, 10 million people just like those in our small group are expected to be on streets everywhere in the U.S., marching to protest Donald Trump’s assault on democracy. This is not a political party event. The stakes are greater than party politics. The organizers come from non-partisan groups like No Kings, Indivisible, and fiftyfiftyone.
Trump’s Threat to Democracy and Why We Can’t Stay Silent
Five million Americans participated in a similar nationwide protest June 14. Since then, Trump has made a mockery of our system of justice by ordering his lackeys to arrest political opponents without reasonable cause, intimidate broadcast media organizations with threats of losing their licenses, and now—most dangerous of all—weaponizing the nation’s military forces to attack “The Enemy Within,” otherwise known as people who live in cities who are more likely to vote for Democrats.
As his poll numbers decline, Trump appears hell-bent on assuming and retaining total control of every facet of our government, no matter the checks and balances built into our laws and Constitution.
Can he be stopped? Can a few early morning sign wavers derail this threat to democracy?
Not alone. But 10 million working together might. A nation with democratic roots 250 years deep is not one easily toppled. Trump and his handlers may be immune to a massive protest, but not the judges, attorneys, law enforcers, religious leaders, or elected officials at all levels of government who have been weaned on the sanctity of the Bill of Rights, self-government, and constitutional democracy.
Join the Movement: How to Participate in the Stop Trump Protest
So why do my wife and I and others like us take the time to make our protests visible? To encourage others to do the same. To help make sure democracy prevails through its current trial. To serve as foot soldiers when the call comes to march together—to demonstrate we will not be silenced or cowed.
The roll call is open for everyone who is passionate about protecting our government of laws and system of justice from those who fancy their power as absolute.
If that means you, here are links where you can join friends and neighbors, wherever you live in America, ready to pick up a sign and join the march October 18.
See you there.
Here’s this week’s STEM Winder: A weekly look into the future.
Comments? Criticism? Contact Joe Rothstein at jrothstein@rothstein.net
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