When I talk to both conservative and liberal friends, and more importantly the massive majority sitting silent and annoyed in the middle, most typically complain about the fact that either side is too extreme and that we need to find common ground and govern from there. That sure sounds nice, but that’s not where we find ourselves in 2026. Even though people want to see nonpartisan tactics that support good policies which help their families and keep us safe and don’t divide us further, that’s not what Washington offers right now.

No Kings is the first common ground we should find. I’ve written extensively about the Constitution over the last year for KCfD, exploring the power and relationships that each branch of government should have. Our forefathers envisioned a slow and methodical system based on a legislature establishing policy first and foremost, with an executive to orchestrate the work of governing, then courts to litigate abuses and lawbreaking.

Congress is often referred to as the “people’s branch” because they are the ones closest to their constituents. They are the ones who answer most directly to We The People. Our founders assumed that Congress would jealously guard its power and challenge any executive that tried to dilute it, but they never thought a President would hold such sway over legislators that they were afraid to cross him.

Short version: they anticipated power-hungry executives like Donald Trump, but they didn’t plan for weaklings like Mike Johnson.

No Kings is the name of the game. Our country has seen executive power used for better and worse before – Andrew Jackson used it to override states’ rights and reward cronies in his cabinet. Franklin Roosevelt used executive action to spur the recovery from the Great Depression and set up our modern social safety nets, but he also used it to imprison Japanese Americans during WWII. We can argue for ages about the good intentions and bad outcomes of the last four presidents’ use of executive action.

Even though executive power has continued to concentrate under the President over the last 30 years, no President has amassed it as quickly or ostentatiously as Donald Trump. He has issued 252 executive orders in just the first year of this term, more than the entirety of Biden (162) or Trump’s first term (220), and almost as many as W Bush and Obama did over eight years (291 and 276, respectively). The content of these orders has also shifted: he has asserted sweeping powers that previously fell to the Legislature alone, and falsely declared frivolous “emergencies” to support them and bypass the legislative process for major questions. He is wrecking our economy, our military, our safety, and our international credibility.

So let’s be clear: Donald Trump has king impulses. If he is not effectively checked on every front – by Congress, by the Courts, and by The People – he will continue to press every boundary. If we don’t want a king, like it or not, we actually have to say it out loud in 2026.

In my view, Congress is the true audience for these protests. They are the ones who answer to US. They are the ones who can end this proto-tyranny and reclaim constitutional balance. They are the ones we will vote out of power if they can’t grow a spine and govern for us. So if you’re a Republican in Congress, your house is on fire and you need you to start putting it out. Police your own, reclaim your voice, and stand up for what is right and good and noble in this country – because by golly you know better. And if you’re a Democrat, No Kings is a warning: if we vote you back into power, we expect good governance. We want a national reset and course correction with direction and dignity. We don’t want infinite pendulum swings further to each side every four years, so do a good job or we will see MAGA regain power in two more years, with no lasting benefits for everyday people.

On Saturday, over EIGHT MILLION members of We The People stood up to demand things. We want Congress to rein in the Executive (honestly, that should be the easy part). We want an end to Donald Trump’s illegal wars, and tariffs, and masked federal officers in our neighborhoods. We want judicial accountability against everyone implicated by the full, unredacted Epstein files. We want an end to the crony corruption that Trump and his family and donors have exploited for the last 14 months. We want prosecution for officials who intentionally lie under oath.

We can still disagree a lot about what our ideal policies look like, and which (un)intended consequences we’re willing to accept – that’s where parties and politicians come in. But “No Kings” is spot on, and it has obviously touched a nerve in our country.

Whether that looks like 75 people singing songs and carrying signs in semi-rural La Grange, KY or tens of thousands in metropolitan centers across America and the world, we have made it clear that we are not going away. They are clinging to the lifeboats while our tide rises up in this moment. We are connected and committed and are advocating all of the above with a clear voice, distilled into two words:

No Kings.

Much to the far right’s dismay, going back to the 1950s isn’t going to happen. But their quest for that imagined Shangri-La is going to damage this state and country for decades.

Case in point, the absolute lack of innovative thinking surrounding public education and its workforce. It’s almost comical to listen as legislators bemoan the lack of teachers in the state. Their failure to connect their actions to this problem is telling…and sad. It’s as if they don’t realize that they created the mess they are now trying to fix.

Destroy pensions, pass laws chilling speech, treat teachers as “groomers”, ignore teacher needs and suggestions, and fail to pass budgets that provide the resources teachers need to teach. A recipe for driving the best and brightest from the profession.

So back to innovation, or the very apparent lack of it in Frankfort. Want world class education for kids? Then you have to invest money and resources. You need highly trained and capable staff. You have to listen to experts in the field on educational issues.

Sadly, KY legislators want a “champagne educational system on a beer budget”. Or, maybe they want to decimate public education to serve the charter school system. “There’s money to be made in them there kids!”

If KY legislators were really serious about improving public education, then it would be reflected in bills proposed. We would see innovative, forward-thinking legislation. We would see the same type of effort and diligence they use for corporate support measures and culture war nonsense.

Instead we see an anti-DEI bill (SB 26), a bill to allow concealed weapons in schools (HB 312), a bill to mandate a curriculum that lacks peer-reviewed research (HB 52), and another school voucher scheme bill (HB 88).

Not one of these helps improve education or reduce the teacher shortage. Simplistic, divisive and dangerous proposals that defy belief. Our children deserve better.

So, what would innovative solutions look like? Here are three that should be proposed in Frankfort.

1. To counter the teacher shortage, scholarship loans should be offered. Students who qualify academically and are accepted into teacher education programs would have their tuition paid for through a loan system. For every semester the student teaches in a KY school, one semester of tuition is erased. This provides incentives to enter the field, maintains high standards for candidates, and allows for service in our schools as repayment. It’s a solid investment in our educational system.

2. To maintain a highly trained teaching staff, incentive programs for continuing education should be developed and offered. Investment in the development of continuing education focused on research-based educational practices and curriculum development would make an impact in the classroom. Helping teachers improve their craft should be a cornerstone of any public education “improvement” movement.

3. KY legislators love to give tax breaks to industry and business. Why not do the same for public educators? The vast majority of teachers are spending money out of their own pockets for resources because funding just doesn’t cover the needs. Why not allow these as tax write offs…like they do private jets for business folks?

Sadly, these three suggestions aren’t really that innovative. They are just common sense approaches to address the problem. Imagine the creative and impactful ideas that could be employed if only legislators ask, listen and craft bills that could make meaningful change.

There’s an old saying: “Apples come from apple trees”. We can’t expect innovation and seriousness from many of the current folks in Frankfort. Only when voters demand more and hold legislators accountable through the ballot boxes, will we see change.

To what degree do we focus and research? A deep dive into everything (impossible) or limited to the topics most important to you? A deep dive into one or two topics, and skim the other relevant pieces? Relevant to whom? To you directly? To your local community? To those with the least protection and agency?

If you’re anything like me, your brain will still be set to “grad school,” and feel the need to memorize facts, dates, context so you can make a clear case on your upcoming exam, except….there is no exam. There is no one moment beyond which you won’t have to remember this. There is also no way you’re going to remember everything in perpetuity.

Can you participate in an educated conversation, and make your case clearly even if you’re not an expert? Is it ok to say, “Hang on, I read something about this. Let me find it?” Can you speak from a place of less-than-expert, and instead as a citizen who has done their reading from reputable sources? As a fellow human? As someone open to hearing another rational point of view? YES. YES, you are allowed to express an opinion even without your PhD in the field. Are you allowed to support LGBTQ rights if you don’t have a full understanding of healthcare, puberty blockers, gender transition, and what the various Pride flags mean? YES. YES, you are allowed to express an opinion about military action, our insatiable thirst for oil, poverty —EVEN IF you don’t understand the history between Israel and Palestine or the Paris Climate accord, or if you can’t name any local or federal House or Senate bills related to solving the housing crisis or addressing SNAP benefits.

You can show up for one group without showing up for every group. It doesn’t mean you don’t support other causes—only that time, money, and energy are finite. You can find a lane. Think about how you can support the cause(s) about which you are the most passionate. I try to balance civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer’s theory that “none of us are free until all of us are free” with the feeling that I need to directly help with ALL of it. I strive not to let the illusion of perfection shatter my ability to do good. I have to remember that protecting one another takes all of us, and is not squarely on any one person’s shoulders.

It takes all of us: the visionaries, the energetic, the planners, the organizers, the listeners, those who bear witness, the helpers, the supporters in the background, those who give money, those who give time, those willing to have critical conversations one-on-one, the canvassers, those willing to provide transportation to and from the polls, those who provide food and supplies to the activists training and on the front lines, those who write and call and email their legislators, those who show up in the streets to protest, those who provide childcare so another can use their time/body/mind to function in any of these lanes. We ALL have a place. YOU have a place. YOU—perfectly imperfect, oh-so-very human, full of confusion and conviction and passion YOU. What if you fuck up? Oh, love…that’s the wrong question. WHEN will you fuck up? HOW will you fuck up? Those are the questions. Want to know the answer? Accept the calling in and the correction. Say thank you, and continue the work. None of us are done on our journeys—the journey for education, for activism, for learning the nuance of the work—and that’s ok.

So, what now? Where do you focus? Pick the thing about which you’re the most passionate. Do you have to stick with it for life? Nope. Just pick something. Pick anything. Start there. There is almost certainly a group around you involved in that work. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Plug in. Connect. Ask movement organizers how you can help. Be honest about what you can offer. We need you. Yes, YOU.

Chances are very good that you’ll be welcomed into the work. Don’t worry about imposter syndrome or newbie nerves.

Be ready with phrases like these:

I don’t know.

I wasn’t aware of that.

I’ll have to read more about that.

I’m listening.

Thanks for letting me know.

This is not my area of expertise.

Help me understand…

I’d like to learn more about…

Great job. Ready? Ok, reach out and make some connections. We need you. When you’re overwhelmed, reach out to one of your connections. Ground yourself.

There are atrocious acts of violence happening right now at the hands of our government. There are also incredibly courageous folks coming together to provide assistance and mutual aid. Both can be true.

You can be terrified and unsure of all the details AND be certain that this is not ok. Both can be true.

You can grieve because you know that people can be better than this, more supportive than this, move loving than this AND be unsure exactly what policies would make this better. Both can be true.

Even when analysis of all community needs can feel paralyzing and overwhelming, making healthy connections can help quiet that sense of overwhelm. Let your participation give you a way to put grief, love, passion, and compassion into action. Welcome! We are so glad you’re here.

Now remember, in those days we only had maybe four channels on TV, no cell phones and computers were something only NASA used. We played outside all the time and when the weather was bad we spent time at home reading. Dad had first say as to what was on the family TV. My parents never denied my sister and I anything that we wished to read. In the summer time we both read many books of all kinds, biographies, mysteries, fantasies and even comics! My parents wanted both of us to be exposed to as much of the world as possible to help mold us into hard-working, honest, caring, and to use today’s words, WOKE members of society.

My sister and I spent countless hours in the school library choosing the next book to read, our very own portal to adventure and knowledge. Our teachers gave us books to read as part of our school work and expected us to learn to write book reports, and engage with fellow students and friends about what we read.

While I went to an all-white elementary school and junior high school, when it came time for high school I chose to go where my Dad was an art teacher. It was most definitely an inner-city school; 40% white and 60% everything else. It was one of the best choices I ever made in my life. I learned more about myself there than at any other time. Plus, I was exposed to the so many cultures through the friends I made. I was lucky to have that opportunity! As we prepared for college, we were again encouraged to read any book that caught our interest. Anything and everything was permitted. Sadly, the same cannot be said today.

Who would have ever thought that book banning would be a dangerous concern today?

Now, I have a 10-year-old grandson here in Kentucky and when I asked him what kind of books they read in school his first comment was, “Nothing really.” I asked also if he ever read for fun and he replied no, he would rather play video games or hang out with friends. I am shocked that the school he attends does not encourage the kids to read. I offered to give him books to read that I enjoyed but he was simply not interested. Now we are faced with school boards, egged on by some parents, banning certain types of books because they feel the content is inappropriate, which is shocking to me. Why shouldn’t our children have the right to choose which books they read? Parents can have a say with their own children, that is ok, but do not make decisions for other kids.

I want my grandchildren to have choices and have the opportunity to learn as much as they can about the world we live in. Not this stripped-down version that some are trying to force upon our communities. There are those who wish to brainwash our kids into thinking ONE WAY and ONE WAY only. Do we wish to go back to Germany in the 1930’s where children were only allowed to read what the government told them they could read and believe what the government told them to believe?

Their parents bought into it and look what happened.

Is Bisan still alive? I need to check her Insta. Why does it keep making me re-follow her?? Oh god, Gaza...it’s disappearing. All those people. All those hospitals trying to care for all those injured people...with no electricity and not nearly enough supplies. All those mamas trying to feed their babies.

I need to get groceries. Groceries are so expensive. I am so overwhelmed when I go to the store right now. I just stand there and can’t make my eyes focus on what I need to get....and yes, baby, I’ll get granola bars for your morning snack at school. Yes, baby, you said your L’s so well! Yes, I DID notice, and I am SO proud of how hard you’re working!

And starting in November, there will be even more kiddos hungry at school...because 1 in 4 kiddos depend on SNAP...and we’re ending that funding...even though we have money to pay for it in the event of a government shutdown...I think the disdain and the fuck you IS the point. Stirring the pot of “us vs them” IS the point of feeding our nation’s fascination with anti-intellectualism while starving our citizens’ bodies....even though the average taxpayer spends annually **$36 toward SNAP and 18 times more toward corporate subsidies**.

Oh, applesauce pouches. Ok, I won’t forget those this time. I know you like those, too, babygirl.

Oh god, more anti-trans legislation ....blocking all funding to hospitals that provide ANY medical care to trans youth?! There’s no way.....if I had a dime for every time I’ve said that this past 10 months...all those kiddos.

Oh, sorry, kiddo. Let’s go, buddy, or we’ll be late. Let me teach you how to pull your hair into a ponytail before archery. This moment with you is beautiful. There. Perfect. Ok, do you have your bag?

Oh god, and we have concentration camps in our country. And people are buying merch for them, and posing in front of signs for them. It’s sickening. The world is watching the fall of our nation as we live it. Sorry buddy, right....let’s go....

Do I have *my* bag? Did I put the laundry in the dryer? Will all my bills clear? I need to get more dog food. My youngest is sniffling. My middle kiddo is so helpful and I hope they don’t feel taken for granted. One of my kiddos’ friend groups kicked them out. One of them has missing assignments and we’re playing catch up every night. It all feels like the end of the world....yet.....we have a home. They have clothes. I found coats at Goodwill. We aren’t dodging bombs. The leaves are so beautiful right now. We have food. Oh god, the food.....the chicken. I left the chicken in the oven. I hope my kiddo took it out when the timer went off. And we have concentration camps. And Rafah is gone. And like some miracle, like a little Press wizard, Bisan is still alive. As of two days ago, she’s still alive.

Such as:

Racial Inequality - The Vietnam War - Women’s Rights

Civil Rights - Gay Liberation Movement

Never did I think we would go back in time!

I find it hard to wake up each day with some semblance of hope. Scary for sure! Never has there been such conflict and debate amongst my family, friends and our communities. It used to be that disagreements were common but not destructive. The differences between the left and the right, the far left and the far right, and even those in the middle is wide and generally non-negotiable. Friends are lost, and I am OK with that as trying to find common ground is hopeless. Even differences between family are avoided for the good of the family.

But to be honest, I do not want to live in fear and stand by and watch our world crumble. I refer to the Preamble of the Constitution, which was drafted in 1787 during the Constitutional Convention. For those who have forgotten…

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.”

How soon we forget! Those 52 words so perfectly written gave us the groundwork for our country. No one could imagine our country falling so far from those six principles. They were simply the goals of our government and it was never said that the system was perfect but in reality, a work that would grow and become a more perfect union that would always stand for those six principles.

Perhaps we should all take a course in American Civics and our Constitution and remember where we came from and the fight it took along the way. And now to see it all come crashing down by an administration filled with hate. Let’s go back:

“to form a more perfect Union” part of the first sentence of the Preamble to our Constitution: What does it mean? Not perfect now, as soon as the ink was dry, but embracing continuous improvement, united under a federal government. This Constitution would create a stronger government than the Articles of Confederation, enabled with defined limits and checks & balances. And today, where are we?

Think about it. Our rights as citizens are being threatened and our mere safe existence is in jeopardy. For the first time in my life I am ashamed to be an American. We were never “perfect” but always strived to be.

“establish Justice” – Our founders had a very present understanding of British colonial rule. In contrast, they wanted to establish a fair system with consistent law, specifically to establish economic justice. And what does Economic Justice mean? Simply put: it refers to the concept of ensuring fair and equitable economic opportunities for all members of society. And what do we have today?

We cannot stand by and DO NOTHING. Our President, his power-hungry comrades taking key positions in his administration, and the majority of the Republicans in Congress are a threat to us all, my family, my friends and our way of life. I have had friends tell me to be patient that Trump has a plan and just needs time. And he won the election and he is simply our President. Well, thinking back, people said the same about Nixon and we all know what happened to him and his Comrades.

Disagreements are many and the list is growing each and every day. Just a few:

I will NOT BAN BOOKS

I will NOT PERSECUTE MINORITIES

I will NOT agree to lower taxes for the rich and not the middle class

I will NOT agree to help Trump use his Presidency to line his pockets and those of his family and comrades

I will NOT weaken and demolish all the laws in place to protect our environment

I will NOT destroy our National Park system

I will NOT destroy the basic CIVIL RIGHTS for all

I will NOT slash our Education system

And more….

But most of all, I WILL SPEAK UP. WE ALL MUST SPEAK UP!