This past weekend, as rain poured on President Trump’s dour birthday military parade in D.C., millions of Americans in over 2,000 cities and towns turned out for “No Kings Day” rallies.
This week in OtherWords, Peter Montgomery celebrates those rallies as a joyful, energetic show of support for democracy even as threats of violence loom, including the shocking assassination of a Minnesota lawmaker and her spouse. “It’s important that we remain vigilant — and important that we not let violence or intimidation keep us from the duty we owe ourselves, each other, and our country,” Peter writes.
Violence and intimidation are integral to President Trump’s political style, Christine Ahn and Leslie Cagan add this week — a fact his military parade spectacle and recent immigration raids have made all too clear.
“As longtime peace activists, we’re used to protesting military deployments overseas,” they write. “But now we’re in an era where ICE is raiding schools, workplaces, churches, and homes, tearing apart families by abducting legal residents, rounding up students for protesting U.S. foreign policy, and detaining elected officials standing with immigrants and for due process.” They warn: “The U.S. public can no longer afford to ignore the lethal consequences of militarism on our democracy.”
Not that we’re out of the woods on wars overseas either! Also this week , Phyllis Bennis and Khury Petersen-Smith warn against letting Israel’s government drag the U.S. into war with Iran.
Finally, social worker Paul Epstein explains how President Trump’s baffling attempt to kill the federal Jobs Corps program will hurt underprivileged kids like the ones Paul works with.
New This Week…
Americans Joyfully and Peacefully Affirm: No Kings Here | Peter Montgomery
We can’t let violence or intimidation keep us from the duty we owe ourselves, each other, and our country.
Militarism Threatens Our Democracy — But Americans Are Waking Up | Christine Ahn and Leslie Cagan
The “No Kings Day” protests that ran counter to Trump’s military parade show an effort to resist the dangerous consequences of militarism.
No War with Iran! | Phyllis Bennis and Khury Petersen-Smith
U.S. support for Israel’s hardline government risks getting the U.S. involved in yet another Middle East war. That can’t happen.
Trump’s Cuts to Job Corps Will Hurt All of Us | Paul Epstein
As a social worker, I’m shocked and appalled at this cruel decision to deny struggling kids the opportunity of a lifetime.
In Case You Missed It…
We Have a Choice: Weapons and War, or Food and Health Care? | Lindsay Koshgarian
President Trump’s “big brutal bill” slashes SNAP and Medicaid to enrich private prison and military contractor CEOs.
Trump’s Big Bill Is Filled With Hundreds of Billions in Waste | Brett Heinz
The president says he’s targeting “waste” by cutting health care for Americans. So why all the corporate giveaways?
Let’s Get Child Labor Off Our Dinner Plates | Todd Larsen and Charlotte Tate
From agriculture to restaurants, more and more food in this country is produced by child labor. That’s putting whole communities at risk.
Musk’s Deadliest Legacy | David Douglas
Gutting USAID will cause millions of deaths from disease and starvation. But it’s not too late to change course.
