by Rev. James Briney
I think it is a mistake to identify the No Kings gatherings as a protest. Such occasions are far more. They present an opportunity to take a stand and to bear witness. They speak to and transcend the present time.
The roots of what has become of our representative democracy began to take hold in 1970 when state legislatures were organized to favor Gerrymandering based on race, and voter suppression. Conservative think tanks drafted boilerplate language to accomplish their intentions and identified bill sponsors.
On Saturday, March 28th as I stood with the thousands of individuals bearing witness to their belief in democracy and inclusion, I spoke with a man who is older than I am. He has never been an activist, but he has awakened to the necessity of standing for the values he was introduced to in civics class as a schoolboy.
I sought a seat in the Michigan House of Representatives in 1968. I ran as a Republican. The 8-term incumbent I sought to oppose was backed by vestiges of the Klan. The legislator who represented me had done nothing to eliminate redlining and other practices sanctioned in law that stifled opportunities for many of his constituents.
As a post-graduate student in Indianapolis, I served as assistant to the mayor when Dick Lugar held the office. Subsequently he became a United States Senator, serving multiple terms, until he was defeated by a Tea Party candidate in the primary. In recent decades, low voter turnout has favored the nomination and election of extremists. The key to reclaiming what the founders, and veterans who have risked their lives and died, is voting and basing our preferences on reason, information, and facts.
Ethical constructs may acquaint us with the right thing to do. Integrity is doing it. When you know the right thing to do, but are not certain of the outcome, do it anyway. You will be joining a long line of patriots who have taken a stand when it counts and have borne witness throughout our history as a nation.