To the editor:
June 14’s “No Kings Day” was one of those special moments when one can feel the community come together in a way that is tangible with an uplifting esprit de corps. The knowledge that we were a small part of a national experience built comradery and a sense of purpose. It was a chance to meet and be inspired by new folks as well as reconnect with old friends and colleagues. The spirit of the day continued long after the rally was over as we connected with folks who had been to similar events around the county.
In the morning after, as the very first item in my newsfeed, there was a post from Fox News entitled: “White House slams ‘utter failure’ of anti-Trump protests as America celebrates Army’s historic milestone.” Later in the day, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung claimed that 250,000 people had attended the military parade in Washington, D.C.
I don’t know what kind of drugs the Trump administration and Fox News thinks Americans are on, but their response to No Kings Day defies belief—even by MAGA standards.
While 60,000 to 100,000 people turned out in every major city in the country—and not just New York or Los Angeles, but Oklahoma City, Miami, Boise, Indianapolis, and Kansas City, plus over 2,000 gatherings in small towns across the country adding up to millions of people—Trump’s birthday bash may have not even attracted 10,000 (according to the National Parks Service) and received dismal TV ratings. Even in our small town of Great Barrington, turnout was estimated at 2,000 folks—and it was a lively and good natured but earnest event.
The administration is trying to portray the magnificent failure of an attempted autocratic display of power as a success while striking out at No Kings as “poorly attended.”
This is a moment when anyone with eyes can see the truth. There was nowhere in America where citizens did not turn out to protest against the tyrannical Trump administration. At the same time, the shame and irony of using the Army as a tool of ego and authoritarian propaganda was lost on no one.
How many lies and deceptions does it take for those who have been hoodwinked by MAGA to realize that the future of America is in jeopardy of succumbing to these self-inflicted wounds? That its standing in the world is declining precipitously? That the well-being of the vast majority of Americans is under attack?
As Trump personally rakes in $600 million dollars in profits from selling Bibles, guitars, and worthless trinkets to believers, millions of Americans are about to lose healthcare, food on their tables, and basic services that they have relied on the government to provide. And even while most Americans are forced to to bear the burden of these losses, the “Big Beautiful Bill” will transfer even more wealth from the working classes to the wealthy while exploding the national debt to levels never before seen in human history.
It is time for the madness to end… it is plain to see.
David Long
Great Barrington
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