Our country stands on the precipice of becoming an authoritarian dictatorship. I propose that all Coloradans who cherish democracy gather, along with all our colleagues from across the land, in unison, in our nation’s Capitol, to let those who wield power there (Congress, the Supreme Court and the administration) know that We the People demand action.
Trump and his cronies are, quite overtly, asserting that he has the authority to control all three branches of government (including threatening, arresting and suing judges), independent agencies like DOJ, FCC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Federal Reserve, not to mention the Smithsonian Institution and theKennedy Trump Center for the Performing Arts. Even states and cities (Los Angeles, District of Columbia and Memphis) are not beyond Trump’s claimed dominion. Same with television networks.
The greatest threat to our democracy, by far, comes from Trump’s blatant effort to control the conduct of elections in the states, despite unequivocal constitutional text saying he has no such power. He has stated, publicly, that Colorado conducts “automatically crooked elections,” because they are conducted by mail, “and we can’t have that.” [Video at 3:37].
If he carries through on this proclamation, commanding Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance not to swear in members chosen by popular vote through such “crooked elections,” the mid-term elections (if they are held) will not result in a Democratic majority in either the House or the Senate, regardless of the actual vote.
If this nefarious plan is to be thwarted, we the people must exercise “the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” While the dispersed protests of No Kings Day and Labor Day have attracted some fleeting news coverage, such diffuse and unfocused protests do not sufficiently demonstrate national cohesion and unity of purpose.
To a large extent, this administration’s “divide and conquer” approach is succeeding; so many disparate groups are fighting direct assaults on their communities (immigrants, LGBTQIA+, environmentalists, feminists, free trade advocates, scientists, trade unions, etc.) and their voices, in isolation, carry only so far.
The “National March Against Tyranny” I envision must be on the scale of the prior historic demonstrations on the National Mall in support of civil rights and against the war in Vietnam: one day, one highly significant location. Members of all disparate affected groups, from both political parties and unaffiliated voters alike, all saying the same message: We will not allow you to dismantle our democracy.
The massive demonstration will not be limited to carrying banners, waiving flags and chanting. It will be a coalition-building, networking and organizing event, fostering collaboration between those fighting similar battles back in their home states.
Event organizers will distribute lists of concrete “next steps” for after the event, including coordinated nationwide work stoppages and targeted boycotts to compel our representatives in government to do their jobs, at long last, to serve as checks and balances on tyrannical moves.
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I have no illusions that this column will bring about such a massive organizational and logistical effort. That’s why I am sending it directly to those who could actually get this done: Indivisible, 50501, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Bernie Sanders, Hon. Michael Luttig, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Liz Cheney, Pete Buttigieg, Adam Kinzinger, Beto O’Rourke, the Bush family, the McCain family, etc.
They, and others, should collectively call for this gathering, on a specific date in the near future (e.g. Nov. 5 when the Supreme Court will hear arguments whether the president has constitutional authority to impose arbitrary tariffs on foreign goods).
Patriotic performing artists and celebrities should be invited to speak/perform at the base of the Lincoln Memorial: Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Barbra Streisand, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, George Clooney, Pedro Pascal, Robert De Niro, etc.
Such a monumental and historic event, and the subsequent economic measures, may not (by themselves) thwart Trump’s dictatorial designs. But without them, authoritarianism will triumph.
Steve Zansberg is an attorney in Denver.
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