We don’t do kings in America. The American Revolution was born from a deep resistance to tyranny. Our founders fought to free themselves from the grip of an unchecked monarch, rejecting taxation without representation and demanding a government by the people, for the people. Not for the billionaires.

They enshrined these principles in our Constitution declaring three coequal branches, ensuring that no single individual could ever wield absolute power again. Donald Trump and his cronies are doing their best to unravel these principles.

On June 14 hundreds of thousands of us across the country will participate in non-violent rallies to say “No Kings!” and stand together against any effort to consolidate power into the hands of one leader. We will be protesting the Trump administration’s corruption, cruelty and contempt for the Constitution.

We don’t like his taking money from Medicare and Medicaid that our hard-earned taxes pay for to give to his billionaire donors and cronies. We don’t like his attacks on free speech and the rule of law. Wealthy convicted criminals shouldn’t get presidential pardons after they donate big bucks to the Trump family businesses.

We believe government can improve people’s lives, especially children and families, and shouldn’t arrest them and send them to foreign prisons without a hearing or trial. No president — past, present, or future — should override the balance our founders carefully crafted.

Join us at a “No Kings!” protest on June 14 in Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Tillamook, Long Beach, Washington, and beyond. Get information and register for a protest near you at nokings.org.

JULIA and ELIAS HESSE

Astoria