We have the numbers — if we speak up now and support the organizations and people who stand up for the rule of law

By Tonya Graham

We, as Americans, believe in the fundamental freedom and liberty of individual people.

We, as Americans, believe that everyone should be treated equally under the law.

We, as Americans, have the right and ability, as provided to us by our Constitution, to govern ourselves through our system of representative government.

The oath of office

As a local elected official, I have taken the oath of office four times. That oath includes the commitment to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. All elected leaders take a similar oath, as do police officers, military service members, firefighters and many civil service employees, such as teachers, postmasters and librarians. Anyone who has ever said the pledge of allegiance to the American flag and the republic for which it stands, and meant it, has essentially taken a similar oath.  

I took the oath again this January. It had a different meaning this time, knowing the promises of President Donald Trump to be a dictator on Day 1. But the oath is to protect and defend the Constitution, not to bow to a king. And I intend to keep my oath.

Stepping forward

So, I have been watching the situation in Washington unfold — watching for moments when I would be called forward to keep my oath of office. Those moments are here as the Trump regime has set about to consolidate power, turning Congress into an inconsequential bystander, demolishing federal agencies that have been chartered and funded by Congress, flagrantly defying court orders, and kidnapping Kilmar Abrego Garcia (who was in our country legally) and sending him without any due process to what amounts to a concentration camp in El Salvador.

This is scary stuff, but safety has always been found in numbers. The Trump regime wants us too frightened to oppose them, and it counts on us feeling isolated, overwhelmed and convinced there is nothing we can do. Regimes like this can only succeed when isolated people and institutions cave when targeted and they know it.

When we understand that, we realize that following the instinct to keep our heads down, which seems sensible, is in fact the most dangerous response we can have. It guarantees that we will fall to authoritarian rule as we hope against hope that the regime never notices us — or anyone we love. That’s no way to live, especially for Americans. Unlike many other countries, we have built-in structures to protect our democracy and the rule of law.

Our civic tools

The authors of our Constitution knew that the threat from the outside was matched by the threat from the inside and that we will always have to guard against someone who aims to consolidate power and use it against the American people. So, they gave us the tools we need to protect our democracy. It’s why we have separation of powers between the three branches of government — and why there are checks and balances between them. But it requires that our leaders set aside their partisan loyalties, find their courage and assert their authority on behalf of all Americans in fulfillment of their oath of office. This is particularly true, right now, of Congress.

I am heartened by the fact that judges from across the political spectrum are standing up for the rule of law and defending the judges who are protecting the Constitution and our freedom by ruling against the overreach of the Trump administration.

I am heartened by Harvard University’s bold refusal to bow to a would-be king, and the other universities that have stepped up in solidarity with Harvard.  

I am livid watching members of Congress violate their oaths of office and clear a path for the Trump regime to violate the Constitution. I wrote to our representative, Cliff Bentz, and met with his field staff a few weeks ago. I laid out my concerns regarding the constitutionality of the actions of the Trump administration and the need for Congress to assert itself in our system of checks and balances. I asked for Rep. Bentz to host a town hall — or a meeting with local elected leaders in his district. I asked for the courtesy of a response.

Crickets.

So here is what I’ve been doing

I am taking my American flag to local demonstrations to raise my voice loud and feel the power of joining with others in a pro-Democracy chorus. Demonstrations are important — they make a statement, and the solidarity lifts my spirits.

I am focusing my energy on supporting and protecting the Constitution and rule of law whenever opportunities arise in the local government and nonprofit sectors where I move.

I am a monthly supporter of organizations that are aggressively defending our democracy by organizing the resistance and demanding accountability to the Constitution through the courts. They are not large donations, but these organizations know they can count on them.

I am continuing to call for congresspeople to keep their oath of office by checking the Trump administration’s abuse of power and preventing additional violations of the Constitution.

And, I stand ready to act in solidarity with those who are targeted.

There is both safety and salvation in numbers. We have seen good examples of courage, and we must quickly grow this practice of solidarity — universities standing with targeted universities, state governments standing with targeted state governments, judges standing with targeted judges, librarians standing with targeted librarians, and nonprofits standing with targeted nonprofits. When they threaten any one of us, they must find their intended victim flanked by their peers and citizens from across the political spectrum, making a stand to defend their country.

Our sacred civic duty

Those of us who were children once know that bullies are a fact of life. And we know what stops them — and what doesn’t. It takes courage to stand up to a bully, but it’s easier to be brave when we stand up together. But unlike a playground bully, our situation has a time limit. We must stop this assault on our democracy now.

All citizens of our great nation, regardless of political affiliation, are called to defend it. It is our patriotic duty —our most sacred obligation. Fortunately, it’s already happening. I see people from all across the political spectrum stepping forward to defend those being targeted. Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s union is calling for his return. When we say the pledge of allegiance before public meetings, it is both louder and more intense than it used to be. Resistance is in the air.

We are thinking about our country and our responsibilities in a different way than we have for a long time. This movement isn’t a left or right movement — it’s a response by patriots of all stripes and it welcomes all who believe in the Constitution and the rule of law. After all, President Trump is betraying all of us, including his supporters.

Once we have secured the safety of our nation, we must then work together across political ideologies to reimagine what government does and how it operates for the benefit of all of us. There is much good work to be done.

But aren’t we lucky? We get to save America. We have the power. We have the numbers. We are stronger than that which holds us in fear.

It’s time for us to say “Enough!” Together.  

Tonya Graham is the mayor of Ashland. She is speaking here on her own behalf, not for the city.