Mr. Speaker, We Love America. We Don't Want A King.

The second No Kings rally will be on Saturday, October 18, with more than 2,000 events planned across the U.S., Europe, and other nations.

The first rally, in June, attracted an estimated 5 million protesters, including me. I stood with more than 100 at the courthouse in Opelika.

Saturday’s event should draw even more of us, frightened and angry, who feel the Trump administration is destroying American democracy while an obsequious Republican Congress tacitly rubber stamps his every action.

To undermine any legitimacy for the upcoming protests, Mike Johnson, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, won’t even say No Kings, substituting “hate America.”

”This hate America rally that they have coming up for October 18, the Antifa crowd and the pro-Hamas crowd, and the Marxists, they’re all going to gather on the Mall.”

As a small protest against the Republican propaganda, I wrote the following letter to the Speaker:

Mr. Speaker,

I’ve heard you describe the upcoming No Kings rally as a “hate America” rally. I am planning to join the crowds this weekend and want you to know that your characterization is untrue.

I am a patriot and love my country. As Mark Twain said, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it."

Right now, the president and Republican Congress don’t deserve it. President Trump promised us lower prices, yet inflation continues, fueled by his misguided tariffs and resulting trade wars.

In addition to inflation, you’ve given us that big ugly bill that disproportionately benefits the rich — they hardly need tax relief — and raises the federal debt. We’re also facing the expiring enhanced premium tax credits for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which likely means unaffordable premiums for two in my family and many of the 24 million with ACA policies.

I wonder why you and your Republican colleagues favor tax cuts for the wealthy over Medicaid, SNAP, and health insurance that help the quality of life for so many Americans. I guess we don’t donate enough to your campaigns to deserve consideration.