On Nov. 5, the American people voted for a change in national direction — reduced immigration, a move toward traditional values, less government spending and regulation, stronger support for domestic manufacturing, and a retreat from foreign entanglements. Like many elections before it, the people voted for a pendulum swing — not a revolution.
 
But what Americans did NOT vote for was a rejection of our constitutional democracy.
 
The people did NOT vote to abandon the republican form of government outlined in the Constitution — with its careful balance of powers and its deep respect for the rule of law. And the people did NOT vote to discard the ideals expressed 249 years ago on July 4 in a hot Philadelphia courthouse, when the Founders declared independence from a king.
 
That declaration — the foundation of our national identity — warned of the dangers of concentrated power. It told of a “long train of abuses and usurpations” by a single ruler, King George III. The kingly abuses are different today, but some of the warnings of our Founders still ring true.
 
From the Declaration of Independence (bolded phrases are from the original text), here are just a few “abuses and usurpations” that resonate today:
 
He has kept among us standing armies without the consent of our legislators.
— Today, we see the National Guard and Marines in the streets of Los Angeles without local approval and a budget for a massive expansion of an ICE federal enforcement force.
 
He has dissolved representative houses for opposing his invasions of the rights of the people:
— Today, we see executive threats to shut down departments like Education and USAID without Congressional consent. Public universities, the press, and the legal profession are being intimidated for exercising institutional independence.

He has made judges dependent on his will alone:
— Today judges face physical threats while duly convicted insurgents and allies of the administration receive pardons.
 
He has sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people:
— Today we see mass firings of civil servants by un-elected officials, indiscriminate ICE raids in the dead of night, and agency closures with no effective oversight.
 
He has cut off our trade with all parts of the world:
— Today the world is subject to sudden whimsical tariffs and trade barriers imposed without Congressional approval.
 
He has transported us beyond seas for pretended offenses:
— Today we see mass deportations without due process or adequate legal representation.
 
He has excited domestic insurrections among us:
— Today we see pardons for Jan. 6 insurrectionists and rallies, speeches and posts that demonize opposing viewpoints and widen the partisan divide.
 
Our system was built to withstand moments like this — but only if the people stand up. The ballot box remains a path to redress, but we must not wait for 2026 or 2028 to defend our democracy. 

The time to act is now. Our democracy has successfully pursued change — even bold change — without handing the power of a king to any one individual.
 
The Founders wisely rejected a monarch in 1776. And we don’t need a new king now.
 
Bernie Butcher writes on behalf of Indivisible Lake County CA. To hear him read this editorial, visit here.