The Real Story- A Column
Tomorrow, October 18th, 2025, will be one of the biggest days of National protest in US History as the No Kings Rally will be held in over 2,500 cities across the United States. Hillsboro, Oregon, and cities all over the United States will have thousands of peaceful citizens come out to assemble in a protest against the idea that anyone could try to be a dictator or a King in this country. This movement is one of perhaps the most American things that anyone alive can do. And all citizens can turn out from all political parties and all walks of life.
The “No Kings” rally is as American as the ink on the Declaration of Independence . It stands in the long, unbroken tradition of citizens refusing to bow—to monarchs, oligarchs, or any system that forgets its power comes from the people. The American Revolution was not only a war for independence; it was a moral uprising against inherited privilege and unaccountable authority. When Americans gather to say “No Kings,” they echo that original defiance of tyranny, whether it wears a crown, a corporate logo, or a political title.The founders risked their lives to reject the idea that any man or institution stands above the consent of the governed. In this moment—when power consolidates in fewer hands, and voices of conscience are drowned by wealth and influence—the most patriotic act is to stand up, peacefully but firmly, and remind the nation: in America, there are no kings, only citizens.
This has been a long week in Hillsboro, Oregon. Many of us have watched as men purporting to be ICE or US Border Patrol came to town and were filmed grabbing people out of cars and hunting for others. These actors have brought unrest, fear, and intimidation to our Community. Many of us are on edge, like so many Americans, and we should be. When men with no badges, no names, who refuse to act like our local law enforcement come, it can be terrifying. So can being a journalist when covering such incidents, followed by death threats and intimidation come pouring in. But telling the story of the people of this community is too important not to do.
Two Things To Consider If You’re Going Tomorrow
1) The Portland Ice Protestors in costumes are winning. National news channels are broadcasting and publishing video, stories, and photos of the Frogman and his growing army of air-filled warriors. The fact is that this stark contrast between heavily armored ICE officers in Black vs giant green frogs, pink ponies, and Eric Cartman tells a story so far from the White House’s “War Torn Hellscape that is Portland” that it is winning the day. So if you go, be peaceful, have fun, stand proud, and internalize what is working…