This is democracy in a red state's blue dot

On an April afternoon in a small Midwest town, I stood on the side of a busy street with around 500 of my neighbors and community members to protest the current administration and to defend democracy.

I’m not going to lie. I was afraid. Even knowing we would be peacefully protesting in a public space where we are allowed by law to congregate and express our opinions, it felt dangerous. The reality of today is that people are being snatched off the streets and judges are being arrested. Plus, I live in a small blue dot in the middle of a large swath of red.

I deleted screenshots of funny memes and current facts from my phone. I wrote a phone number in sharpie on my upper arm in case I needed to contact someone with my one phone call. I researched Articles 90 and 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and printed out small messages to explain to any police or military presence that they will only be charged with disobeying any lawful orders and providing the GI Rights Hotline number in case of need. I disabled the location on my phone and logged out of all my social media. I made sure facial recognition and thumbprint were both turned off and couldn’t be used to open my phone against my will. I removed my dangly earrings and necklace. I took a deep breath and I walked out the door.

When I got to the city park, I found our allowed protest area neatly marked off with ribbon and volunteers writing signs on posterboard for those of us who forgot to bring a sign. I chose a sign that said “Freedom From Fear” and found a spot between the curb and sidewalk with my neighbors.

For the next two hours we held our signs high and waved at passing cars as they honked and cheered. It felt so empowering to be out in the world and with community members who feel the need to protect our democracy just like I do. I saw a professor I recognized from the nearby university. I saw knitting and crafting friends. I met new people. We were university students and working families and retirees and young parents with babies and toddlers.

Someone handed me an American flag to wave along with my “Freedom From Fear” sign. A veteran in a chair nearby along the line had a sign that read, “Hands off our democracy!” Several versions of “No Kings” or “America does not have a king!” showed up in the signs. So did “Resist Fascism,” “Hands off my books,” and, “No one voted for Elon Musk.” I chanted “Flush the orange turd!” along with the grade-school young ladies every time they walked up and down the line on the sidewalk with a parent and a homemade sign.

Every time someone chanted, “Show me what democracy looks like!” I shouted back, “This is what democracy looks like!” as loud as I could along with hundreds of neighbors and community members. Standing along that line I realized I am not alone. A whole lot of other people fear for our democracy and do not like the actions taken in our names. We are afraid and we are also willing to stand up for our democracy despite that fear. And I started to believe that most of us feel that way. None of us are in this alone.

Hundreds of cars drove by to cheer us on and honk. One drove by flipping us off. Another drove by shouting but no one could tell if they were shouting with us or against us. One large truck gunned the engine and spewed a black cloud along the street. But the rest? Hundreds and hundreds of people agreed with us. And the smiles of relief as they drove by were worth the fear. I was relieved too.

I recently heard U.S. Rep. Sarah McBride, (D-DE) say that no one needs to be a hero as long as we all have a little courage, that seeing someone be courageous helps others have courage too. That day we had enough courage to walk out the door. I have faith that next time it will be easier. And next time? Next time I hope you’ll join us.

Tamara Moots lives and works in Manhattan. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.