The so-called “No Kings” protests that swept across Indiana and the nation this summer were billed as a grassroots defense of democracy. What they really showed was something else entirely: a loud, angry spectacle that did little more than inflame division and block traffic.
Absurd as it may sound, I’ve seen “No Kings” protests as part of other protests over the past two weeks in Frankfort and Lebanon.
Thousands gathered in Indianapolis and other Indiana cities to chant about tyranny and monarchy on the same day as a presidential birthday parade. The message? That America is somehow on the verge of slipping into dictatorship. The problem is, those fears are wildly exaggerated. This country still holds free elections. Courts still function. Legislatures still debate. Shouting “No Kings” may feel cathartic, but it changes nothing about the real, everyday work of governing.
If protestors want to defend democracy, they might start by participating in it. That means voting, attending city and county meetings, running for office, or even just volunteering in their neighborhoods. Screaming slogans in front of the Statehouse may get attention for an afternoon, but it doesn’t build the civic trust we actually need.
Even more troubling is the double standard. Many who decry heavy-handed authority seem perfectly comfortable with unelected activists attempting to disrupt the lives of ordinary Hoosiers. Roads were clogged, businesses slowed, and police resources stretched thin. For people just trying to get home from work or attend a Sunday church service, the protest wasn’t a noble defense of liberty—it was a headache.
America doesn’t need more shouting. It needs solutions. Energy spent waving signs could be better spent helping a neighbor, mentoring a student, or engaging with ideas rather than caricatures. Protestors talk about rejecting kings, but in practice they look more like performers in a political theater that most Hoosiers never asked to buy tickets for.
The truth is, we don’t have kings in this country. What we do have is a democratic system that still works—if we choose to use it. Real change doesn’t come from hashtags or marches. It comes from ballots, budgets, and personal responsibility. Indiana would be better served if our loudest voices put down their signs and picked up the tools of actual citizenship.