Seeking Truth in Today's Troubled World

In a country where freedom of speech is still preserved—even if inconsistently respected—it is no surprise that thousands took to the streets yesterday in what they called “Hands Off” protests. Their grievance? A supposed assault on democracy, liberty, and human rights by the second Trump administration. Their slogans rang out with dramatic cries of “fascism” and “the death of democracy.” But while passion may fuel a protest, passion is no substitute for reason—and in this case, reason was not merely absent but banished.

Let us begin with the favorite epithet of the hour: “fascism.” It has become the all-purpose smear for any political position leftists dislike. But if words are to mean anything, fascism is not defined by judicial appointments, border enforcement, or policies passed by duly elected representatives. Fascism is the forcible merger of state and corporate power, suppression of dissent, and rule by decree. Ironically, many of the same protestors chanting “democracy is dying” cheered when tech oligarchs colluded with government actors to suppress dissenting views during the previous administration. They were silent when COVID-era lockdowns dictated by unelected health bureaucrats shuttered churches, schools, and small businesses—while liquor stores and abortion clinics stayed open. If fascism is the issue, then the inconsistency of these protestors is not just hypocrisy; it’s historical amnesia.

But what of their deeper claim—that democracy is being undermined by this administration? It is a charge both serious and laughable. The Trump administration, for all its bombast and populist energy, has done precisely what the Constitution permits: appoint judges, enforce existing immigration law, and roll back executive overreach from prior administrations. These are not the tools of tyranny; they are the functions of the executive branch under a constitutional republic. What offends the protestors is not that the law is being violated—but that it is being enforced.

Take the latest actions at the southern border. The president, exercising powers Congress explicitly gave, has taken steps to stem illegal immigration and deport criminal aliens. This, we are told, is authoritarian. But what, pray tell, is democratic about allowing foreign nationals to violate a nation’s borders at will? If America’s laws are to mean anything, they must apply to all—citizens and non-citizens alike. Otherwise, we are not a nation of laws but a playground for selective outrage.

And let us not forget the legal accountability being demanded of political actors who acted with impunity in recent years. When the administration pushes for prosecution of those who knowingly incited riots, misused classified information, or flouted federal law, the protests erupt with cries of “political persecution.” Yet when the same protestors were gleeful about the FBI raiding homes of conservative activists, or about courtrooms weaponized against the administration itself in 2020 and 2023, their concern for “democracy” was nowhere to be found.

What we are witnessing is not a principled defense of liberty—it is a tantrum. A fit of rage from those who have grown accustomed to getting their way through mob pressure, unelected bureaucracy, and activist courts. Now that the tide has turned—now that elected officials are doing what they promised the American people—they cry foul.

Let us be clear: democracy is not dying. Democracy is finally being allowed to breathe after years of suffocation by unelected elites, judicial fiat, and selective censorship. What is under attack is not democracy, but the illusion of unaccountable rule masquerading as democracy.

The protestors demand the government keep its “hands off.” But hands off what, exactly? Off the border? Off the economy? Off education? Off law enforcement? The absurdity lies in pretending that government can both serve and stay silent. Government by its very nature involves action, responsibility, and sometimes—unpopular decisions. To govern is not to please everyone but to uphold principle, even in the face of coordinated hysteria.

In the end, slogans are cheap. Hysteria is not a substitute for truth. And screaming “fascism” in the face of restored constitutional order is not resistance—it’s regression.

If we are to have a serious republic—and not just a playground of grievance and performance—we must demand more than noise from our citizens. We must demand understanding, historical memory, and the courage to accept when elections don’t go our way. That is democracy. Anything less is just theater.

~JFH