On June 14, a trio of events intersected. It was the birthday of the United States Army, but far more than a typical birthday it was the 250th. It was also Flag Day, commemorating the adoption of the flag of the United States by resolution of the Second Continental Congress in 1775. And, coincidentally, it was also the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump. I say “coincidentally,” because the first two of these events were obviously of greater significance than Trump’s birthday as, with his characteristic modesty, he’d certainly concede.
Not coincidentally, it was the day picked by a virulently anti-Trump, radically leftist group that goes by the childishly idiotic name of “No Kings.” (At first glance I thought they hated Elvis Presley.) It recruited 175 like-minded outfits to join in a mass protest in “2,100 cities and towns” labeled the “No Kings Nationwide Day of Defiance.” The roster included the ACLU, Democratic Socialists of America, the American Federation of Government Employees, the American Federation of Teachers, and even some communist groups. “No Kings” bragged it’s goal was to “upstage Trump’s self-coronation event by grabbing more of the attention.” Hardly a self-coronation, plans for the celebration of the Army’s 250th birthday, started two years ago, well before Trump’s election.
Army’s birthday parade shines through
Attending or even watching the parade on TV with 7,000 troops marching in combat fatigues and other uniforms amidst Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, motorized cannons, and warplanes flying overhead is the last thing that crowd would want to do. For most of them, patriotism is a dirty word. No Kings claimed 5 million people joined their protests. I’d rank their credibility on this estimate about low as Hamas’ daily count of civilian casualties in Gaza.
But even if there were 5 million protestors, that would be a mere 1.4% of America’s 344 million population. That leaves quite a few who didn’t participate. On the other hand, here’s my ballpark guesstimate of how many Americans on June 14 much preferred the celebration in Washington, the military parade, patriotic music and fireworks: Counting active-duty military personnel, reservists, the national guard, military veterans of all the services, their families and friends, 77 million people who voted for Trump in 2024, the many millions of Americans who are thankful for our military, our police, our ICE and border patrol officers, patriots who still love our country, and even some Democrats, I’d put that number at more than 200 million.
As an Army vet myself, I had a lump in my throat watching all that. Despite the petty whining of leftists, the US Army deserved nothing less than a parade like this on its 250th birthday.
Not-so-peaceful protests
As for the recognition of Trump’s birthday being a “self-coronation” overshadowing the event, the gift of an American flag to him by a member of the Army’s Golden Knights paratroop team and some soldiers in front of the podium singing “Happy Birthday” took just 10 minutes. (A thinly-clad Marilyn Monroe singing a sultry version of “Happy Birthday” to JFK on his 45th birthday in 1962 at a Democrat fund-raiser in NYC’s Madison Square Garden had a different flavor. I doubt Melania would approve.)
Crowds in the Denver protest ironically waved Mexican, Palestinian and LGBTQ+ flags, which was not quite the intent of Flag Day. There were some American flags but I suspect that was more for show than love of country for many of the anti-American protestors. It’s an irrational contradiction when illegal immigrants who deserted Mexico to come here wave Mexican flags and burn American ones while they fight deportation back to Mexico.
Predictably, this “mostly peaceful” protest ultimately turned unlawful and violent when some assaulted police, started fires, obstructed roadways and attempted to block I-25, with some 35 arrests made. The First Amendment protects your right to “peaceably” assemble and to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” These are not peaceful acts or petitions. No one has a right to break the law because they disagree with it.
As their protest moved theatrically to the Governor’s mansion (where Jared Polis and his spouse don’t actually reside) one leftist fool proclaimed that Polis is a just another of the “corrupt politicians who run this country.” As if the Democrat politicians who run Colorado aren’t leftist enough for him. Another speaker was cheered for advocating revolution, shouting “This is what democracy looks like.” No. Angry mobs, in general, that disturb the peace, assault the police, set fire to vehicles, obstruct immigration officers from doing their job, and incite revolution isn’t democracy, it’s mobocracy. Trump’s election was democracy.
Longtime KOA radio talk host and columnist for the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News Mike Rosen now writes for CompleteColorado.com.
