Our View: No Place For Kings

Last Wednesday, Chatham celebrated the 313th anniversary of its official incorporation. Loyal to their king, the townspeople chose to take the name of a shipbuilding port east of London for their little community. Always fiercely independent — the legacy of iconoclastic founder William Nickerson — Chatham folk had grown into fierce Colonial patriots within a few decades and made a significant contribution to the American Revolution.

That spirit of patriotism and independence was on full display Saturday as hundreds gathered to protest Trump administration policies. Although billed as being part of “No Kings Day,” the gathering was not included in the official listing for the nationwide protest; organizers were concerned that it might draw too many people. Despite the limited notification, more than 300 people attended, the vast majority of them from Chatham, an impressive turnout on a drizzly late spring day. 

In the past, Chatham was a traditionally conservative community, and in many ways it still is. But just as our ancestors’ loyalty moved away from the British crown in response to losses of liberty, the politics of townspeople has evolved over recent years. Voters have favored Democratic candidates in national elections for the past two decades, whereas the town was previously staunchly Republican. It’s not that Chatham has changed, although we do see that in the influx of more affluent residents in recent years (they’re the only ones who can afford to buy here). Rather, what it means to be a conservative in the United States has changed. And that was reflected in the signs carried by protesters Saturday, which emphasized protecting democracy, resisting unconstitutional actions and battling back hate, ideas that are not radical or liberal but common sense “conservative.” The number of American flags was also impressive.

Local residents stood with at least five million other Americans across this great nation Saturday to send a message. While the chance of that message being heard — no, strike that, being understood or cared about — by the administration is small, we suspect that residents of Chatham and other Cape communities will continue to insist that the founding principals of our country be honored. And as history shows, ignoring the voice of the people usually does not end well for those in charge.