June 14, 2025- Flag Day has come and gone-and over a million people flew our nation’s colours. The 250th Birthday of the United States Army has been observed-peacefully, with no strange command to turn on the American people. It was very unlikely to have happened, but there were those who expressed a worry about it. “No Kings Day” came and went-with a minor incident in Virginia, and one act of domestic terror,in Minnesota, which will be handled by law enforcement, including the U.S.Department of Justice. People across the political spectrum were able to express their opinions, with minimal confrontation. That is the spirit of our country, and it is alive and well.

Th president, in a moment of candor, told an interviewer that he doesn’t feel like a king, and that he is “going through hell to get anything done.” He should never feel like a king, nor should any future president. A president should feel respected, but not regal.

When I was a building principal, there were those students and parents who revered me and what I was doing. There were also those who despised me and opposed just about anything I was proposing. Both were heard, and some of what my opponents said made sense and was incorporated into our programs. That is the weight of duty-knowing that one will never please the masses, but that there are hard decisions that must be made, within the bounds of one’s authority. A good leader never tries to exceed those bounds, but knows how to accomplish things towards the public weal, as one understands it.

The enormity of the United States government, indeed the size of most governments in large and complex countries, implies that mistakes will be made, but also that the nation will survive, so long as there is not over-centralization. “No Kings” is more than likely going to remain a state of affairs. Even the most rigid of politicians could not hope to contain our rowdy, outspoken populace for much more than an off-year election cycle, if even that long. Thank God for small favours.