No Kings Rallies

Editor, Times-Union:
Last Friday, House Speaker Mike Johnson stood at a podium and lied about the nationwide No Kings rallies to be held on October 18. He characterized the protesters as people who hate America, pro-Hamas, antifa and terrorists.
The fact that Johnson, a self-described man of God, is lying, is telling. Republican counter-messaging makes it clear they're afraid of the message that millions of Americans are about to send. Unfortunately for them, this is one time they won't be able to manipulate the narrative.
Having attended every rally in Warsaw this year, I know the people who will be protesting. They range in age from 23 to 93. They include teachers committed to maintaining quality public education, pastors, nuns and people of faith who feel a moral obligation to speak out about the treatment of migrants, farmers tired of the disruption that tariffs have caused, factory workers who fear for their manufacturing jobs, veterans and nurses fighting for healthcare, homemakers struggling to afford groceries, retirees, students, truck drivers and lawyers. There will be people battling cancer who choose fighting for democracy over bed rest.
Who you won't find on October 18 is anyone who hates America.
Johnson's inflammatory rhetoric is reminiscent of the type of hate speech that Republicans have complained leads to violence. How quickly they resort to it when it suits their purpose. I would argue that neither side hates America, but when Speaker Johnson has to lie to try to win people to his side, he might love a would-be dictator more than he loves his country.
Robert Osbun
Leesburg, via email