Deep Something

My Take on Tampa’s No Kings Day Protest

June 16, 2025June 16, 2025 B. John 900 Views 0 Comments Trump, Protest, Tampa, MAGA, No Kings, March

On June?14, 2025, Tampa’s “No Kings Day” protest unfolded under blue skies outside City Hall. Between 2,000 and 3,000 people participated, joined by coordinated protests across Tampa Bay—ranging from Largo to St.?Petersburg—where similar crowds gathered. And here is my take. I saw proof: when people stand together, young and old, across every background, authoritarian theatrics shrink. It gave me hope. Tampa spoke with its numbers and its unity. And for me, that was worth the energy, bearing the heat, being there with them. In short, I think we had a lot more energy than the Birthday Parade in D.C.

Gay Issues Methodism Featured Places Tampa Politics Presidency Religion Society

No Kings Day: A Stand Against Power and Injustice

June 13, 2025 B. John 855 Views 0 Comments methodist, Church, Trump, Authoritarianism, Protest, Wesley, Parade

This Saturday, people will rise across 2,000 U.S. cities, including Tampa, united in one unflinching message: “No Kings.” This is not a protest born of idle dissent. It is a fierce rebuke of President Donald Trump and a social order built on abuse of power. Flag Day plus Trump’s 79th birthday equals a military parade costing taxpayers $25–45?million. The implicit message? A cult of personality masquerading as patriotism. For United Methodists grounded in Wesleyan conviction, this is intolerable. John and Charles Wesley stood against social evil, not in quiet tones but with prophetic boldness, calling out power when it crushes the least among us. That same courage calls us now to confront policies that tear at the fabric of our communities.

Feature Photo for Castor Office Detention Protest

Featured Places Tampa Politics Congress

Immigrant Child Detention Protest

July 4, 2019 B. John 533 Views 0 Comments Kathy Castor, Child Detention, Immigrants, Assylum, Protest

Tuesday morning I received a Move-on email announcing a protest against the Child Detention Centers at the local office of U.S. Representative Kathy Castor. I decided to attend. News stories estimated the crowd at a few dozen, I’d put it a little higher, but it was not a huge crowd. It seemed somewhat hastily called, so that may account for it.