As a new attorney, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. Although I did not anticipate then that our democracy and our Constitution would ever be in such jeopardy, I am afraid that is where we find ourselves today. I ask you to stand up with me and show your support for our democracy, for the Constitution and for the rule of law. I will be walking a route around the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument and the Capitol from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday beginning March 11th . It will be a peaceful protest. I will try to keep my website (www.dykeslawfirm.com) updated with any changes. I will be working remotely from DC, and, at the moment, I plan to be in DC for about a month. My plans may vary as I see what other protests are already scheduled in DC.
I am thankful for and proud of the many lawyers, judges and legislators who have committed countless hours and shown immense courage in upholding and standing up for our Constitution and the rule of law. I believe our country is teetering on the edge of becoming a dictatorship. Once the current administration defies a federal court order or the Supreme Court puts up only a paltry barrier to the actions of this administration, I fear that our democracy will be in tatters, and we will be living in an authoritarian regime.
Hopefully, the Supreme Court will rule against the threat to birthright citizenship. While not in any way diminishing the issue, I believe that birthright citizenship is a decoy allowing the Supreme Court to give the impression that it is upholding the Constitution, while it lets other actions of the administration, which are just as or more damaging, stand. The Supreme Court is wary of what will happen if it rules against the current administration and the current administration ignores those rulings. Either way, whether it is a flagrant defiance of a court order or if the Supreme Court does not uphold the law, our democracy is in jeopardy. The current administration has fired the top JAG officers of all branches of the military and will replace them with persons who are loyal to this administration. Those officers are the ones who can say “no” if the president issues an unlawful order to the military, including orders to take actions against U.S. citizens in the United States.
Listening to the news, I keep hearing pleas to the American people to stand up against what the current administration is doing. I feel it is time to get out of my comfort zone and my comfortable lifestyle and do what the American people have done before. I know there have been many protests, but I feel a united protest is needed to elicit meaningful impact. I know that this may not be the appropriate venue for this message, but I need to use all the “voices” I have. This is a call to action, regardless of whom you voted for or your political affiliation. You may not at first see how you can drop everything and head to DC, but if you can find a way, please join me there.