As one part of the thousands of No Kings events protesting Donald Trump (r) and his administration residents and neighbors of Warrensburg, Missouri gathered yesterday for a demonstration at the Johnson County Courthouse which was scheduled to start at noon. People started showing up well before then. There were speakers and petition groups had set up tables (also circulating in the crowd) to gather signatures. We heard they did get a lot of signatures. Around 750 people attended the demonstration.
More images:
“We the People…”
“Wrong is wrong…”
“How long before Trump hurts you?!!”
“No Kings”
“We love America…”
“No Kings”
Media interview.
A significant number of signature for petitions were gathered at a table and by individuals circulating in the crowd.
Gathering petition signatures.
Explaining the petitions.
“Fight Fascism…”
“…Defying tyrants.”
“Make Fascists Afraid Again”
Read the womb.
“Separate Church and State”
“They blame immigrants so you won’t blame billionaires”
“…I’m not to old to say ‘Hell No’ this time”
“I love America…”
Anti Fascist should be the default setting”
“When cruelty become normal, compassion looks radical”
“I am AUNT TIFA”
“Remember, only you can prevent Fascism”
“Resist”
Listening:
“Resist”
Emily Wales, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains (PPGP) and Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes (PPGPV).
“There is nothing MORE American than Standing up for Democracy”
As one part of the thousands of No Kings events protesting Donald Trump (r) and his administration residents and neighbors of Warrensburg, Missouri gathered yesterday for a demonstration at the Johnson County Courthouse which was scheduled to start at noon. People started showing up well before then. There were speakers and petition groups had set up tables (also circulating in the crowd) to gather signatures. We heard they did get a lot of signatures. Around 750 people attended the demonstration.
“Fight Fascism”
Tyrant.
“They’ll try to bury us. They don’t know we are seeds.
Warrensburg, Missouri is hosting its annual downtown fall street festival – “BurgFest” – this weekend. Johnson County Democrats host and staff a street both during the daytime and nighttime hours of the event.
This morning:
At the Johnson County Democratic Central Committee booth.
Gathering initiative petition and referendum signatures.
[left to right] Brandon Phelps (r), Rick Brattin (r), Bruce Uhler.
Rick Brattin (r – 31st Senate District), Brandon Phelps (r – 54th Legislative District), and Warrensburg Mayor Bruce Uhler attended and spoke at “Coffee & Concerns” – a community event hosted by the Warrensburg Chamber of Commerce – on Wednesday morning. Around fifty individuals were in attendance.
Rick Brattin (r).
A moderator from the Chamber of Commerce started with questions for the panel, then opened up questions from those in attendance. The event lasted over an hour and a half.
The complete audio:
.
A question from the audience:
Question: …One of my children has a severe disability. So, my question is going to be asking about how will you, um, make sure and, and a specific plan to insure that we are fully funding our schools, especially in those areas of special education. Um, I fear, based on a previous answer you gave, even as the vice-chair of the Education Committee, that you think our schools have more money than we do. Um, and I can tell you that is not the case. Um, so I am curious how you will insure that we are fully finding our schools, not leaving local districts to cover the gap, and how will you make sure we are not diverting funding away from our public schools, uh, via vouchers?
Rick Brattin (r): Why…I’m just like you, I mean, my, I have a daughter that’s a severe dyslexic. I’ve had to privately pay for years and years of tutoring [….] out of my pocket. Uh, and it has been, you know, transformative to be able, but it’s, it’s a life long deal, but I have to, to continually invest in my, my daughter’s capability to be able to flourish. Uh, and I think every student should have that capability. And that’s why I, I’m perplexed at the, the, the opposition to vouchers. You know, why, why I’m paying out of pocket for something that, that yes, if we’re sending taxpayer dollars, why shouldn’t I be able to have that allotment to be able to go to pay for the education that I know my kid is going to be able to flourish in? Uh, instead of walking into a, a type of school system that, uh, is, is a one size fits all approach?
Question: And our taxes pay for public schools. [crosstalk] That cover all students.
Rick Brattin (r): Well, your taxes, our taxes pay for the education of our students. Uh, it doesn’t state that it’s required that it’s public schools. Now we’ve set up that frame work but that doesn’t mean that the legislature and the people don’t want, uh, the capability to go elsewhere if they’re not receiving a good quality education. I mean, look at Kansas City, St. louis, even Lee’s Summit area that I represent a, a portion of. Where they’re at, at twenty, thirty percent, uh, proficiency rates in their readings and math. What are we supposed to do there? Continue to spend money and send our kids there to, to abysmally fail? I, I think it’s a detriment to our students. And especially those that are dyslexic, uh, or have other, uh, disabilities that are totally going under the radar because the school district just, uh, honestly has policies in place that, uh, allow them to be able to, to not be caught.
Well, Congressman Eric Burlison [r – MO 7] is a perfect example. He’s a great friend of mine. His daughters actually through a school district in, in Springfield were, both of them were diagnosed through the school district with dyslexia. The school district opted not to tell the parents. And not to even do anything to, uh, to remedy, trying to help fix their, the, the dyslexia. Until they took them out, got their private, uh, testing done and then the school district after they, actually, caught that they did the testing and refused to, to give that data to the parents, uh, the school district just basically said that they just, you know, uh, didn’t have to. [laugh] And so, I mean, not all school districts are acting in, in good faith and that’s where I think giving the individual parent that capability to take their money, uh, and, and educate their kids where they see fit. Like I had to pull my kids out of, of, Pleasant Hill. Uh, Uh, the public school district and now they’re going to Summit Christian Academy, it’s a private school, and, and they’re, they’re learning well beyond, uh, the, their years of what they would have received, uh, when, when they were at, it’s a, a public school. [….]
Question: Senator, this is not answering my question.
Rick Brattin (r): But, I, I’m just explaining that, that I saw that the school was failing my student and my kids and I had to pull out [crosstalk]…
Question: So you come from a place of privilege where you’re able to pull your children out [crosstalk]…
Rick Brattin (r): I, I make thirty-five thousand dollars a year [crosstalk] as a state senator. I’m not a [crosstalk]…
Question: In, a community like this doesn’t have the access to other schooling systems or, or abilities to send children [crosstalk] to those other places…
Rick Brattin (r): But that’s what it, that’s what [crosstalk] I, if, if we have the systems and processes in place to where we allow the student, uh, the money to follow the student I guarantee you that that will rise up. But when we have a, a monopoly system in education that doesn’t allow for it, of course you’re not gonna have [crosstalk]…
Question: It’s not a monopoly, it’s public education, thank you, senator.
Rick Brattin (r): well it is a monopoly because your taxpayer dollars are forced to go there and regardless if your student is actually even going to that school district. I’m still sending my money to Pleasant Hill School District and I’m paying for my kid’s education as well, on top of the tutoring for my daughter. So yes, I’m paying twice and it’s wrong and people that can’t afford it, they’re trapped. So, I, I’m the chair of Education [Missouri Senate Committee] and this is one of those things that I am emphatically for, is making sure these, these funds follow the student so they can get out of these trapped areas.
Voice: That’s bullshit.
Voices: All right, all right.
Rick Brattin (r): Hey, if you have a great school district then, then you have nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry [crosstalk]…
Question: If you fully fund it.
Rick Brattin (r): It, it is fully funded. At fourteen thousand dollars per pupil, it is funded….
Rick Brattin (r): …Now, as for the separation of church and state, that is nowhere in the Constitution. In fact the, the right to, to freedom of religion is in the Constitution. Uh, the first public education book in the United States is the New England Primer. I highly advise you to go to, to Amazon or Google or, or Ebay, whatever, and purchase a copy and see if separation of church and state of the first ordained public education book was was not religious. I assure you it wasn’t. That, that was not the case. Uh, so this, we, we’ve gotten to this place in America where all the sudden if, if money is utilized to educate students can’t in [inaudible] of faith. I, I think is absolutely the antithesis of America. Uh, we look at things like evolution being forced upon in all public education. Well, that’s, that’s a religion of science that, that’s been adopted and is forced upon the kids. Uh, and, and we’re funding that. I mean, so, to, to say that there’s not that, that aspect of it, it’s already occurring in public education. It’s just the, the secular, uh, world view which the Supreme Court ruled is a religion is, is what the dominant, uh, religion is of, of the school districts. But again, I am not and I do not want to attack the schools. I just want to make sure that, that parents have that capability, ’cause they know what’s best for their kids. Now, do all parents know, there is some crummy parents, there’s some parents that don’t care about their kids, I mean it, and that, that is terrible but, but, we try to do everything we can do with, and, and to make sure that they, they know that. And that’s, that’s my part in it is making sure that they have that capability, uh, to have access to all, uh, educational opportunity as possible. Now, again, we may differ in how and what that looks like, but I assure you I’m not an enemy trying to dismantle everything. I just, I just want there to be a level of competition that makes us all better. I mean, we, we educate and bring up our children to be competitors in every aspect and every realm of life. And then when we talk about vouchers all the sudden it’s, oh we can’t have any level of competition and so on and so forth. I just think that’s, uh, that’s a huge disservice….
[Note: The New England Primer was first published in Boston between 1687 and 1691. Extant copies date from 1727. All well before there was a United States of America.]
[Note: Amendment I – “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” – U.S. Constitution
I Section 6. “….That no person can be compelled to erect, support or attend any place or system of worship, or to maintain or support any priest, minister, preacher or teacher of any sect, church, creed or denomination of religion…” – Missouri Constitution
I Section 7. “That no money shall ever be taken from the public treasury, directly or indirectly, in aid of any church, sect or denomination of religion, or in aid of any priest, preacher, minister or teacher thereof, as such; and that no preference shall be given to nor any discrimination made against any church, sect or creed of religion, or any form of religious faith or worship….” – Missouri Constitution]
Warrensburg Mayor Bruce Uhler.
Brandon Phelps (r).
Brandon Phelps (r): …Just on a, just on a side note, just something, uh, that was mentioned, and actually, I’ve said this before, maybe it gets mentioned quite often. Um, and, and I can’t speak for the senator, but I imagine that I am. We as legislators listen to you significantly more than you can possibly imagine. The problem is, and I told this to a group a while back, that just because maybe we have voted in a manner that you don’t agree with doesn’t mean that we didn’t understand the legislation. It doesn’t mean that we didn’t listen to constituents. It doesn’t mean that, uh, perhaps, if we haven’t met with you, it doesn’t mean that we’ve met with nobody. Um, and, uh, I discussed this with a group a while back that they just, I think they loved probably ninety-five percent of the things that I voted on and the way that I voted, but there were a few things they just simply didn’t like. And they asked me on those things they didn’t like, they said, well, why didn’t you listen to the people? Why didn’t you read the legislation? How come you didn’t, how come you didn’t understand and educate yourself on the legislation? And I said, so, wait a minute, let me get this clear. So on all the things that I voted in the manner that you like, you assumed I did educate myself. You assumed I did speak to the people. You assumed I did listen to the constituency. But on the three that you didn’t like, you assumed I didn’t read those bills. You assumed that I didn’t listen to constituency, and so I want you all to understand that believe it or not, while we are together right here, and for many of you this is the first opportunity, but for many of you it is not. These events, for me at least, I don’t know about for the senator, um, and so everybody knows, and I, I’m a first year legislator. I will tell you that I was actually just stunned that when session ended how many of these events started getting put on my calendar. I will tell you it’s almost daily. Uh, and when the superintendent told you that we spoke, um, a week and a half ago, we did, for two hours. We, we’ve had an opportunity to speak multiple times. During session he came to my office and we had a long conversations. But, that is that way with everybody. I just would ask people, number one, I want you to understand me. I’m gonna listen to you. I’m gonna hear you. I am going to research. But I would also ask that you don’t make the assumption that if I have not agreed with you on a hundred percent of the issues a hundred percent of the time that I just don’t listen. Because that’s not fair. Because we have thousands, tens of thousands of phone calls and emails. And I actually would tell people that’s one of the things I actually, I, I, I think, I think I told the mayor this, um, I know I told [….] this. That’s one of the things I love most about the job. I’m getting a free education when people come in and share their thoughts and concerns with me. They don’t always agree with me and I don’t always agree with them. But I do listen, I do research, and I do understand that we will not agree one hundred percent of the time on one hundred percent of the issues. It’s not possible. Uh, many of these events I go to, the people in the room, some of them in the room contacted my office or contacted me personally with one opinion, while other people in the room contacted me with another. I actually think that’s what makes us great. I actually believe that you are not supposed to agree with me on everything. And I am not supposed to agree with you on everything. I actually believe that that is what we want to see. Because your competing ideas with my competing ideas make us all better people. I can learn from you. And you can learn from me. But I would only say that that is possible when we have enough open mind to assume that the legislator making the vote didn’t just do it willy-nilly. Perhaps the legislator was listening and did have the info. And at the end of the day we’ve got to vote yes or we’ve got to vote no or we could take the coward’s way out and we could just go for a walk down the Capitol and not be there. I’m always there, I’ve always voted. My door in my office, uh, there are some that are open all day, there are some that are closed during the day. Mine’s never been closed. Uh, and I will tell you, these events, like I say, I, I bet I’ve been to a hundred now since the session ended in May. So we’re listening and I want you to know we’re listening and if you call me I will listen. And if you want to meet, I will meet and we will talk. Because I value it, I really do. I, I just really think that we need to share ideas and I am willing to accept the fact that you’re idea may be better than mine. My idea may be better than yours. But when I vote please don’t make the assumption that I only voted based on my ideas and I did it without any other input….
“…But I do listen, I do research, and I do understand that we will not agree one hundred percent of the time on one hundred percent of the issues. It’s not possible…”
There was a peaceful “Rally Against Truth Decay” at 12:30 p.m. today on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri. The temperature was in the 90s. There were about 75 individuals in attendance who listened to speakers, held protest signs (against the excesses of the Trump [r] Administration), and signed initiative petitions.
It’s been one hell of a week in America.
Johnson County Courthouse lawn, Warrensburg, Missouri.
Pastor Tim Whitmore.
“…easier than hiding a family in your attic later.”
Speakers and organizers:
“Veteran…”
“Trans Rights = Human Rights”
“Land of the Oligarchs, Hate & Violence Has Replaced Our Constitution”
“Wake Up!”
“Do Not Oppress…”
“I know you are asking today, how long will it take?….
I come to say to you this afternoon, however difficult the moment, however frustrating the hour, it will not be long, because truth crushed to earth will rise again.
How long? Not long, because no lie can live forever.
How long? Not long, because you shall reap what you sow….
How long? Not long, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, March 25, 1965.
There was a peaceful “Rally Against Truth Decay” at 12:30 p.m. today on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri. The temperature was in the 90s. There were about 75 individuals in attendance who listened to speakers, held protest signs (against the excesses of the Trump [r] Administration), and signed initiative petitions.
If I see a Black pilot, I’m going to be like, boy, I hope he’s qualified.
If you’re a WNBA, pot-smoking, Black lesbian, do you get treated better than a United States marine?
Happening all the time in urban America, prowling Blacks go around for fun to go target white people, that’s a fact. It’s happening more and more.
If I’m dealing with somebody in customer service who’s a moronic Black woman, I wonder is she there because of her excellence, or is she there because of affirmative action?
If we would have said that Joy Reid and Michelle Obama and Sheila Jackson Lee and Ketanji Brown Jackson were affirmative action picks, we would have been called racists. Now they’re coming out and they’re saying it for us … You do not have the brain processing power to otherwise be taken really seriously. You had to go steal a white person’s slot to go be taken somewhat seriously.
We need to have a Nuremberg-style trial for every gender-affirming clinic doctor. We need it immediately.
I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the second amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational.
America was at its peak when we halted immigration for 40 years and we dropped our foreign-born percentage to its lowest level ever. We should be unafraid to do that.
The American Democrat party hates this country. They wanna see it collapse. They love it when America becomes less white.
The great replacement strategy, which is well under way every single day in our southern border, is a strategy to replace white rural America with something different.
America has freedom of religion, of course, but we should be frank: large dedicated Islamic areas are a threat to America.
We’ve been warning about the rise of Islam on the show, to great amount of backlash. We don’t care, that’s what we do here. And we said that Islam is not compatible with western civilization.
Islam is the sword the left is using to slit the throat of America.
There is no separation of church and state. It’s a fabrication, it’s a fiction, it’s not in the constitution. It’s made up by secular humanists.
There was a peaceful “Rally Against Truth Decay” at 12:30 p.m. today on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri. The temperature was in the 90s. There were about 75 individuals in attendance who listened to speakers, held protest signs (against the excesses of the Trump [r] Administration), and signed initiative petitions.
A drive-by commenter:
“Killers…”
He turned the corner and kept shouting.
“Killers…”
“Killers…”
So much for civil discourse.
The First Amendment must really chap some people’s asses.
Congressman Mark Alford
[July 21, 2025]
Thanks for the warm welcome, Warrensburg!
Enjoyed lunch at Fitter’s with Mayor Bruce Uhler, City Manager Mike Schrage, Kristen Dorman, and Suzanne Taylor. We discussed securing funding for rural programs and key projects like the highway interchange to support our growing community.
Big group you got there.
Some of the responses to Mark Alford’s (r) social media post:
Congressman Mark Alford
We also shared our excitement for Whiteman Air Force Base and how proud I am of the folks who demonstrated the strength and power of our Defense Department through Operation Midnight Hammer.
Congressman Mark Alford By “securing funding” you mean going further in debt. [….]
Mr. Alford, during your August Recess, will you be having any town hall meetings to hear from your constituents? I’m talking about a real, in-person town hall, instead of just meet and greets, or a virtual town hall where you limit seating and have someone curate discussion, so you can pick who attends and what questions you’ll answer? You know, a public meeting where you have to listen to your constituents instead of just dismissing their questions and re-directing so that you can talk at them to tell them your party’s latest talking points?
Yeah, we were wondering about that, too.
Congressman Mark Alford, and yet again you are milking our military for political purposes. Did you also talk about how you voted to cut funding for rural hospitals and education? I think there’s a University in Warrensburg. In case you hadn’t noticed. 🙄
Yes, there is a state university in Warrensburg.
Did you discuss how the blue states fund the red states?
When are you going to address the rising costs of energy that’s in the big beautiful bill you support
Did you stop by the tv station [KMOS-TV] and tell them you had cut their funding?
What about the Epstein list?
Congressman Mark Alford, why didn’t you let your constituents know through Facebook that you were going to be at Fitters in Warrensburg??? I would have made sure I attended! This frustrates me that you don’t give us a chance to see you.
Apparently, Mark Alford (r) is still afraid of his constituents.
Congressman Mark Alford Are you going to demand that ALL the Epstein files be released to the public?
Congressman Mark Alford. Ground beef at Walmart in Maryville, Missouri is nearly $9/lb. Let’s ask if the cattle farmers in MO are being paid equivalently. How many Alford voters here voted for $9/lb hamburger? Are you WINNING yet? [….]
How do you plan to do that since you cut taxes for the rich? Disproportionately on the backs of the middle class and poor, right?
Congressman Mark Alford a/k/a Cockwomble – once again an “invitation only” photo op for you. You could give a rats ass about your constituents and are scared of us. You’re nothing but a fascist liar! Did you drive your Jaguar there or did we pay for a driver to take you? Did you have extra security detail and did we pay for that too?
Today at noon over seventy-five individuals gathered on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in Warrensburg, Missouri to commemorate the birthday of John Lewis (D) and to resist the continuing excesses of the Trump (r) Administration.
There were chants. There is a joy in the battle. There was a cowbell.
There were honking horns. There was a shout – “Socialists” – from a passing car in the public street. Think about that for just a brief second. There were a few revved motors – you guessed it – from pickup trucks.
There were mostly honking horns.
“Good Trouble”
“Protect Public Ed!”
“Stop the ICEholes”
Later, a passerby stopped to “ask” about the flag. What did it mean? It turns out that the passerby was disturbed about this particular display. The holder explained what it meant, and added, “I am a veteran.”
“Melt ICE, deport Trump”
“Human rights”
“Separate Church and State”
“Where is the list? With Liberty and Justice for All.”
A benediction:
“Stop the billionaire coup”
“This is not okay”
There was a reporter from a national publication interviewing demonstrators.
The resistance will continue.
“RESIST” (2024) Posterboard. Permanent marker. 22 x 28.
The Warrensburg, Missouri “No Kings” demonstration was scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m. downtown on the lawn of the Johnson County Courthouse. We arrived on the lawn about 30 minutes before the official start. By the end of the rally there were approximately 500 in attendance, with people with signs facing Holden Street. The sky was sunny, the temperature was in the 80s, with many seeking the shade.
There was no march (it was too hot), there were speeches. There was no sound system.
There were several Warrensburg Police officers keeping watch. There was a significant amount of supportive horn honking from passing vehicles. There was one passing “smoker” truck displaying the frustration of an owner who was probably upside down on his payments.
