American politics feels less like a democracy and more like a never-ending custody battle. Voters get stuck in the middle while two massive parties argue over who gets to “own” them. The Republican and Democratic parties were originally created to help organize elections and mobilize people. Today, they mostly organize outrage, and they’ve gotten extremely good at it.

Organized by the McLennan County Democratic Party and Indivisible Waco, the “No Kings” protest turned sidewalks into a curbside gathering — spotlighting limits on executive authority as demonstrators waved homemade signs, a few wearing costumes and blasted pop anthems like Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA.”

Flanigan hopes events such as “Popcorn and Politics” will help educate students about current events, better informing them about what’s happening in the world around them and the role their representatives play in these issues.

Both Flavin and Van Gorder sketched an invitation and a warning. The real test isn’t in the heat of headlines, but in the quieter spaces — dinner tables, living rooms, classrooms and pews — where people chose to alienate or to listen. The health of democracy and national change, they argue, will be decided in those very regular, small acts of civility and grace.

At noon, hundreds of residents from McLennan and surrounding counties gathered at a rally organized by the McLennan County Democratic Party. Speakers including Beto O’Rourke, Nancy Thompson and Wendy Davis addressed the seated but enthusiastic crowd at a “March for Democracy.”

What is a fascist? Is it as simple as an authoritarian ruler? A catch-all descriptor for political opposition?

In a particularly polarizing election season, the panelists urge Christians to step back from a combative attitude when it comes to politics and start listening to other perspectives.

Given the upcoming general election in the United States, Self said now is the time that students can learn about the importance of voting on a smaller scale at school, so that their voice can be heard both on campus as well as at the local, state and federal levels.