Tyranny requires your fear, silence, and compliance.  Democracy requires your courage.  I recently heard these words quoted by a cable news host; I think it was MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow.  I was struck by her words so I decided to use them in this article.  These words had an encouraging effect on me because, many times, I have been hesitant to write negative things about Trump even when it is blatantly obvious that he is wrong and knows it but is daring anyone to say that he is wrong.  I have had the same hesitancy in writing negative things about his sycophants, other powerful people, and institutions that he controls: other powerful people, many of whom are also sycophants, like senators and representatives, and institutions like the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS).  And although I will likely continue to experience these feelings of a buried fear to be silent and comply without encouraging all the American people to speak truth to power via this blog, I will continue to write and post.

I am one person.  I do not have the slightest idea of how many people read the articles that I post to this blog.  But if even one person reads them and is moved to stand and fight for democracy, even if they harbor fear, I have achieved success!  Why do I consider moving just one person to stand and fight for democracy success?  Because the American democracy is right now involved in a battle to the death.  It is an existential battle and it needs all hands on deck if it is to have any chance to survive!  That means that every American; every one person, must grab their one bucket of water and contribute to containing this 5-alarm democracy fire until we the people can put it out…permanently.  Then, and only then, will we be able to get back to reasonable discourse among reasonable people, govern, and do the business of America for the American people.

All United States senators and representatives swore the following oath before they took office:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely; without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.”

After having read this oath, does it appear to you, the reader, that it is what U.S. Republican senators and representatives are adhering to?!  I assume that your answer is no.  Common sense demands it!  It seems that their oaths are anathema to them because honoring it would require that they put country above Party; honoring it would prevent them from giving Trump everything that he wants!  This is reflected in how they are allowing The Donald J. Trump of the United States of America to run roughshod over them and the American people while showing little to no respect for the Constitution or the law of the land.  While they express anger and concern in private about the things that Trump is doing, in public they smile and express strong support of him.  Many of these congresspersons then return to their home districts and lie to their constituents about what is happening to America.

Trump is moving forward at lightening speed in destroying many of the things that it has taken America more than two centuries to build.  And he is doing it literally via executive orders, many of which he has immediately rescinded each time, and as soon as, the American people have mounted protests in objection to them.  It is important that all Americans realize that even when Trump rescinds these orders, they still do great damage.  Although the damage might not be as great as that done by those executive orders that are left standing, both destroy the very fiber of American society and will require years to repair.  Some of this damage may never be fully repaired.

As of the posting of this article, Trump has been in office a little more than a month.  During that time, he has cozied up to Russian President Putin, alienated all our allies and thrown Ukraine under the bus while appearing to have changed sides in the middle of the war that Russia started with Ukraine.  Most of what Trump is doing is wrong and a slap in the face of the American people.  Yet, far too many Americans are waiting in hope that Trump is not who he has shown the world that he is all his life before they decide to fight back against him and the tyrannical things he is doing.  Why wait and hope?  Trump has already said that he would be a dictator, but only on day one of his current term as president.  He told the world what he would do if he was elected to a second term as president…and he is doing it.  As to whether he will be true to his word that he would be a dictator only on day one, remains to be seen.  But with the way that things have gone so far, he has continued to show the world that he is exactly who he has shown the world that he is all his life.  What are these Americans waiting for?!  What more proof do they need!

Let me be clear, the paragraph immediately above is not meant to suggest that people cannot or should not have any differences of opinion.  America is a melting pot; of course, her people are going to have differences of opinion.  What it is meant to suggest, however, is that only when we can get back to reasonable discourse among reasonable people will we be able to govern and do the business of America for the American people.  Trump, his sycophants, and the other powerful people that he controls are not conducive to returning to civil discourse.  Neither Trump nor his enablers who are trying to destroy the American democracy should ever be allowed the privilege to govern America again: they should all be voted out of office.

But herein lies the rub.  Who am I to say that all these politicians should be voted out of office and never allowed to govern America again, that any reasonable and responsible American would feel this way, and then be the soul individual to determine that this will be the case?  But that is my opinion and I have every right to have it; and you have every right to have yours!  That is why we must have reasonable people who can have reasonable discourse to solve our differences of opinion; to find common ground!  Again, Trump, his sycophants, and the other powerful people that he controls are not conducive to finding these kinds of people.  We can end this conundrum that we find ourselves in with our vote.  Let’s do that.

So always remember, whether you are a Democrat, Republican, or Independent, your vote is the most important one of all…unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis – author, M2: Street Cop To Top Cop, Operation Rubik’s Cube, and Living Between The Line