Trump’s attempted assassination was a horrible day for America, resulting in unfortunate consequences for rally attendees and their families while further underscoring our Nation’s virulence.
No sane individual wishes violence or death on those holding conflicting views from our own, and at the very least, we stand united on that front. It turns out that Trump suffered minor physical injuries during the incident. Although the “what ifs” and “whys” may haunt him for a while, Trump will be okay. At the expense of gratuitous death and dismemberment, Trump’s assassination attempt will undoubtedly earn a spot in the history books. Yet, Trump appears to be fine, and our Nation remains critically ill. Therefore, we must unite to conserve the modicum of democracy we currently experience.
We’re conditioned to revere democracy, though many of us rarely take the time to appreciate its power to unite at best or its political fragility at worst. To be clear, the electoral process is one of the few democratic experiences most enjoy.
Think about that. We live in a democratic republic, but we’re mostly limited to participating in democracy during election time, not at work or school, and rarely at home or the public sphere. However, what’s great about our democracy is that we’re free to hold and express political opinions despite disagreements among family, friends, neighbors, the status quo, etc.
Democracy would cease to exist without political diversity! Can we all agree on these principles? If so, is democracy worth protecting? We might revere democracy but must reflect on its fragility and our duty to preserve what’s left.
It’s dangerous to conflate sympathy with support for the ex-president, however. Let’s be honest: Trump deserves our sympathy, but his objectives and affirmations remain a direct threat to democracy. One example is Trump’s use of Presidential power during the last election cycle to discredit and defund the U.S. Post Office, based on the premise that mail-in voting benefits Democrats.
Silencing or excluding political opponents from participating in democratic processes is an authoritarian threat to democracy. More recently, the self-described “dictator” indicated plans to suppress unflattering media coverage, punishing journalists daring enough to criticize Trump. This sort of anti-democratic rhetoric is merely the tip of the autocratic iceberg and neither funny nor a joke.
It threatens your standing as a free and equal citizen. We may certainly sympathize with Trump on his current brush with death, but that’s where sympathy must end. He’s an autocrat, carving an anti-democratic path to absolute power.
As we frustratingly argue and fight in the trenches amongst ourselves, groveling over manufactured distractions like grocery and fuel expenses or Biden’s geriatric deficiencies, plans to delegitimize democratic institutions are underway.
For example, recent Supreme Court rulings removed barriers hindering Trump’s flagrant anti-democratic legal abuses. Similarly, Project 2025 offers a blueprint for advancing undemocratic policies and legislation should Trump be reelected or any future President hellbent on subverting democracy. We may have political disagreements, but being realistic about how our world would look without democratic participation is essential. Trump will be fine, but our civil well-being is at stake. So, let’s protect democracy. Vote!
John C. Duff
Los Alamitos
