Dictatorship is a Serious Threat

Many of us are old enough to have been taught in civics or government classes what the consequences of dictatorships are. We have read about what happened in the world before we were born, and observed what is still going on in countries such as Russia, China, Iran, North Korea, and many more.

Are these current and historical events being taught in schools and colleges today? Do young people understand what a dictatorship is, and what happens to a democracy when it is taken over by a dictator? Are older people in a state of denial about the dangers of dictatorship?

It is so important that all voters, young and old, are educated on these facts before they go to the polls this year. We can’t just cross our fingers and “hope we’ll get through this.”

Many voters – young, middle-aged and older – seem to believe that if a dictator is elected as the president of our country, “we would survive.” They do not understand that once a dictator is in power, democracy will not survive.

Donald Trump has told us that if he is elected, he will do everything he can to become a dictator. He has threatened to replace civil servants with his partisan loyalists, to use the Justice Department to seek revenge against anyone he perceives to be his “enemy,” to make voting as difficult as possible for those who are likely to vote in favor of anyone who does not support him, and to refuse to accept the results of any election that he or his supporters do not win.

Those of us who firmly believe in the urgency of preserving our democracy need to do everything we can to ensure that our country does not elect this would-be authoritarian dictator.

Val Schnable, Shoreham

Gretta Van Bree, Lincoln Township