Letter to the Editor: Democracy is Under Attack

Larry Feldman, Letter to the Editor, 03/20/2022

Editor,

On February 24th, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin ordered his armed forces to invade the sovereign nation of Ukraine. This was an unprovoked, illegal invasion which has now led to the deaths of thousands of people, including many children.

Former U.S. president Donald Trump reacted to Putin’s villainy with these words: “This is genius…Oh, that’s wonderful…How smart is that?” Trump’s disgusting praise of Putin was consistent with his frequently expressed admiration for the Russian dictator. It was also consistent with Trump’s unrelenting efforts while in office to undermine NATO, which has been, and continues to be, one of Putin’s primary objectives.

Despite Trump’s commitment to advancing Putin’s agenda, he continues to be the leader of the Republican party. His approval ratings among Republicans remain high and most Republican candidates eagerly vie for his endorsement.

In Michigan, Trump has endorsed a candidate for the office of Secretary of State who supports his big lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Based on this lie, Michigan Republican state legislators have repeatedly tried to pass voter suppression laws, all of which have been vetoed by Governor Whitmer. Now, they are organizing a deceptive voter petition drive in an effort to pass voter suppression laws that cannot be vetoed by the governor.

The war in Ukraine is a military battle for democracy. Here at home there is a political battle for democracy. Trump and his Republican accomplices are attempting to destroy the American democratic system by undermining our elections. They are basing their anti-democracy schemes on false claims of widespread voter fraud, claims which have repeatedly been rejected by multiple courts of law, including the Supreme Court. They are trying to pass voter suppression laws and to elect Republican candidates who are committed to undermining the integrity of our elections.

What can we do to oppose these assaults on democracy? In regard to Ukraine, we can speak out against Putin’s tyranny and condemn Putin apologists like Trump. We can support the Ukrainian people in their valiant struggle to defend their country. In our own country, we can oppose all efforts to make voting more difficult. We can refuse to vote for any candidate who supports voter suppression. And we can do everything we can to help elect pro-democracy candidates to offices at every level – town and township officials, county clerks and county commissioners, state representatives and state senators, federal representatives and senators, and the president of the United States.

Larry Feldman

Lakeside