Scary times
To the editor:
Our Democracy is at risk. We are on shaky ground. The thing about our current political landscape is that racism and bigotry have been allowed to thrive within the GOP. With the election of Trump, white nationalism has reared its ugly head and been supported, even encouraged to become mainstream within the party. With the help of Fox News and Tucker Carlson, many on the right are being fed a steady stream of conspiracy theories including “white replacement theory” which says that Democrats are purposedly trying to replace white voters with people of color. It’s crazy but there are many on the right who believe this nonsense. They are using scare tactics to convince their base that their liberal neighbor is plotting against them. And Qanon is telling them that their Democratic representatives are pedophiles. Some, like the shooter in Buffalo, resort to violence against minorities. The MAGA crowd’s undying loyalty to Trump, despite his many criminal actions and failings, shows a shift towards authoritarianism in the party. DeSantis, here in Florida punishes those who disagree with him, IE., Disney, just as an authoritarian dictator would do. The lies about 2020 election fraud are believed by more than half of the Republican voters, despite irrefutable evidence that the election was secure and legitimate. And the mission to install Trump loyalists as electors in many right-leaning states means that they can change any future vote in their favor if they don’t like the legitimate outcome! Many election and democracy experts see this rise in anti-democratic impulses in state houses as a clear threat to our democracy! No matter your political leaning please be informed when you vote and vote to save our Democracy!
Kristi Pope
Cape Coral