Trump is Leading Us Down the Road to Tyranny

“It’s later than you realize,” my mother would often remind me. Whether it was about finishing homework, laundering gym clothes, or engaging with my younger brother, the words were irksome yet almost always correct. It’s one of those difficult truths of life that many can relate to. She lived to 99, and I believe that if she were here today, she would reiterate that message to all of us.

How can we not express concern over the current state of our union? Every moment, the essential foundations of our 249-year-old United States are being battered by a man and a presidency that appear indifferent to the extraordinary nature of this nation.

I’m no naive observer. We have flaws, but our founding document speaks of “… a more perfect union….” This isn’t the time for partisanship; we must acknowledge that the peril is present now, not just a distant threat. Our only recourse lies in the system of laws established since our inception, but these laws are already being ignored by an administration that feels it can defy any checks and balances.

More than others in our Washington, D.C., delegation, I believe that Sen. Collins’ “wait and see” strategy completely misses the urgency of the situation. Perhaps if I sent her the following letter, she might leverage her seniority to instigate change:

Dear Sen. Collins:

The pressing question facing us Americans is whether we will continue to strive for the democratic republic envisioned in our Constitution. Party affiliation should not dictate our concerns — now or ever. Donald Trump and his followers are undermining 250 years of progress for their own ends, and we both know this to be true.

My influence comes through our representatives in Washington, D.C. You and Sen. King are our voices in the U.S. Senate, while Rep. Pingree and Rep. Golden represent us in the House. You all bear witness to a reckless, wide-ranging assault on two and a half centuries of effort to uphold the rights of “We the people” as members of a self-governing, equitable nation.

In previous times when our hopes for democracy have faced challenges, the people of Maine have shown significant unity in opposing threats to our democratic society. Maine’s history boasts several strong leaders who have stood against such assaults, with names like Baxter, Blaine, Chamberlain, Dix, Smith, and Muskie coming to mind.

It is inconceivable that you are unaware of the democratic crisis pressing upon us—a crisis we are not united enough to confront. We cannot afford to wait for more “signs” that an attack on our fundamental principles is happening; the evidence is glaring, and the “outer walls” have been breached. Courts are unwilling to adjudicate based on merit, and those who should unite in Congress are failing to do so. If there is to be a defense before this democratic republic meets its unfortunate fate, it rests upon you and the duly elected law-makers.

I may not be Thomas Paine, but I urge you to embrace genuine patriotism at this critical juncture. The dilemma we face now mirrors that of the past: Do we desire this experiment to thrive, bestowing us with the freedoms inherent in self-governance, or not?

You must collaborate with those in Congress who can guarantee its success. The window is closing, Senator, exceedingly fast. Congress is already responding to directives from the White House. The time is indeed limited.

We all have our concerns, but the majority of us here in Maine are casting our votes for democracy over oppression. Which side are you on? Do you stand in defense of our democratic framework, or do you facilitate a power grab? Those are the two “sides,” Senator. This moment demands either courage or cowardice regarding the preservation of what generations of Americans have “… thus far so nobly advanced.”

Respectfully,

Diego González

Do you believe this could be effective?