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To the editor:
Let's be clear minded about this. We, The People of the United States, currently have in power an elected POTUS with alleged dementia who is exhibiting delusions of grandeur and malicious intent against those who disagree in America and the world.
He is supported by a weak GOP and partisan SCOTUS who are enabling the democratic backsliding of our country into authoritarianism in order to keep their jobs and current power positions in our government.
Those currently in power are benefiting tremendously financially hence, have no intentions to fix the problems they have created. They are following the anti-democratic playbook of Project 2025 to the letter. Read it for yourself if you did not read it before you voted in 2024. Seventy-seven million may have mistakenly thought they were voting anti-establishment for a strong-man savior. Were they misinformed or is this really the country and world they envision for future generations?
Will voters want to be better informed about the candidates and issues before the next election? Watching faux news all day and relying solely on biased tech "news" is a choice. So is being better informed and self-educated.
We also must acknowledge the failure of the Democratic Party to present a unified message to us of their plans for a "Project 2026" under which they would plan to reinstate and improve our imperfect democracy by restoring voting rights (free and fair elections without gerrymandering the states); women's rights; workers rights; term, age limits and authority in the presidency, the judiciary and Congress; abolish the Electoral College so that every vote counts; overturn Citizens United decision created by partisan judges to get big corporate money out of our politics; reverse the unlawful tariffs destroying our farmers and small businesses; deal with illegal/criminal immigrants vs the foreign born here legally working to support their families and our economy; address crime including by our own homegrown illegal militias; gun regulation/registrations to keep us and our children safe from the criminally insane and domestic violence; First Amendment Rights and freedom of the press; updating our woefully out-of-date Constitution; separation of church and state to name a few issues to be addressed.
Do we throw away the Democratic Party and simply give in to authoritarian ideology or do we demand that the better functioning party of the two evolve into a governing body that will actually fix these problems if we elect them? What is their plan other than to rail against the current regime?
Democratic backsliding into authoritarianism need not be final in our country. We are badly damaged but it is not too late to reverse course. However, with the media and biased tech platforms being entirely controlled by about six or eight companies it will be difficult. Our American oligarchs -- just like their counterparts in other dictatorial countries -- have purchased our government, our freedoms and our news sources with their astronomical wealth.
Will "We the People" take it back or let them have it? Will we Americans allow them to continue with the rhetorical name calling and labeling to polarize us -- citizens against each other -- in order for them to "win"?
Do we want our current and future presidents to have absolute and total presidential authority?
What will you do to protect and help improve our Democracy?
Lynn A. Hagedorn, MD
Cape Coral