Note: The Lawrence Times runs opinion columns and letters to the Times written by community members with varying perspectives on local issues. These pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Times staff.
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My father (Navy), mother (Army), and many other family members served our country in World War II. Never did they or other veterans risk their lives to stop the spread of democracy, freedom and personal rights. Instead, they gave of themselves, in countless ways, to stop the spread of authoritarianism, suppression of freedoms and tyranny of the many by the few. Most of those veterans aren’t here to witness the danger from inside the U.S. — us — the “Christian” nationalist Republican Party has become. They’d be extremely shocked, angry and disappointed that so many Americans are manipulated by a pathological liar using inflammatory speech and actions drawn from Hitler’s and Mussolini’s regimes.
Today’s Republicans seem oblivious to their leaders’ goals of ignoring the Constitution; controlling deeply personal decisions; creating a highly partisan judiciary; dismantling or drastically altering essential government agencies—including the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Education, and Department of Health and Human Services; reversing progress on global warming; making our military serve Trump, not the Constitution; and eliminating other basic rights, protections and benefits impacting all of us.
MAGA Republicans’ ominous plans turn veterans’ deaths or traumatic experiences into worthless sacrifices. Rather than address increasingly serious problems, they fear-monger and scapegoat to entice the susceptible into choosing grievances over solutions, sham fixes over actual ones, and demonization over acceptance of others.
Tragically, MAGA ultraconservatives condone or even spread hate, division and violence instead of promoting respect, collaboration and safety from internal and external threats. They complain about government regulations but, when they control government, tend to eagerly regulate others’ lives to serve their own values. For example, they value women mainly for our reproductive capacity to serve their agenda — as did the Nazis — leading to the removal of reproductive rights.
The Republican Party that chose Lincoln and Eisenhower, two leaders who valued democracy and personal freedom, began changing dramatically during the Reagan administration. For example, public education was devalued by blaming this bedrock of democracy for social issues beyond its control. Undermining education is another hallmark of authoritarianism. GOP leadership increasingly appears to be creating an extremist organization under the guise of a political party to push a pseudo-Christian, authoritarian CN-MAGA agenda. (See Project 2025.) This decadeslong, behind-the-scenes plan to control our inclusive society and our cultural beliefs and values through enormous changes to our political system and government is extremely dangerous for the future of our country, as well as our democratic allies around the world.
Voting for leaders — at all levels of government — who are committed to government “of the people, by the people, for the people” is the way to stop the dismantling of American democracy. Every vote actually does matter — including yours! Please defend the Constitution upon which our democratic way of life is based: a nonpartisan judiciary and civil service; progress on addressing global warming; separation of church and state; equitable sharing of wealth; countless personal freedoms; and so much more with your vote. As Trump has stated, you won’t need to vote anymore if he wins the presidency because he intends to ensure you’ll no longer have the power to defend your values and way of life via this most basic right in a democracy.
— Sandy Sanders (she/her), Lawrence
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