Letters

“A republic, if you can keep it,” answered Benjamin Franklin when he was asked, “Are we a republic or a monarchy?” at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

In the 235 years since, the republic was safe for the most part. That is no longer the case.

Today, we have one major party that is working feverishly to undermine the cornerstones of our democracy, and is rapidly moving in the direction of authoritarian government, by passing laws that are overriding the will of the people, refusing to accept election outcomes if they lose, and spreading one conspiracy theory after the other. The threat is real, and it must be stopped now.

In the 2022 congressional elections, the Republican Party features 300 congressional candidates who are election deniers, and many are strong believers in the “Big Lie.” In 2021, 147 lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, including the Republican candidate for New York State governor, Lee Zeldin.

The 2020 elections are in the rearview mirror, but the ongoing assault on our institutions and the growing threat and violence against elected officials is not. Since Donald Trump was elected in 2016, threats to members of Congress have increased tenfold, from 902 in 2016 to 9,625 in 2021.

Preserving democracy and fundamental rights were the core issue during the summer months. Recently, crime and inflation have increasingly dominated the headlines. These are important issues as well. The Democratic Party has fought hard to address them. Progress has been made, and more is needed.

What you have to ask yourself honestly: Do you trust MAGA Republicans to protect our democratic institutions, health care, Social Security, fight climate change, rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and save voting and abortion rights?

The answer has to be a resounding no, and until there is a course correction in the Republican Party, the only party that deserves your vote is the Democratic party, up and down the ballot.

See you at the polls on November 8.

Erich Winkler

Southampton Village