Karl Meyer writes about the Connecticut River, the Constitution, and democracy. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists.
GREENFIELD, MASS.-If the Constitution is being threatened, you have a duty to say something. You also have a duty to do something.
Right now Donald Trump is laser-focused on undermining the Constitution’s sacred voting rights via his SAVE America Act. He’s spreading lies and doubt, constantly calling into question our record of free and fair elections — long the envy of the world.
It appears this 80-year-old lame duck will stop at nothing in assaulting the most essential of American rights to manufacture his own fall election outcomes. House and Senate wins on Nov. 3 would effectively complete his rise to dictatorship.
The signposts show he’s out for blood this time.
Control the vote; you control the people. There’s no greater threat to democracy.
* * *
Trump’s 2020 presidential election loss had been exhaustively confirmed by scores of state and federal courts appeals when he phoned Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, to pressure him to overturn Georgia’s triply recounted ballot results.
“All I want to do is this,” Trump said. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more that we have because we won the state. And flipping the state is a great testament to our country because, you know, this is just it’s a testament that they can admit to a mistake or whatever you want to call it.”
But a courageous Raffensperger refused, stating, “We have to stand by our numbers. We believe our numbers are right.”
But Trump’s betrayal wasn’t done. Just four days later, on Jan. 6, 2021, he egged on thousands of far-right MAGA Republicans, Proud Boys, and an assortment of masked and bear-spray-sporting thugs from a stage near the White House. He urged them to embody his desires, sending them on a march to the Capitol and a seated Congress.
Then he went home, watching for hours as a bloodthirsty mob attempted to crush the Constitution’s rule of law and prevent the peaceful transfer of power by Congress.
Today, spewing endless vitriol, Trump appears to have this nation’s would-be voters exactly where he wants them right up until November: everyone, everywhere divided, fraught, and worried.
My congressman keeps restating fears Trump will use ICE, the National Guard, and his Capitol-attacking thugs to commandeer elections and outcomes. But he then offers no bold plan to stop him. Other officials spread their angst, voicing similar fears.
It all reinforces Trump’s design to keep everyone gobsmacked, waiting on what he’ll do next to disqualify voters, limit polling sites, make false claims of corruption, and manufacture victory.
* * *
The main pushbacks against Trump’s constitutional assaults come via a handful of national and state groups in large, once-a-season protests. Emergency ICE protests and stand-outs also target a host of abuses.
Taken altogether, these widespread, spirited responses appear to be part of a long-game strategy, yet they’ve done little to stem the growing string of constitutional rollbacks. Their mile-wide/inch-deep impacts clearly fail to address the full measure of democracy’s most dangerous moment.
The right to vote can’t defend itself, and nothing in a democracy is more important. Yet Trump remains unchallenged in Washington, reaping billions, shouting down endless decrees while waging open war on the most sacred of civil rights. He appears locked in and going for democracy’s jugular this time around. That should now be clear to everyone.
Thus, a huge questions confronts this nation: Will we, its people, find the focus, courage, and will to come together and stand in defense of our most sacred constitutional freedom? Will we fight now to defend democracy’s fundamental right to vote?
It’s time to recognize the fear and desperation in Donald Trump right now: blasting old lies and bully-pulpit rumors of rampant fraud and election interference.
Failing to see that is a colossal mistake. Trump lost to Joe Biden in 2020. That’s a fact. He hates facts.
His Iraq war led to the shut down of the Strait of Hormuz. It’s sent gas prices skyrocketting. Both facts. It’s causing price spikes and global energy shortages, jeopardizing trade and poisoning international relations.
All facts that are breathing down the neck of a lame-duck president seeking to undermine trust in our 250 year-old democracy.
His war on voting rights shows he’s terrified he’ll lose: his power, his world, and his fact-absent claims, monied cronies, bullied court, social-media and deep-fake posts, witch hunts against women, Black and Brown people, the press — all his chaos and control.
His war declarations and executive orders would no longer hold the immediacy of a loudmouth bully imposing false imperial powers on an acquiescent democracy.
* * *
And that is where the strength of the American people resides — in the right and ability to take back the voice of their nation, united in the freedoms of the Constitution.
That’s the fightback needed right now, to inspire — to set the stage for democracy’s triumph later this November.
Voting rights were won by people marching in Washington, and that’s where they must be defended.
Its time at long last to call out his tyranny. It’s time now to gather, everyone at once — a mile deep and an inch wide — and stand by right and in full courage on our National Mall in defense of the voting rights of all.
It’s time again to raise democracy’s true voice and silence a tyrant’s mouthful of lies, stating, finally and unequivocally: “This attack shall not stand!”
This Voices Viewpoint was submitted to The Commons.
This piece, published in print in the Voices section or as a column in the news sections, represents the opinion of the writer. In the newspaper and on this website, we strive to ensure that opinions are based on fair expression of established fact. In the spirit of transparency and accountability, The Commons is reviewing and developing more precise policies about editing of opinions and our role and our responsibility and standards in fact-checking our own work and the contributions to the newspaper. In the meantime, we heartily encourage civil and productive responses at voices@commonsnews.org.