The challenge issued.
Americans are going to have to decide what form of government they're going to have after the November election.
A Constitutional Democracy? An Authoritarian State? A Dictatorship? A Banana Republic?
Americans face a stark choice this fall between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Both have low ratings in the polls because of the polarized politics dividing our country.
Americans don't know who to believe anymore. Once trusted institutions like our judicial system (in particular the Supreme Court) and Congress have the lowest approval ratings in the history of the republic.
As a Vietnam veteran I have seen this country torn apart over the undeclared war in Southeast Asia. I, and my returning comrades, faced a wave of hatred among young politically active students.
As bad as that was, I was never worried that our republic would ever face a nationwide referendum on our Constitutional Democracy. That America would teeter on becoming an authoritarian state.
But here we are.
It seems unreal that one party's candidate for president is a convicted rapist, was twice impeached as a former president, and is facing four criminal trials - with 91 felony indictments - for trying to overthrow the election he lost in 2020 and stealing secret government documents.
What kind of candidate is that? Trump is the complete opposite of law and order and he's a worshipper of dictators and strongmen around the world.
In what kind of world could this happen?
In our world. Like it or not we're going to have to fight to preserve our democratic way of life by calling out MAGA lies and using truth and facts as weapons.
There won't be any beach landings on other countries shores for this war to preserve our American way against Trump and his cult supporters. The battles will be fought in the voting booths of every state.
The front lines are the mainstream media versus right-wing disinformation stations like Fox News and Newsmax. For every daily salvo of lies there needs to be the return fire of truth backed by facts.
We can't count on the courts holding Trump accountable for his crimes. His influence with the Supreme Court puppets he appointed along with a legion of MAGA judges in the federal and state courts, has been an effective counterattack against justice being served.
We have to fight for freedom at the ballot box like never before. Our votes are the ammunition against tyranny. What shall it be? America... or Amerika? You decide.
As it stands, it's not hyperbole saying this election will decide the fate of freedom in the United States of America.
