The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, a White House chief of staff, and many others who worked for the ex-president defeated in 2020 have characterized him as often out of control, ill-informed, impulsive, dangerous. Yet citizens will vote for this man anyway, in spite of indictments and in spite of knowing “the big lie” was just that. These folks will likely not change their minds.

Media outlets are downplaying the danger this candidate poses to our country, intent on milking this horse race for all it’s worth. Some argue that we are sleepwalking our way toward an authoritarian crisis similar to Viktor Orbán’s Hungary. Can we responsibly ignore that possibility with, “Oh, it couldn’t happen here?”

There will be an opportunity to vote my conscience, but it’s no coincidence that we are seeing an assault on voting access in courts across the land.

So I ask myself, “What can I do?”

The first thing, in my case, is to acknowledge that I hoped I would not be drawn into this mean-spirited arena again. It’s unsettling and forces me to look squarely at a threat with real-life consequences. Reluctantly, I come to recognize I simply must show up and protect what is dear to me; that I can’t turn away, and therefore must do my part to rally the legions of like-minded constituents, family and those on the sidelines. I hope many others, upon reflection, come to a similar conclusion.

George Mason
Nobleboro

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