I was born in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge, the last battle to save democracy for the world. I fear I will die, the better part of a century later, having watched the lamp of Lady Liberty extinguished.

A vote against candidate Trump in November, regardless of who stands for election against him, may be the last chance this generation has to hold on to American democracy, as we’ve known it.

The Democratic Party must dispatch this crisis speedily. One hundred-plus days is not enough time to do anything but pledge unshakable support for whomever is running on the Democratic ticket. Right now, it’s Joe Biden.

This is no time for jockeying for position, putting forward a raft of candidates, brawling over them on worldwide television.

Insist President Biden get out there and demonstrate he’s up to the task. If he isn’t, it will become evident quickly. In this event, we can only hope the party can pull together, be prepared ahead of the convention, no wrangling, dissension or hesitation. Voters must pledge to immediately rally round any successor.

We need to do what the other guy’s supporters do: forgive our leader all their faults, support them no matter what, with all we’ve got, and make sure they win by an impossible-to-ignore margin in November.

We are one election away, from an American autocracy.

Jane Card
Kennebunk