In recent decades, it has been too common in politics for us to accuse anyone who thinks differently than us of wanting to destroy the Constitution.
Yes, democracy is fragile. Even here in the United States we must vigilantly watch for threats that undermine freedom. However, we can’t let hyperbole and rhetoric desensitize us from recognizing real red flags when they arise, regardless of whether they come from our own team or the “other side”.
Perhaps the best way to recognize the real dangers in the middle of the rhetoric is to step back from the Republican/Democrat divide and ask yourself, “If an authoritarian of any party were elected president, how would we know? If it happened here, what would it look like?”
From the lessons of history, we can predict some actions an authoritarian president would take:
Now, if you keep up with current events, how many of these have you seen happen in the last two months? How does that compare to previous administrations in your lifetime?
Doesn’t that make you a little nervous?
Jared Bingham, Salt Lake City
