Trump’s rise shows how democracies fall

To the editor,

While nobody should celebrate a political assassination, neither should such an act turn an unworthy person into a martyr. If Charlie Kirk truly valued the free exchange of ideas, he would not have supported a president who tried — and is still trying — to become a dictator.

Using ICE to arrest and detain migrants following a legal path toward citizenship, impounding money already allocated by Congress, sending troops meant for foreign engagement to cities run by political opponents and pressuring TV networks and news outlets to silence critics are legally and morally indefensible actions. 

Why did 77 million people vote for Trump despite what happened on Jan. 6, 2021? I would think any reasonable person would have breathed a sigh of relief after the insurrection failed and would never consider voting for Trump again.

So, what are the motives of Trump supporters? Obviously, some are haters. But others simply did not observe what Trump was saying or what was happening.

You don’t have to be the most aware person to notice that most migrants are hardworking, underpaid and that most crime is committed by people who were born here. So why would people not notice the contradiction in saying only criminals would be deported but that there will be mass deportations?

Now, when Trump and fellow Republicans act to slash Medicaid and SNAP benefits that people need to survive while giving tax cuts to those who already have more money than they’ll ever need, that’s morally indefensible.

People wonder how Adolf Hitler gained power in Germany. Look at what’s happening here. Neither Trump, Hitler nor any other tyrant could ever do anything alone. If Hitler hadn’t had many supporters, he would have been just another man ranting on a street corner. If Trump ran for president and everyone ignored him, he’d have no power.

We dodged a bullet when the insurrection failed. I only hope we can dodge the bullets still headed our way.

Richard Warren