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For those who have been reading blogforiowa.com for many years you all know that at this time of year I usually post something in admiration of my father-in-law. He was one of the 73,000 Americans and 160,000 allied troops in total that invaded Europe on June 6th 1944.

He was a young man who had just turned 20 about a month before. Like everyone of those 160,000 troops that could easily have been his last day on earth. If DDay wasn’t his last day on earth, there would be plenty more coming up soon that may have been that last day. If he made it through D-Day, then there would be the battles that would lead to the end of the Nazi regime and Hitler. One of those could have easily been his last day on earth.

Seems like every year when I ponder his sacrifice and the sacrifice of all the veterans and their families that won the Second World War for the US and its allies, my mind focuses on a different aspect. This year I am drawn to their simple courage.

Most of us wonder what we would do in that moment when we must make such a choice. Would we make the right, but hard choice? While many like to think they would choose to be the hero, the honest truth is that most of us take the easy way out. 

In today’s world we see that daily, especially in the worlds of business and politics. On a daily basis we have leaders of industry denying their company’s or their own contributions to spoiling the planet’s air, water or land. We see weasely word games to avoid taking responsibility. We see choices made that avoid responsible stewardship.

In the world of politics we see the MAGA Party cowering in fear of their leader, Donald Trump. There has been only one or two who have stood up to Trump. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are the only two who have stood up to Trump and held fast.

Just last week we saw Nikki Haley wither in her opposition to Trump. She joined the myriads of spineless MAGAs who when given a chance to stand up to Trump have cowered and hid away. Romney, Kim Reynolds, Marionette Miller-Meeks, DeSantis – the list of cowards is endless.

We are just 5 months from a momentous election. Trump is telling us straight up that he will end democracy in the US. He is telling us that he wants to be a dictator. He is telling us that he will align our country with dictators and authoritarians. He is warning us how he will change the political world. This is probably only time he is telling the truth.

Now every citizen is being confronted with a life altering choice. Vote for Trump will be a vote to end the American experiment and to end democracy in the US. You and I are the ones who can make a choice to save America. Not as dramatic as D-Day and certainly not as dangerous, but in its way just as meaningful. You and I must stand for democracy for our friends and neighbors, children and grandchildren.

The truly neat thing about our act is that no one needs to know you and I were heroes because the instrument we will use in our defense of democracy is a SECRET ballot. No one else will know how you voted.  

Make sure you are registered to vote. Make a plan to vote. We will plan to go to the courthouse and vote early. We do that in case something happens we still have time to cast our vote. We will make sure that we will make our voices heard in this year when one of the choices will end democracy. We will stand up against Trump and for democracy. 

Oh – and if you think Trump and the MAGAs will never turn on you think again. History is full of people and groups who thought they were insulated from the wrath of the leader until they weren’t. But once democracy is gone there is no system or rule of law to protect you.